SAN ANGELO, Texas — An historic sculpture in San Angelo’s Civic League Park is facing an uncertain future, that could be removal, because it has started deteriorating over the years. Now the City’s Parks Department is trying to set a game plan for that future.
The sculpture was designed and created by artist John Raimondi in 1979. The project was a collaboration with a group of students from the San Angelo Lake View and Central high school welding programs.
The material used in the sculpture was “Corten steel”, a type of material with a high alloy of nickel in it, which prevents the steel from rusting.
“It didn't hold up in a way that it was supposed to,” Raimondi said.
San Angelo Parks and Recreation Director Carl White said water from the park's irrigation system and weather are what caused the deterioration.
“I noticed that the irrigation system was just spraying on it and I said we have to back that off because it’s getting water on it so we backed the irrigation off and we set up an area around the sculpture where it wouldn't be any water splashing into it but of course there’s rain and when the sprinklers do go off the wind blows onto it,” White said.
“Ran” was dedicated to John’s brother, Randy, at a time where the artist was naming his sculptures after family members. He said he wishes something could be done to save it.
“I wish the city had the money to remake the cage, that’s the only part that really had brought it away,” Raimondi said.
Mayor Brenda Gunter said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting that other options should be explored before deciding to take the sculpture down.
“I think we have to take a look at all of the potential people that could be a part of this and make it a community project inclusive of scrap metal being donated from people, artist looking at that and designing something and then having the welding classes if you will put together what is been designed,” Gunter said.
City Council members voted to not remove the sculpture at this time. In the meantime, a structure engineer will take a look at it and decide what the structural integrity is and whether it can be stabilized.
“One of the ideas is to work with the school district to see if they again would like to have another project like that,” White said.
White said a project such as the sculpture would take anywhere from 18 months to two years from start to finish to repair.