SCULPT A BETTER WORLD Local artist completes sculpture outside MCC Connections in Kidron

PHOTO BY AARON YEAKEY
Emma Zuercher, 25, a Waynedale graduate who is pursuing her master’s degree at Indiana University, Herron School of Art and Design, is the artist behind this sculpture at MCC Connections Thrift Shop along Kidron Road in Kidron.

PHOTO BY STEVE ZUERCHER

Q & A with Artist Emma Zuercher

By CHRISTINA McCUNE
DGKN managing editor

KIDRON Emma Zuercher said she has loved hearing how people are interacting with the sculpture outside of MCC Connections Thrift Shop at 4080 Kidron Road.

Zuercher, 25, is a 2018 graduate of Waynedale High School.

In 2023, she graduated from Goshen College with a bachelor’s degree in Sign Language Interpreting.
While at Goshen College, she minored in art and studied sculpture under sculptor John Mishler. She is a master’s student at Indiana University, Herron School of Art and Design, where she is studying sculpture and public art.

Governed by the Ohio Mennonite Central Committee Activity Center board of directors, MCC Connections Thrift Shop is part of the U.S. national MCC Thrift Shop network.

The thrift shop opened its doors in May 2001 as a nonprofit, according to www.mccconnections.com and supports MCC and its worldwide work of relief, development and peace in the name of Christ; local church ministries by providing opportunities for service; local nonprofit agencies providing work similar to MCC; stewardship of the earth’s resources through the recycling of donated goods.

This location is also the home to MCC Great Lakes Material Resource Center, the website states. Churches, organizations and individuals can donate items, time and/or money to assist with creating relief kits or comforters that are sent worldwide. MCC (Mennonite Central Committee), a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches, shares God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice.

Zuercher explains in her artist statement how the local and global work of MCC is displayed in the Earth-shaped metal sculpture outside of MCC Connections. The words “peace,” “relief,” and
“development” that wrap around the globe are central components of the mission of MCC. Other visual elements represent buckets that hold kit supplies and bags for thrifted goods are represented as well.
“They lace together as one with the cross at the center,” Zuercher wrote in her artist statement. “The ribbons of metal that make up the globe have a flowing motion, much like cloth. Intentional or not, as humans, we often express our cultural identities through the textiles we wear and use. The variety of colors and textures in the metal reflects the textiles tied to the multiplicity of human experiences around the world. Similar to how the metal ribbons rest on and support each other, we also weave our lives together on this planet.”
All of the metal on the sculpture is reclaimed aluminum.

“I enjoy the process of gathering metal for a sculpture, wondering about its past as I prepare it, and imagining the future of its story as I add it to a sculpture. Nearly all of the metal, including the words, I cut out by hand. After cutting and sanding the pieces, I welded them to the sculpture. The last step, and one of my favorites, was to move it outside, watch it glitter in the sunlight for the first time, and paint it.”

1. Can you please tell us about the sculpture in front of MCC Connections thrift shop in Kidron?
“The sculpture for MCC is my first public sculpture installed in Ohio, and it was an honor to create something for my home community. …
“The sculpture for MCC began in June 2024 and was completed in July 2025. As of today, the sculpture does not have a title. In the weeks since the sculpture was installed, there has been an open submission for the community to enter title suggestions. We are going to review the proposed names and reveal the title soon!”

2. What other sculptures and artwork have you created in recent years? Can the public view your work anywhere else? Are you working on anything currently?
“Many of my sculptures are available for public viewing in Elkhart County, Northern Indiana, but my work can also be found online.
“While my creative interests have led me through a variety of mediums, over the past few years, I have focused on public art and large-scale metal work, primarily welding aluminum. I often work on commissioned pieces for permanent installation (for businesses, organizations, individuals, etc) and exhibit sculptures in galleries and outdoor shows in Indiana and Michigan.”

3. What is an interesting fact about your work?
“In my artwork, I often include elements that represent plants and animals native to the Great Lakes region, where I’ve lived.”