R.I.P. Spoonbridge creator Coosje van Bruggen

For the last two decades, Spoonbridge And Cherry has been one of the most distinctive and eye-catching landmarks in the Twin Cities, rising conspicuously from the Walker Art Center's esteemed outdoor sculpture garden 365 days a year. Local lore is rife with accounts of romantic trysts and other stunts on this oversized union of public art and sensory innuendo, designed by the accomplished husband-and-wife team of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

Sadly, van Bruggen has died after a prolonged battle with breast cancer, reports the Associated Press. The artist passed away at home in Los Angeles at age 66. A Google search will net you multiple obituaries and remembrances, detailing her formidable career as an artist, critic, and curator. Short of that, you may want to pause for a moment next time you pass Spoonbridge and give a reverent shout-out to its dearly departed parent. (It's probably a little cold out right now for the romantic tryst.)