Candy Box

A larger than life sculpture of a box of chocolates arranged on a wall in a grid of 16 by 9 pieces of chocolate. A few pieces have designs of Abraham Lincoln, the sower, corn, a train, a basketball, a cowboy boot and a grad cap and diploma.

About the Sculpture

Candy Box by Philadelphia artist Donald Lipski pays homage to the Haymarket's candy making history.

The piece itself is comprised of 144 individual pieces of chocolate with a collection of symbols that represent the capital city including: trains to symbolize the Haymarket's railroad history, corn as one of the state's largest commodity, the Sower in honor of the capitol building and Lincoln being the capital city, Abraham Lincoln, a basketball for one of the primary uses of Pinnacle Bank arena, a mortarboard and diploma for the University of Nebraska, boots for all of the hardworking Nebraskans, and an "O!" logo to represent the state's largest city. 

"This work indeed humanized the space. It suggests comfort. It reflects the character of the Haymarket. It acknowledges and respects its history. It is deeply diverse - connecting to people of all ages and backgrounds. And, after all, who doesn't like chocolate?" - Donald Lipski.

The sculpture of a box of chocolates with designs for symbols of Lincoln on it. There is a variety of colors of chocolate and a variety of designs

A detail shot of some of the pieces of fake chocolate.


About the Artist

Donald Lipski was born in Chicago, IL in 1947 into a family of bicycle dealers. He first started sculpting in high school, but achieved a BA in American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1970. While he was in Madison he began working in ceramics with Don Reitz, which led him to pursue a MFA in ceramics at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1973. He gained recognition with his early works, like Gathering Dust, which feature multitudes of tiny sculptures pinned to the wall. His later work was focused on large sale public pieces, like Candy Box

Artist Website


Additional Information

Pinnacle Bank Arena* 

Note: Because this piece is located within Pinnacle Bank Arena it may not be accessible at all times.

Width: 16 ft.

Height: 9 ft. 

History of Lincoln's chocolates

Location

400 Pinnacle Arena Dr, Lincoln 68508  View Map

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