The EDGE District roundabout is getting a $200k sculpture
/The Sun on the EDGE by Ilan Averbuch will be installed on the EDGE District Roundabout in early 2021
Earlier this week, a selection committee chose Ilan Averbuch, an Israel-born sculptor, to construct a piece of art entitled The Sun on the EDGE for the prominent roundabout located at the intersection of 11th Street and Central Avenue in the heart of the EDGE District.
The City of St. Petersburg, in collaboration with the EDGE District, released a Request for Proposal (RFP) in early February seeking to commission an artist to design, engineer, construct and install a center public art piece in the roundabout.
The project budget is $199,000, which will come out of the Intown West CRA tax increment funds (TIF) funds that have been approved for the neighborhood’s streetscape improvements.
The Sun on the EDGE will be installed in the center of the roundabout at 11h Street and Central Avenue in the EDGE District of Downtown ST Pete
The RFP specified the City’s goals for the artwork, which included connecting to the history and industrial heritage of the neighborhood as well as conveying the district’s culture and diversity. The City also recommended the art be highly visible to all those in a car and on foot, require minimal maintenance, and complement the architecture of the area.
The RFP received 94 submissions by the February 28th deadline.
Ilan Averbuch, an Israel-born sculptor who will be creating The Sun on the EDGE sculpture for the City of St. Pete
After numerous meetings and COVID-19 delays, the selection committee, which was comprised of members chosen by the City of St. Petersburg and the EDGE District, narrowed the pool of candidates down to three artists – Ilan Averbuch, Tim Upham, and Joshua Wiener.
All three finalists were given a stipend and around two months to come up with a proposal for the roundabout. On Monday August 31st, those proposals were presented to the selection committee and Ilan Averbuch was chosen as the winning artist by a vote of 5-2.
Averbuch’s The Sun on the EDGE depicts a large stone sun made of recycled granite rising from a partially mirrored form made of Cor-ten weathering steel. The use of industrial materials ties back to the industrial history of the area. The sculpture will stand 30 feet tall and 27 feet wide.
A night rendering of The Sun on the EDGE to be installed at the roundabout at 11th St and Central Ave
“The work alludes to Florida as the Sunshine State, and its unique peninsular geography,” says Averbuch. “It is one of the only states where you can see both the sunrise and the sunset on the water.”
The circular image of the sun parallels the form of the circular roundabout. As one drives around the roundabout, the driver orbits the sculpture as the earth orbits the sun. This rotating movement creates a feeling of opening and closing, of rising and setting.
An alternate interpretation may be of a wheel or gear, drawing ties to the EDGE District’s industrial history. You can also make out a primitive interpretation of a flower, which appears to open and close as the viewer walks or drives around it.
The fabrication plan for The Sun on The EDGE by Ilan Averbuch
The sculpture will be fabricated in Averbuch’s studio in Long Island City, New York. The work will be shipped in parts on a semi-trailer to the site, where it will be assembled over the course of a week. The two medjool date palms that are currently on the roundabout will be relocated elsewhere in the district. Lighting will also be installed on the roundabout to ensure The Sun on the EDGE stays shining at all times.
No maintenance will be required of the sculpture other than a good washing every five years.
Joshua Wiener presented two separate proposals – This Must Be The Place and Community Reflections. In speaking about This Must Be The Place, Wiener said, “I was inspired to create something that built on the area’s distinguished character. I felt it should project fun, activity, and be a lasting landmark for a place you want to be.”
Wiener’s second proposal, Community Reflections, was the most ambitious idea presented to the selection committee. The 6-story tall sculpture displayed two boats placed in a way that makes them appear as a reflection of one another.
Mattie’s Orange Belt PROPOSED BY TIM UPHAM
The third and final artist, Tim Upham, presented a proposal called Mattie’s Orange Belt. The artist took inspiration from the Orange Belt Railroad, which was constructed by Peter Demens in 1888 and ran from Sanford, FL to St. Petersburg, FL. The train, which contained one locomotive named Mattie, one passenger car, and one empty freight car, brought the first visitor to St. Pete, a Swedish shoe salesman named Josef Henschen. St. Petersburg was established as a city later that year by Demens and John C. Williams.
Next steps include the City entering into contract with Averbuch, fabrication of the sculpture, and deciding smaller details such as the orientation and landscaping around the artwork. Look for The Sun on the EDGE to be installed at the roundabout at 11th Street and Central Avenue sometime in the beginning of 2021.
