
Gavin and Kelley Brodin
"Guardians of the Huron River"
LOCATION: Gallup Park
SPONSORS: Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
Official Sites: Website | Instagram

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Gavin and Kelley Brodin are the husband-and-wife team behind Formed For, a Los Angeles–based studio dedicated to creating large-scale sculptures that merge art, architecture, and storytelling.
Their work is defined by fluid, organic forms—like Guardians of the Huron River—that draw inspiration from nature, myth, and memory while embracing the strength of enduring materials. Gavin, with over 25 years of experience in luxury residential and commercial design, brings a mastery of structure and spatial awareness, while Kelley, a botanical artist with a background in fine art and installation, infuses their work with lyrical sensibility and an intimate connection to the natural world. Together, they create works that are both monumental and deeply human, designed to resonate emotionally while transforming the spaces they inhabit. Their collaborative process bridges hand sketching, digital sculpting, and immersive virtual reality modeling, allowing them to develop multidimensional forms before translating them into bronze, stainless steel, corten, and other durable materials. In sculptures such as Guardians of the Huron River, the Brodins use abstraction to honor the spirit of place—in this case, evoking the elegant form of an egret as a symbol of balance, guardianship, and resilience. Each piece is conceived not only as a striking visual presence but also as a vessel of meaning, inviting reflection and connection. Through public art commissions, bespoke works for private collectors, and limited-edition sculptures, Formed For continues to craft works that embody their shared philosophy: that art should endure, inspire, and deepen the bond between people and the natural world.

ABOUT THE SCULPTURE
Guardians of the Huron River takes the form of an abstracted egret, a bird long associated with patience, grace, and the vitality of waterways.
Rising in a continuous curve, the sculpture echoes the movement of the river while framing the natural landscape it inhabits. The bird’s form is both delicate and commanding, reminding viewers of the fragile balance between human activity and the ecosystems that sustain life. Crafted from weathered steel, the material itself speaks to resilience and time, gradually deepening in color as it endures the elements. The design embraces simplicity and fluidity, allowing the negative space within the form to become as meaningful as the sculpture itself—like the river that both shapes and is shaped by its surroundings. As a guardian figure, the egret stands as a symbol of protection, urging all who encounter it to honor and safeguard the river for generations to come.
SCULPTURE PICTURES




PROGRESS PICTURES




VIDEO
EXAMPLES OF GAVIN AND KELLEY'S WORK



PRESS

'Guardians of the Huron River' sculpture installed at Ann Arbor's Gallup Park
ANN ARBOR, MI — Crews worked through the morning Nov. 11, 2025, to install the 10-foot-tall "Guardians of the Huron River" sculpture at Gallup Park.

3 new public art installations in Ann Arbor and the stories behind them
ANN ARBOR, MI — Hannah Kirkpatrick, director of the Ann Arbor Art Center’s (A2AC) Art in Public program, says the program’s mission is simple: it’s about “creating an environment that people enjoy being in [and] being part of,” she says.

