Doing the Loop de Loop

Asheville’s first public art piece, uprooted two years ago, may wind up close to where it started if Asheville’s Public Art Board has its way.

The Energy Loop sculpture, a wavy chunk of steel unveiled along College Street between City/County Plaza and Pack Square in 1983, should be placed in a grassy area in the new Pack Square Park that’s near the sculpture’s original home, the board decided in its afternoon meeting Tuesday. The decision will go as a recommendation to Asheville City Council, which will make the final call on the sculpture’s eventual home.

“It’s the only viable location we can find at this point,” said board member Bill Fishburne.

The loop was removed from its home for repairs and to make way for construction of the new Pack Square Park. The Pack Square Conservancy is overseeing the park’s construction and has been working with the art board to find a location for artist Dirk Cruser’s abstract piece, which caused a stir when it was introduced 25 years ago.

But there’s been no decision as both sides have gone back and forth about the loop.

The conservancy identified four possible locations, but none have been suitable, art board members said. Proposed sites in front of the entrance to Pack Place and near the planned Veterans Memorial closer to the Buncombe County Courthouse are too small, they argued. A proposed location near an old magnolia tree is on land at the heart of a legal battle between county officials and developer Stewart Coleman. And a site on the so-called “grassy knoll” near the Biltmore Building won’t work because of an underground parking garage there. The sculpture would be too heavy, and there wouldn’t be enough room between the bottom of the sculpture and the top of the underground garage for a drainage system, board members said.

Looking at Pack Square Park maps on Tuesday, the art board picked out a spot marked for a tree near the Energy Loop’s original site and said the sculpture should be planted there instead. The location would be open for plenty of sun and lots of room for children, who in the past have enjoyed climbing and sliding along the loop’s curves, board members said.

— Jason Sandford, multimedia editor

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “Doing the Loop de Loop

  1. AvlResident

    What has happened to the other controversial public art sculpture by Ida Kohlmeyer?

  2. LOKEL

    The Kohlmeyer is sitting in a building somewhere … the Art Bored hasn’t decided where to place it (partly because of the perceived threat of damage …)

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.