Public art suggested for Downtown Bryan roundabout - Bryan, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 30° 40.589 W 096° 22.380
14R E 751674 N 3396694
Arco de Luna statue is in the downtown roundabout at Main and 23rd streets in front of the Perry Place development.
Waymark Code: WM13Q9M
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/30/2021
Views: 1
The Eagle"A familiar piece of public art could soon be added to the Downtown Bryan roundabout at Main and 23rd streets.
Currently home to a Christmas tree, the usually empty roundabout completed during the reconstruction of Main Street has long been planned to include public art, with infrastructure for lighting and water supplied there for that purpose. During a workshop meeting last week, the Bryan City Council was briefed on a plan shaping up to relocate the Arco de Luna statue, currently at the ArtFill installation further north on Main Street, to the roundabout by the spring of 2018.
While it's on what is currently a quieter end of Main Street, the roundabout is adjacent to the three-story, 30,000 square-foot Perry Place mixed-use project by developer Brent Hairston that is taking shape on the lot that had stood vacant since Court's Saddlery burned in 2011. Chris Dyer, CEO of The Arts Council, said during the presentation last Tuesday that Hairston's development is an inspiration behind the project -- the statue is included in renderings for Perry Place -- and that the roundabout is a natural fit for the 13.5-foot tall, 16-foot wide sculpture by Steephollow Forgeworks.
Estimates that were presented showed a budget of $45,000 to $47,000 for the sculpture's installation at the roundabout, with Hairston paying $10,000 and The Arts Council paying $8,500. Those costs include painting the sculpture red, crane rental and labor. The city could also put in $27,000 to $29,000 toward building up the roundabout, assembly, putting in a retaining wall and landscaping and other work.
Last week's presentation wasn't for budget approval, which the council can't do during workshop meetings, but Deputy City Manager Joey Dunn said the discussion was meant to show council members the "look and feel" of the artwork. The city could pay for its portion with hotel occupancy tax funds.
"We're very excited about what this could mean as you drive down Main Street," Dunn told the council."