City schedules roundabout art installation

Six months after officials approved the placement of a 20-foot-tall sculpture in the roundabout at Main Street and Orange Avenue, the city is prepared to install the artwork this weekend.

On Sunday, crews will begin work placing the 2,500-pound sculpture, called “Embracing Our Differences,” in the center of the intersection. The work is scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. and conclude by mid-afternoon, according to a city release.

The southeastern portion of the roundabout — which includes a segment of the northbound lane on Orange Avenue and the eastbound lane of Main Street — will be closed during the installation.

The artwork, which drew a mixed reaction from our readers last year, was donated to fulfill a public art requirement for the One Palm condominium and hotel development. The nonprofit organization Embracing Our Differences selected the sculpture following a national call to artists. S. Blessing Hancock, an artist from Tucson, Ariz., produced the sculpture.

The city plans to install a series of sculptures into the center of roundabouts in Sarasota in the future, with “Embracing Our Differences” representing the first step in that effort.