The shiny disco ball made from repurposed bicycle wheels that was intended to serve as the new gateway to the Crosstown neighborhood has been temporarily removed from its post as it awaits repairs.
The sculpture is once again housed in front of the Crosstown Arts office on North Watkins after it was damaged in a storm a few weeks ago. High winds caused the spinning ball to bend on its post, and sculptor Eli Gold plans to make repairs to the piece before this weekend’s MEMFix: Cleveland Street festival, which will feature pop-up retail, live music, and temporary bike lanes in the Crosstown neighborhood.
The sculpture was installed in late August after sitting in front of the Crosstown Arts office for several months. “Beacon” was created with money donated by Harry Freeman and Sara Ratner. The two had attended a Crosstown Arts MemFeast event in 2011, at which Eli Gold and Colin Kidder proposed to build the sculpture. At MemFeast events, artists present ideas for projects, and attendees vote on their favorite. The winner receives money to make their proposal a reality. The sculptors didn’t win the MemFeast vote, but Freeman and Ratner liked their idea for a kinetic sculpture so much that they offered $3,000 to the artists after the event.
UPDATE (November 7th): The “Beacon” sculpture has been repaired and re-inistalled.
