City approves sculpture at Orange Avenue roundabout

A new 20-feet-tall sculpture by Arizona artist H. Blessing Hancock will be erected in the roundabout.

By Nick Reichert
| 11:39 a.m. October 20, 2015

This is the scale model that Hancock presented to the city commission for the new roundabout installation.

Arts + Culture

Sarasota's diverse collection of public artwork is about to get one piece larger next spring.

The Sarasota City Commission approved last night the acquisition and placement of a new public sculpture by Tucson, Ariz. artist H. Blessing Hancock, to be erected in the roundabout in April or May.

The currently unnamed piece is a multicolored infinity loop that's 5 feet in diameter and 20 feet tall, surrounded by a stainless steel metal exterior. LED lights will illuminate the statue during the early morning and evening.

This giant public art project was a three-fold collaboration between the city commission, the city's Public Art Committee, and a sub-committee formed by local nonprofit Embracing Our Differences, which is sponsoring this particular roundabout's art fixture.

The statue by H. Blessing Hancock incorporates the main logo colors of Embracing Our Differences and was inspired by the organization's mission: erasing prejudice and promotion diversity.

"It's ornamental in nature and encapsulates the themes of Embracing Our Differences," says Tim Jaeger, local artist and member of the Public Art Committee. "Visually, it will be interesting to see in the middle of the street, and it will bring Orange and Main to life."

Hancock was selected after a nationwide call for artists. She's had work from her Skyrim Studio installed in public spaces across the country and in Canada and China.