Members of the North Pinckney Street Plaza Selection Committee discussed the various proposals for the location’s public sculpture Monday, requesting modifications from one artist’s proposal.
Aaron Stephan’s design, “Luminous Flux,” is composed of streetlight-inspired, intertwined poles that would stand on the North Pinckney Street Plaza.
Ultimately, the committee hopes to submit one proposal to the National Endowment for the Arts to receive consideration for a grant. Some committee members believe, of the four proposed sculptures under consideration, Stephan’s would be the most competitive for the grant.
However, there is currently no guarantee of the NEA funds, which would amount to around $30,000.
The committee had previously asked another artist, David Boyer, to modify his “Sustainabilitree” design for the committee’s consideration The changes, including a revised base and a rusted finish, were presented at Monday’s meeting, but did not impress the committee members to the extend they had hoped.
Downtown resident Thomas Basting said Boyer’s sculpture was “not unique.”
“I just have a problem with it from an artistic standpoint,” Basting said.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, the committee will review Stephan’s modified designs at their next meeting in about a week.
