Lewis, Michael C. "Sculpture Moves to South Dakota: 'Comma' was moved to Sioux Falls for an art exhibit of outdoor works." The Martinsburg Journal [Martinsburg, WV] June 2, 2007, Panhandle/Region Section: B1+.

MARTINSBURG - A steel and stucco sculpture called "Comma," which once stood outside the Caperton Train Station overlooking the roundhouses was moved to South Dakota in May.

Hedgesville artist Lee Badger removed his 7-foot tall artwork last January and took it to his workshop to clean off the red and green paint previously sprayed on during the holiday season, and after cleaning it he recieved $500 from event organizers to deliver it to Sioux Falls, S.D.

For the next year, his piece will be showcased on a downtown street corner with 56 sculptures from 29 states and 10 foreign countries in SculptureWalk 2007, an international exhibit of outdoor sculpture.

"It's a great show to get into," Badger said. "There's a wide variety of outdoor sculptures, all very high quality. It's an honor to be included - a great opportunity."

Badger, the only artist in the exhibition from West Virginia, described "Comma" as a simple abstract form representing rotary motion and spiral progression.

The 8-foot tall spiral sheet metal disk on a cylindrical stucco base was originally placed at Caperton Station in 1996. Badger created it for an exhibit organized to show artwork at various locations around Martinsburg.

The sheet metal spiral disk turns on its base and is meant to be touched and rotated. Badger said turning it allows viewers to interact with curving shapes and shadows that change from each angle and direction.

"It needed to be cleaned up. It's supposed to have some parts shiny and some parts rusty, but it all got rusty over the years," Badger said. "I wanted the right parts to be shiny again."

In mid-January he took the sculpture back to Anvil Works, his studio and metal work shop in Hedgesville. There, the sculpture was refinished by his partner, Steve Dykstra, who is a professional art restorer. "It wasn't hard, just time consuming," Dykstra said. "I think it will last 10 more years before it needs another touch up."

The 1996 city exhibit lasted only one month, but "Comma" remained on the north side of the train station at the top of the rise between the railroad tracks and the parking lot for 10 years.

Andrea Ball, executive director of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention & Visitors Bureau, which is currently based in the station, said she had no idea what had happened to the sculpture, and was surprised to find out it was moved to South Dakota. "It was in interesting work of art," she said.

The city of Sioux Falls or another buyer may purchase the sculpture for the asking price of $7,600.