A downtown roundabout near the Music City Center may soon become one of Nashville’s most eye-catching and expensive.
Wednesday, the city began installing the $750,000 Stix sculpture, Nashville’s priciest public art project ever.
And it’s not without controversy.
Stix doubles the price tag of the roller coaster-like “Ghost Ballet” on the east bank of the Cumberland River and exceeds the cost of two pieces commemorating the civil rights movement.
The Native American-influenced sculpture of more than two dozen 70’ painted poles is a structural engineering feat, which is partially why the public has waited so long for the Christian Moeller project.
Jennifer Cole, executive director of the Metro Arts Commission, said it also took a while to get the permits approved, since the piece is being installed on a busy public street.
“TDOT had to approve that,” Cole said. “We commissioned an additional traffic study just to make sure everything’s going to be safe.”
The design of the sculpture was unanimously approved by the Metro Arts Commission in 2013.
So did the two-year wait mean more expense to taxpayers? Cole says no. It was part of the plan.
“The budget is $750,000,” she said (continue at WSMV)