Public art compromise proposed for Lewes trailhead

Following a tense meeting in August about the placement of public art in Otis Smith Park, officials from the city and Art in Bloom have decided on a new location for a proposed whirligig. 

If approved by council at its Monday, Sept. 11 meeting, the 18-foot kinetic wind sculpture – along with two others – will be placed at the new trailhead near the Lewes Public Library along Freeman Highway. In the weeks following the meeting, the proposal was revised to three sculptures, all from artist Lyman Whitaker.

The city’s parks and recreation commission voted Aug. 21 to recommend city council approve the three whirligig sculptures for placement at the trailhead. The proposal will go before mayor and city council for a vote at the Monday, Sept. 11 meeting. 

In August, some council members shared concerns regarding the sculpture’s prominent placement, if approved, along Savannah Road. Some said it would have been a distraction to drivers, while others feared the park’s small size was not appropriate for such a large piece of art. 

Following the meeting, city officials worked with Art in Bloom to find an alternative location and agreed the new trailhead, which has little landscaping or decorative features, was an appropriate location. 

Like the original Oval Twister sculpture, the two new proposed sculptures spin silently on ball bearings and can withstand gale force winds.