CHICAGO -- Chicago First Lady Maggie Daley says the "Cloud Gate" sculpture is the cornerstone of the city's Millennium Park.

Daley -- who spoke Monday at the dedication of the 110-ton stainless steel sculpture better known as "The Bean" -- said it serves as a gateway to Chicago's lakefront and downtown.

The Bean's sculptor also was at the dedication.

Artist Anish Kapoor said he doesn't mind that people call it The Bean. He said the nickname is a sign that the artwork isn't his anymore because the people of Chicago have adopted it as their own.

Workers finished polishing and buffing the seams of the Bean -- which cost $23 million -- in April, almost two years after it was unveiled to the public in the summer of 2004.

Mayor Richard M. Daley declared Monday to be Cloud Gate Day.

The Bean sits near Michigan Avenue, just north of the Art Institute.