Nice Spirit & Ornithopod

Narendra Patel

“Nice Spirit” and “Ornithopod,” by Narendra Patel, a professor emeritus of sculpture at UW-Milwaukee, are works of reinforced concrete. Patel had a good friend who was exceptionally good with her students. After Patel’s friend died of leukemia, he created “Nice Spirit” in her memory. Its counterpart, “Ornithopod,” reaches back to a prehistoric flying reptile, which had two prominent legs and a supporting tail. Both sculptures are placed in Regner Park near the pond, where the climate adds an element of mossy tones to the patina. Patel donated the pieces to West Bend in 1997.