Golden stein stirs up controversy in Solvang
A giant beer stein created by the late artist, hospital administrator and psychologist Morris Bear Squire is now on display in Solvang, but not everyone is enjoying the public art.
Conny Nelson of the Copenhagen house said “I see tourists running back and fourth to take pictures and it is only nice from one side, the back side looks hideous, if you ask me, and a beer stein isn’t really a Danish thing, yeah they drink beer in Denmark but it is a German thing, we want to be Danish, that is what we are all about.”
But tourists couldn’t get enough of it on Labor Day. Many tourists on rented four person surrey bikes peddled around and took pictures of the public art entitled “The Golden Stein.”
Harjot Chawli of San Diego said it made him thirsty for a beer. His wife Jay gushed about it saying, “I think it is fabulous, It is exactly the culture of Solvang, it goes with the Danish culture. It is beautiful, I love it.”
The public art is not permanent, it is on loan from the Morris Squire Foundation and estate bin Santa Barbara while a newly planted Oak tree grows in the middle of First St. between Copenhagen and Oak.
The old Oak tree had to be cut down. It became diseased after years of drought and started losing limbs.
