The city of Sandy Springs has purchased four sculptures for $72,000 as a part of its public art initiative.
Art Sandy Springs, a nonprofit that was created in 2008 to enrich public art in the city, recommended the purchases at a Feb. 4 City Council meeting.
In April 2019, ArtSS debuted the “In the Open” sculpture competition. Nine out of 135 submissions were selected to be placed around the City Green, a park at City Springs, with a guaranteed selection of at least one piece for purchase by the city to culminate each competition.
At the Feb. 4 meeting, the council approved all four recommendations from ArtSS, which included: “Optimistical” by Nathan Pierce for $38,000; “Doppelganger” by Carl Billingsley for $9,000; “Delilah” by Joni Younkins-Herzog for $7,000; and “Hand Plant” by Jack Howard-Potter for $18,000.
The current sculptures will be uninstalled at City Green in early April and the 2019-2020 competition finalists will be placed in late April, according to Cheri Morris, the nonprofit’s treasurer.
City staff and ArtSS identified preliminary locations to place these pieces; however, ArtSS will work with the consultant assisting the city in developing its Community Art Master Plan to determine a final permanent location, according to a city memo.
