A larger-than-life sculpture that was supposed to be the centerpiece of the new San Pedro Creek Cultural Park could be called a head on the chopping block.
"Plethora" was supposed to be a 60-foot-tall sculpture, featuring the image of a face, at the headwaters plaza on the west edge of downtown.
But officials with the San Antonio River Authority said an engineering obstacle has caused the price of the public art project to almost double and discussions are underway about what to do next.
The park opened May 5, and it is an oasis in an urban jungle of concrete.
But the park's signature piece of artwork that was supposed to be in place by opening day has not even been built yet.
SARA executive Suzanne Scott said Barcelona-based artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada believed the monument could be constructed from aluminum, but that turned out not to be the case.
“When the engineers started looking at it they realized it needed to be stainless steel because it was going to be subjected to the elements and it needs to be able to withstand the wind and the elements,” Scott said.
Scott another consideration was the ability of people to interact with the piece and take photographs with it. “They wanted to make sure that if someone wanted to take a photo of the sculpture they would actually get the entire face in the photo,” Scott said. “The whole selfie factor did play into the height of the sculpture.”
Engineers recommended reducing the height of the structure from 60 feet to 45 feet, and changing its composition to make it structurally sound. When team members priced the changes, they came up with a total of $1,534,025.
Bexar County Commissioners had allocated approximately $750,000 in tax dollars, and seemed unwilling to commit any more money to the project.
With the higher price tag, the SARA leadership team is evaluating what to do next.
Scott said they could decide to raise additional private dollars or come up with a completely new idea.
"Now that we have the final design from the artist and the budget, we’re assessing whether this is the right sculpture for the area,” Scott said. Scott said reaction to the park has been favorable and park users are enjoying not only the lively, flowing water, but also the other artwork on the plaza.
“It’s a beautiful location, so people have already asked if they can do other outdoor entertainment or use it as a venue for weddings and that kind of thing,” Scott said.
Scott said there is no deadline on studying the issue, and in the meantime, the park remains open, the water flows, there is usually a breeze in the trees and oats dance next to other artwork, like colorful tile, beautiful benches and stone works walls.
To learn more about the project, visit the park's website.