Last year, the sculpture Harpoon was damaged and had to be removed from its plinth in South Marina Park. It was placed in storage and remained there for several months.
It was purchased in 2018 by the Des Moines Legacy Foundation and given to the City through the Art on Poverty Bay Program. The eight foot high wood and metal sculpture was created by the renown Portland artist Ben Dye. Dye is a former commercial diver and fisherman. He designed Harpoon with the Des Moines Harbor in mind. He enjoys combining different materials and has a fascination with tools and methods of the past
In the last year, many people have asked about the sculpture. Estimates to repair the sculpture were very high, so the Des Moines Legacy Foundation decided they could repair it and return it to the public.
Over the last couple weeks, Fred Andrews from the Des Moines Legacy Foundation and his friend Doug Andrews (no relation) have been restoring the sculpture. With help from the Des Moines Marina staff Harpoon was returned to its former site on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2024, and is back in public view.