Echelman sculpture begins its ascent over St. Pete pier
St. Petersburg got its first look at the $1.5 million sculpture “Bending Arc” from artist Janet Echelman Thursday, as a pair of cranes began raising the net-like structure over the new St. Pete Pier.
Echelman’s billowing, multi-colored hanging sculpture will measure about the length of a football field, and will be suspended from 65-foot pylons. The structure will move with the wind and be illuminated at night.
Echelman’s works use a variety of highly-engineered fibers, 100 percent resistant to UV light, high temperatures, pollution and even chemical reactions. The sculpture is also designed to withstand 150+ mph winds.
According to pier officials, it will take several weeks to raise the structure to its final position through a series of tensioning exercises and lighting tests.
Echelman, who lives in Massachusetts, is expected to arrive in late January to oversee the final steps of installation.
Tom McNulty
January 6, 2020at11:16 pm
Another neon sign — happy hour.
Best of luck to all the seabirds maimed and executed
Velva Heraty
January 2, 2020at8:13 pm
Your report is off by at least 2.5 million. Plus installation, maintenance for 20 years St. Pete is on the hook for at least 5 million. That’s on record.