The creator of the sculpture removed last week from the front of the Hôpital de l'Enfant Jesus in Caraquet is upset that she was never told it would be taken away.

Suzanne Cormier-Dupuis, of Dieppe, said Tuesday she only heard through the media that her work of art had been removed after 15 years, and she’s not happy about it.

"Sad, frustrated, disappointed. You know, when we make a sculpture, as an artist, it’s still part of us," Cormier-Dupuis said.

The fibreglass starfish represented Acadie and healing, she said, and if the hospital no longer wants it, she would like it back.

"I’d like to see it put back in place, but if they don’t want it, I mean, I’m not going to force someone to keep something they don’t want," Cormier-Dupuis said.

"If they don’t want it, I’ll take it back. I’ll even drive to Caraquet to get it."

Hospital officials said they moved the sculpture because it was deteriorating, and part of it had become transparent.

Judy Butler, the hospital's director, said Monday that a committee has been formed to decide whether to repair or replace the sculpture, because time and weather have taken their toll on it.

"With the years, the material of the sculpture did not respond well to the weather, and lately we could see the sculpture deteriorate," Butler said.

Cormier-Dupuis, who visits the sculpture regularly, said she never noticed any damage. She said the sculpture was originally transparent, and she told the hospital that it would change colour over the years.

In 1995, the hospital called for submissions from artists for a work of art to display in front of the building. More than a dozen artists applied, and the panel unanimously chose the starfish created by Cormier-Dupuis.

From the beginning, she said, there were comments that some people didn’t like the sculpture, or where the artist was from.

"People weren’t happy because it wasn’t someone from Caraquet who got it, it was someone from the Sud — from Moncton or Dieppe, or whatever," Cormier-Dupuis said.

The sculpture again became a talking point among Caraquet residents last week when it was suddenly missing from its usual spot in front of the hospital.

Mayor Antoine Landry said Monday that it likely wouldn’t be missed, because it was unpopular.

"Well, nobody loved it,” Landry said. "Unfortunately, nobody liked this type of sculpture in front of the hospital."

"Some people were thinking it was representing a star of the sea, but it was only recently that I understood it was supposed to represent a fetus. But people didn’t like it around here,” Landry said.