September 15, 2021 - The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department officially unveiled a new landmark in downtown Fort Wayne on September 15. The Megaflora sculpture is located outside the entrance of the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory and was created by area sculptor Cary Shafer.

The 36-foot-tall sculpture consists of a mix of limestone and steel, and features a steel ornament abstraction of a plant stamen, framed by two large limestone blades. It was carved from 24 blocks of Indiana limestone and weighs nearly 20,000 pounds. It was funded in part by the Journal Gazette Foundation and the Capital Improvement Board.

“It is a great pleasure to be able to put my skills and passion to use on such an iconic sculpture, at such an iconic downtown location,” said Shafer.

Megaflora is part of the Botanical Conservatory’s mission to educate and preserve as the sculpture’s design attracts attention to a plant’s smallest detail and magnifies it to a monumental scale. In addition, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation worked closely with the Public Art Commission to create a new public art showpiece in the heart of the city.

“Today, we are adding a new dimension to the public art scene in downtown Fort Wayne, here at the Botanical Conservatory,” said Steve McDaniel, Parks and Recreation Director. “This sculpture promises to become a new landmark destination here at the corner of Jefferson and Calhoun.”

For more information about the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, visit BotanicalConservatory.org.