Submitted photo A 6-foot bronze sculpture of the Greek god Poseidon by Carole Feuerman was installed this week on the lawn of Medici Museum of Art in Howland. A crane was required to install the sculpture, which weighs one ton.

HOWLAND — The Greek god Poseidon now guards the Medici Museum of Art.

A 6-foot-tall, one-ton sculpture of Poseidon’s head, created by internationally known superrealist artist Carole Feuerman, stares out at passing East Market Street traffic from the museum’s lawn.

The bronze sculpture with green patina replaces “Monumental Quan,” another sculpture by Feuerman that had been on loan to the museum until it sold. “Poseidon” is a permanent addition and a gift from the artist.

Feuerman exhibited her work at Medici in 2022, but the artist’s relationship with Medici Director Katelyn Amendolara-Russo goes back even further.

“We met at the Venice Biennale (in 2015),” Amendolara-Russo said. “I was really involved in the art markets of the Biennale itself. It happens every odd year in Italy, and we met by chance. (Her work was) on display along the canal, so it was amazing to not only see her work in person. She was actually in person in attendance at the show, which was amazing, and we just kept in touch. She was someone I always admired. And then once I started working here, the relationship grew organically.”

Amendolara-Russo now serves on the board of directors for Feuerman’s foundation, which has helped her make connections in the art world that will lead to future exhibitions at Medici.

“She’s become a close friend and a mentor to me personally,” Amendolara-Russo said.

Installing the work was a task as monumental as the sculpture itself. Planning began in November. Diamond Steel in North Lima fabricated the base and coordinated the installation, which required a crane to be put in place. Cold weather and snow added to the challenges.

“It was a long process,” Amendolara-Russo said

Feuerman is best known for her life-like sculptures of swimmers and dancers, and some of those works are on display inside Medici.

In an artist statement on her website, Feuerman writes, “Through my sculptures, I convey my feelings about life and art. It is far easier for me to express my emotions through sculpture than through words. I portray the inner life of each image I create, to capture the passion and sensuality of my subject. In this way, my work speaks to the viewer, evoking both an emotional and an intellectual response.”