St. Pete begins removing pier's storm-damaged sculpture
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A worker handles Janet Echelman's "Bending Arc" sculpture Monday on the St. Pete Pier. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
The St. Pete Pier's famed sculpture in the sky is coming down.
Why it matters: Tampa Bay native artist Janet Echelman's public art display, called "Bending Arc," has been a prominent feature of the pier since it opened in 2020.
State of play: Last year's hurricanes damaged the netted sculpture, with Milton's 100-mph gusts delivering the worst blow.
- A city contractor began taking the piece down on Monday "to ensure safe access to the lawn area" beneath the artwork, per a city spokesperson. Officials will then assess the state of the sculpture and decide whether it can be reinstalled.
- City Council members last week approved $33,000 for the removal and assessment. The sculpture was originally paid for by about $1.5 million in private donations.
Between the lines: The sculpture was inspired by barnacle colonies growing beneath the pier and vintage postcards showing blue- and white-striped beach umbrellas that once dotted the beaches of Tampa Bay, per Echelman's website.
- Echelman also drew from the pier's history in the Civil Rights era, during which a group of residents successfully sued the city to force integration at the city-owned Spa Beach and Spa Pool.
- The name is a nod toward the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."