A new sculpture titled S/WING now greets golfers and neighbors near the 13th hole gate of the Muirfield Village Golf Club along Muirfield Drive. Its swooping form is modeled after both a bird taking flight and the golf swing of Jack Nicklaus, serving as the newest addition to Dublin’s Arts in Public Places Program. According to the City of Ohio, the project was made possible through a land donation from the Muirfield Association and received support from the Ohio legislature.
The artist behind the work is Ivan Toth DePeña, a Hispanic-American interdisciplinary artist who earned a Master of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 1998 and won a 2025 CODAaward for public artwork at Iowa State University. Dublin City Council formally approved the commission contract in November 2024 following a civic selection committee’s unanimous recommendation in June 2024.
Honors for Nicklaus and Cultural Symbolism:
The sculpture’s physical form mimics the body mechanics of Nicklaus’s swing to honor the tradition of the Memorial Tournament, which has taken place at Muirfield Village Golf Club since 1976. Nicklaus founded the tournament and co-designed the local golf course, giving the installation high visibility during nationally televised tournaments.
Beyond sport, the abstract avian movement draws on Shawnee, Wyandot, and Irish-Celtic traditions, which view birds as spiritual guides, messengers, and symbols of connection to the natural landscape. This imagery provides a layered local resonance that bridges Dublin’s Indigenous heritage and Irish settler roots.
Engineering and Seasonal Alignment:
S/WING functions as a living seasonal sundial due to its alignment along true cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west), allowing solar rays to pass through its interior center during the week of the summer solstice.
Merijn van der Heijden, Executive Director of the Dublin Arts Council, emphasized that public art acts as social infrastructure that fosters connection, reflection, and shared experiences. The sculpture joins a citywide collection that includes the “Leatherlips” outdoor sculpture and various permanent site-specific installations. Following a public dedication ceremony, the Dublin Arts Council hosted a celebration at The Country Club at Muirfield Village.
