Sandhill crane sculpture dedicated
McCook Gazette Jul 23, 2021
From left, artist Sondra Jonson, business developer Paul Younes, Kwik Stops CEO, Dan O’Neill and Lt. Gov. Mike Foley attended the dedication.
KEARNEY, Neb. — On Monday July 19, a small crowd gathered at Kwik Stop # 11 at the south entrance to Kearney, NE, for a dedication of “Song of the Sandhill,” a large bronze sculpture by Cambridge artist Sondra L. Jonson. Several of our state and business leaders attending the event were Lt. Gov. Mike Foley, State Senator John Lowe, hotel developer Paul Younes, Kearney Area Visitors Bureau Director Roger Jasnoch, and Dan O’Neill, President and CEO of Kwik Stop Convenience Stores in Nebraska. In 2018, Dan O’Neill, who sits on the board of the Museum of Nebraska Art, approached sculptor Sondra Jonson about creating a life-size bronze sculpture of the iconic sandhill crane to enhance the entrance of his newest store in Kearney, which he had recently leased from developer Paul Younes. His vision of turning the inactive filling station into a modern full-convenience truck stop inspired him to augment tourist interest by the addition of the crane sculpture. From initial design to final installation, the sculpture process took approximately one year. It was installed in December of 2019, with a dedication scheduled for Spring 2020. But the Covid outbreak delayed the event. Monday’s dedication was a highlight in Kearney’s busy summer season and a welcome celebration of Nebraska’s post-pandemic resurgence, beautifully symbolized by the hardy, enduring and indomitable sandhill crane!
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