RECORD STAFF

“Torus” has found a home at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts in Langley.

The seven-faced toroidal polyhedron sculpture was designed and built in 2001 by the late and beloved former WICA board member, Michael Nutt, and makes a colorful greeting to passersby entering Langley.

Nutt was a renowned violinist but had hidden talents as well. “He was amazing,” said his widow, Diane Kendy, describing how Nutt was endlessly a work, creating things in his shop.

Crafted of steel, the sculpture design was based on the mathematical proof of Hungarian mathematician Lajos Szilasssi in 1977 and is basically the “topological equivalent of a doughnut.”

Kendy donated the sculpture to WICA soon after she moved to the nearby Langley Garden Bungalows. She said she didn’t want to leave it behind at her old home on Saratoga Road and thought WICA would be an ideal spot for the large installation.

She said the sculpture had been located in a tight corner of her garden and had started to deteriorate. Whidbey metal artist Tim Leonard was called upon to move and repair the rusting Torus, which took considerably more work and time than anticipated. The entire sculpture needed to be rewelded, as well as sanded and repainted.

“It’s painted beautifully,” Kendy said.

After installation, she was surprised to discover that the sculpture actually revolves on its stand.

“I didn’t know that it swivels,” Kendy said with a smile. “Maybe that was Tim Leonard’s little addition.” Free to rotate in the wind, the view of Torus is ever changing in shape and color, and Kendy loves it.

It is installed at the WICA corner on Camano Avenue, a special kind of “Welcome to Langley” from the late Michael Nutt, one of WICA’s greatest supporters.