PHOTO GALLERY: Shuler Elementary's "Black Diamond" Sculpture Honors Waukee's Past

Driving by the massive 13-foot-tall sculpture at the intersection of Douglas and Berkshire Parkways near makes you want to stop traffic and gawk.

"The Black Diamond," a massive piece of public artwork honoring the Waukee area's coal mining history, was dedicated a couple weeks ago but already feels like a fitting tribute to the people who lived and worked in the area in the early 1900s.

The sculpture features a piece of coal, or "black diamond," supported by four steel beams. At the base are four different vignettes that pay homage to the Shuler Mining Company, its miners and their families that resided at area mining camps between 1921 and 1949.

"Black Diamond" was created by artists Rebecca Ekstrand and Thomas Rosoborough and cost about $45,000 to make. The public art work was paid for by a grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as additional monies from the cities of Waukee and Clive, the Dallas County Foundation, Bravo of Greater Des Moines and private donations.