artist: Don Merkt
date commissioned: 2001
location: Darree Fields Park
address: 6259 Cosgray Rd.
Cell Tour: 614-368-6999, Stop 7
Oregon-based artist Don Merkt installed Going, Going…Gone! in Darree Fields at 6259 Cosgray Road in Dublin in September of 2001. The sculpture was never formally dedicated, since the ceremony was originally to have been held on Sept. 11, 2001.
Merkt’s resume is extensive, including numerous public art installations in Portland, Oregon, fine art shows stretching from Los Angeles to New York, and a commission by director Gus Van Sant (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Good Will Hunting, Drugstore Cowboy).
Going, Going…Gone! is a bronze sculpture marking the passage of time through the imagery of baseball. The piece consists of a bronze baseball bat striking a symbolic ball. The ball is shaped like an alarm clock and the trajectory of its path is marked by a series of colorful yellow discs emblazoned with the words “Going.” The final disc, located on the tree line, is mounted on a bronze door and is marked by the word “Gone.” The door stands open, inviting visitors to step into the woods to travel the path and gather the thoughts and memories they have let pass away over time.
Learn more about Going, Going … Gone! in this blog post and video from Visit Dublin, Ohio, released in September of 2021.
