A new sculpture rising from a grassy knoll along Muirfield Drive now greets golfers and neighbors near the 13th hole gate of Muirfield Village Golf Club, its swooping form modeled after both a bird taking flight and the golf swing of Jack Nicklaus himself. The piece, called S/WING, is the newest addition to Dublin's Arts in Public Places Program.
According to City of Dublin, Ohio, the sculpture was made possible through a land donation from the Muirfield Association and depicts the movement of a bird's wings combined with the form of a golf swing. The city notes that the piece is part of a broader public art program designed to enhance Dublin's landscape through site-specific works by nationally and internationally distinguished artists, and that it offers residents and visitors a place for reflection and inspiration. S/WING also received support from the Ohio legislature, per the same city account.
The artist behind the piece is Ivan Toth DePeña, a Hispanic-American interdisciplinary artist who earned a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design in 1998 and won a 2025 CODAaward for a public artwork at Iowa State University, according to the Dublin Arts Council. Dublin City Council formally authorized the contract with DePeña for the commission in November 2024, following a unanimous recommendation from a civic selection committee in June 2024, as reported by the City of Dublin.
A Swing That Honors Nicklaus and the Memorial Tournament
The city's account of the project explains that S/WING's physical form specifically mimics the body mechanics of Nicklaus's swing, honoring the tradition of the Memorial Tournament, which has been hosted at Muirfield Village Golf Club since 1976. Nicklaus founded the tournament and co-designed the local golf course, and the sculpture's placement near the 13th hole gate gives it visibility during nationally televised golf broadcasts. City officials describe the piece as bridging Dublin's artistic spirit with its golfing heritage.
The design layers in more than sport, though. Its abstract avian movement draws on Shawnee, Wyandot, and Irish-Celtic traditions, each of which regards birds as spiritual guides, messengers, and symbols of transition and connection to the natural landscape, per the same city account. Dublin's regional history includes Indigenous Wyandot and Shawnee heritage alongside its Irish settler roots, giving the imagery a layered local resonance beyond the golf course backdrop.
Built to Track the Summer Solstice Sun
Beyond its symbolism, S/WING carries an engineering feat: the structure is positioned along true cardinal directions, north, south, east, and west, so that solar rays pass through its interior center during the week of the summer solstice. That alignment lets the sculpture function as a living seasonal sundial, a detail the Dublin Arts Council highlights as one of the work's defining land-art features.
Merijn van der Heijden, Executive Director of the Dublin Arts Council, framed the investment in broader terms this spring, stating that public art serves as “social infrastructure that creates space for connection, reflection and shared experience.” Van der Heijden took over executive leadership of the council, a transition Hoodline covered in its prior reporting on her appointment.
Funded by Bed Tax, Rooted in a 35-Year Collection
The project's funding illustrates Dublin's approach to supporting its public art. The Art in Public Places program draws ongoing support, though the specific funding mechanism and when it was established are not specified here.
S/WING now joins Dublin's public art collection, which includes the outdoor sculpture “Leatherlips,” along with permanent site-specific commissions and installations scattered across parks and civic spaces citywide.
The sculpture sits in the open green space along Muirfield Drive between Whittingham Drive and Craigston Court, near the 13th hole entry gate of Muirfield Village Golf Club. Following the Thursday public dedication ceremony, the Dublin Arts Council hosted a ticketed $49-per-person celebration featuring prosecco and hors d'oeuvres at The Country Club at Muirfield Village, with parking provided at the nearby club.
