Kate Brooke, Opossum Track Press

Specs:

Title: Du'a (Arabic for "a small prayer")

Footprint when installed: 96 inches x 98 inches (8 feet x 8 feet and 2 inches)
Most venues allow two-to-three additional feet around the piece
so that visitors who prefer not to go onto the map may move around its permeter.

Crate is 34 inches tall, 30 inches long, and 22 inches wide.
Total packed weight is approximately #80
(At its completion, this piece weighed #77. Since then, the Lincoln Arts Council has added several items.)

I have included many cautions for handling this sculpture so that it will remain in good shape indefinitely.
These may seem like picky little things, but I promise they will make a significant difference over the long term.

Cardboard-covered crate must be kept dry.
If the crate becomes damaged, a new one can be made by a professional.
However, if it gets wet and remains damp, the contents could sour or mildew, and many of those cannot be replaced.

Care must be used to avoid getting holes in the crate. Not to be used as a table.

I often transported the piece alone and without hardship, using only a hand truck for hauling
and two smooth boards for a ramp to help slide the crate into and out of the back of my car.

The crate packed and ready for the road (the hand truck is not included with the sculpture).

How does everything fit inside?

The truck box holds the truck and most of the smaller loose items
including the Barbie doll, the water bottle and MRE, and the sandals.

The crate needs to be stored right-side-up, and if it travels long distances, it should also be kept right-side-up. For short distances, it's okay for it to lie on its side. Be very careful not to get the crate wet in transit. Rain, puddles, snow, all can damage it and/or eventually cause the sculpture to sour or mildew.
I used two smooth boards from an old futon frame to help load the crate into the back of my car. What the boards accomplished is they distributed the weight of the crate so that as I slid it up the boards, the crate's weight helped to easily tip it into or out of the car. The boards protected the crate from most dinks and dents that can come from bumping against things in transit (the boards were just as important for removing the crate from the car because of the protection from damage).
On the left the crate is almost in the car (this takes only about twelve seconds to accomplish). On the right you can see some small holes and dents collected over the months (this was the final of fifteen or so moves).
The boards and hand truck (a.k.a. "two-wheeler" or "dollie") will not be included with the piece when it is sold. However, I strongly recommend using tools such as these to preserve the integrity of sculputre over the long term.

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