Toledo Metal Spinning Featured in Art Installation: Sophia Fortuna (Wise Luck)
Anne Lemanski is an artist from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, known for her sculptures. At Toledo Metal Spinning, we had the honor of being a part of something bold and inspirational. What is also Anne’s first public installation, entitled Sophia Fortuna, meaning Wise Luck, is a piece she put together for the Raleigh Fine Arts Society’s 60th anniversary gift to Dorothea Dix Park, in Raleigh, North Carolina. She wanted to create something that represented a good luck charm to the park, and after a year and a half in the making, the proposal was installed, and Anne celebrated her long-awaited ribbon cutting ceremony on November 20th, 2025.
Dorothea Dix Park, also known as Dix Park, is around 300 acres, and was previously a mental health hospital, until the 1980s, when it closed its doors. The city of Raleigh took possession of the land and turned it into a beautiful park, simultaneously becoming a substantial advocate for mental health.
Based on traditional Polish Folk Art, a Pajaki, (pronounced pah-YONK-ee) or spider, is known as an elaborate, decorative chandelier displayed to for celebrations and renewal. Pajakis were traditionally found in cottages throughout Poland, and were made by women and girls during long winter evenings. Over time, pajakis became a popular decoration to brighten up the homes during long-lasting winters. They could be lovingly constructed over many days, or even weeks.
Displayed above the colorful spheres is a great horned owl, a species native to North Carolina. It keeps watch, grounding the sculpture to the land.
At Toledo Metal Spinning Company, we’re known for our metal forming. In particular, hemispheres are a very popular shape that we form.
These vibrant hemispheres, now on display in Dix Park, were spun and welded into spheres in our facility located in Toledo, Ohio. We are excited and honored to have been a part of this wonderful installation. Special tooling was required for this specific size of hemisphere, and the design and forming process began right here at TMS. We designed and manufactured the tooling in-house, allowing us to form the hemispheres, weld them into spheres, and send them off to Anne, where she was able to have them painted and added to her beautiful installation.Â
We are honored to have worked on such a great project, and hope that all who visit Dorothea Dix Park and view it on display feel a sense of luck and positivity shimmering around them. We would like to thank Ann for trusting our work, and wish her luck for her future as an artist.