The porcupine sculpture that was swiped from the driveway of the Portland International Jetport has been replaced with a new, cuter version, featuring a full-grown mama porcupine with a baby in tow.
Porcupine 2.0 comes with a security upgrade, too: a large chunk of granite, onto which both spiny likenesses are sturdily affixed, meaning anyone who might have plans to abscond with the new sculptures better bring a front-end loader.
The artwork, by New York artist Wendy Klemperer, was donated by June LaCombe of Pownal. Klemperer’s original steel menagerie of woodland creatures, titled “Glimpse,” has stood at the long entrance road to the airport since 2011, and includes a herd of deer and a wolf.
In a statement, LaCombe said her donation is in tribute to the original work and its donor, William Hamill.
“I do not want his gift to be diminished by the theft,” LaCombe said.
The theft of the original porcupine sculpture has so far been unsolved. The city noticed the creature’s absence in April. It is unclear how long it had been missing.
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