A groundbreaking sculpture honoring the largely forgotten contributions of women who served in the US Coast Guard during World War II will be unveiled in Miami Beach, addressing the significant lack of public monuments celebrating women's history in America. The monumental artwork, created by French artist Prune Nourry, recognizes the service of the US Coast Guard Women's Reserve, known as the SPARs, who staffed shore stations while men were deployed to sea duty during the war.
The sculpture, titled "Reflection," features a massive half-face resting in water with its features completed by its own reflection, while a mangrove tree sprouts from the side of the colossal head. Standing 21.3 feet tall, the artwork draws inspiration from historical monumental sculptures such as Olmec heads and iconic images of the Statue of Liberty. "I was inspired by the history of monumental sculpture, like Olmec heads and images of the Statue of Liberty, where you see just a piece of the head," says Nourry, who divides her time between New York and Paris.
The sculpture will serve as the centerpiece of the new waterfront Ocean Terrace Park in the North Beach neighborhood, replacing what was formerly a parking lot. The installation represents a collaboration between Nourry and Miami-based landscape architect Raymond Jungles, who worked together to integrate the artwork with its natural surroundings. "There is something very poetic in the symbol of water and with the Coast Guard," Nourry explains. "It's all about that fine line between the lands and the sea."
The artwork specifically honors Yeoman Third Class Nellie Locust, a Cherokee woman born in Vinita, Oklahoma, whose portrait inspired Nourry's design. Locust enlisted in the SPARs to contribute her secretarial skills as part of what was known as the Sooner Squadron, which included several Indigenous women from Oklahoma. She began her training in 1943 in Palm Beach, Florida, and later served at Fort Pierce and Miami's Coast Guard Identification Office.
Nourry discovered Locust's story after connecting with SPARs historian Donna Vojvodich, who shared photographs of the organization's members. One particular portrait bore a handwritten note saying "Sincerely, Nellie," which immediately captured the artist's attention. "It was really like love at first sight between her face, her expression, the kindness of her eyes and I saw the sculpture in her," Nourry recalls. The artist received permission from Locust's family to use her likeness for the memorial.
Despite newspapers at the time playing up her Indigenous heritage through stereotypical language, Locust emphasized that she had an "average American girlhood" and took pride in serving in the military alongside other Native Americans. Tragically, she died at the young age of 26 in 1947 after battling a long illness, just two years after the war ended. The SPARs, whose acronym derives from the Coast Guard's motto "Semper Paratus" (Always Ready), played a crucial role in supporting the war effort by freeing up male personnel for combat duties.
"What I'm sharing is a moment of her history that embodies a group of women who went through the same history," Nourry explains about her artistic vision. This project marks Nourry's first public art installation in the United States, though she has consistently used sculpture to highlight overlooked women's stories throughout her career. Her previous work "Terracotta Daughters," begun in 2012, created an army of schoolgirl figures inspired by China's famous Terracotta Warriors to address the societal impacts of China's one-child policy.
The concept for "Reflection" builds directly on Nourry's earlier work "Anima," a 2015 installation at Brooklyn's Invisible Dog art center that featured a massive earthen head emerging from water in a forested environment. Both projects explore what Nourry describes as "how do you give a soul to a sculpture," with the living plant life in "Reflection" serving to animate the artwork and make it a breathing, growing memorial.
Landscape architect Raymond Jungles emphasizes the unique nature of combining sculpture with a water garden in a public beach setting. "We envisioned a piece that would feel like a ruin overtaken by nature, with mangrove roots climbing over it," Jungles explains. "Having a sculpture and water garden on a public beach is rare, and here they come together beautifully. The water mirrors the sky and landscape, completing the sculpture's face and creating a place where anyone can pause and find something special."
The monument addresses a significant gap in American public art, as there are remarkably few monuments dedicated to women's history in the United States, and even fewer that celebrate these stories on such a monumental scale. Nourry's commitment to creating locally anchored art led her to research the area's military history, ultimately discovering the nearby Coast Guard station that connected the location to the SPARs' legacy. The unveiling on October 30th will mark a significant moment in recognizing the often-overlooked contributions of women in military service during World War II.
