Batavia picks final sculpture for bridge
A tall swirl of stainless steel and colored glass will be the fourth and final sculpture installed on the Donovan Bridge in downtown Batavia.
"Spintronic," by Nicole Beck, was the favorite of residents who submitted comments to the city, and of eight of the 11 aldermen present Tuesday at a committee of the whole meeting.
It was one of seven considered.
The city will pay $30,000 for the sculpture. The money comes from a downtown property tax increment financing fund.
It is an existing work, so it likely would be installed this summer, according to Bill McGrath, the city's former administrator, who in retirement volunteered to shepherd the selection process. He is an artist, and is working to complete another city public art installation, the "Stonehenge" at Wilson Street and Island Avenue.
A resident has offered to pay for "From the Waters Comes My Bounty," or, as it's been nicknamed, "Fish Man." City officials will ask the would-be benefactor if they are still interested, if another spot can be found elsewhere in downtown, perhaps on North River Street.
When the Donovan Bridge was rebuilt in 2007, pedestals were included for four sculptures, and themes of "nature," "science," "history" and "art" were specified. The "nature" and "history" sculptures have been installed, and the "science" one is being fabricated and will be installed this spring.