All Happy Now

The story of All Happy Now is really the story of two separate objects. Both works of art, earth sculptures, one in The Netherlands and the other in Humboldt, became embraced by their communities in a manner not normally associated with sculpture cordoned off in a museum or paintings hanging on a wall.
The first All Happy Now was created for the Sonsbeek 9 Exhibition held in Arnhem, The Netherlands in 2001. While initially intended to be a temporary construction just for the duration of that show, it survives even now, repurposed by the park as a Butterfly Garden. I think it's fine, but I do remember entering into a verbal agreement with Sonsbeek Park officials back in 2001, that if it was decided the city wanted to keep the work, I would be paid $25,000. Here's a link to a PDF of a brochure about the feature dating from around five years ago. I do get a name mention. If you find your way there, tell them I'm still waiting on that check.
The website page for the year 2001 has additional information about the original All Happy Now, Sonsbeek 9.

Immediately after returning to Eureka from Sonsbeek 9, I spotted an article in the Times-Standard which described the beginning of the Humboldt Botanical Gardens. Even included a map of the planed site just north of College of the Redwoods. I thought I might be able to talk the Botanical Gardens Foundation into letting me make a new All Happy Now in their Garden. I succeeded! Probably in part because I had tons of photos, drawings and a card-table sized 3D model usied in making the first one. Since there were limitations placed on the first All Happy Now - budget and size restraints for the exhibition, I would now have the opportunity to realize this version of All Happy Now exactly as I'd originally wanted.
Here's a link to the All Happy Now PDF. Images of and information about the construction of All Happy Now at the Humboldt Botanical Gardens in Eureka can be found All Happy Now, Humboldt.