Watermelon really is an iconic fruit. It’s colorful, immediately recognizable, and the mere sight of it evokes pleasant memories of picnics, state fairs, or just kicking back at home with a giant wedge and not a care in the world.
With all of that going for it, it’s no wonder watermelon is also a popular subject for sculptural art. Below are three that I discovered online. They weren’t easy to find, either. Searches for “watermelon sculpture” or “watermelon art” turn up lots of images of carvings, but very few images of giant slices of watermelon. Regardless, I’m pretty sure these three works of art represent just a few of the many, many renderings that can be found in parks around the world.
This sliced ode to watermelon is constructed out of scrap metal that’s been pieced together by artist Ken Nyberg. You can find it along Route 210 in Vining, Minnesota. The town is actually known for its annual Watermelon Day celebration and its “Run for the Melon” 5K and 10K race.
Unlike many watermelon sculptures, this is one that encourages people to climb on it because it’s a children’s playground in Singapore. The structures are adorned with red and green mosaic tiles and holes in the watermelon double as windows and seeds. Why didn’t they have playgrounds like this when I was a kid?!
When I discovered this image, it came with no indication of where this creation was located. By using my web-savvy detective skills, I Googled “Bayside Marketplace” (the name I assume is on the banner in the upper left of the image) and “watermelon.” The results led me to downtown Miami, Florida, where there is, indeed, a giant slice of watermelon outside of a very busy (some say “touristy”) shopping and entertainment destination.
So there you have it. Three watermelon sculptures from three corners of the world. If anyone has seen any others, let me know by leaving a comment!