Auburn’s final DRI sculpture project has an installation date.
Originally slated to be installed on June 14, Sky Woman will now be unveiled on July 26 at the corner of William and Lincoln Streets.
Created by Audrey Iwanicki, the sculpture honors the legacy of the Cayuga Nation and the geological history of the area. The name is an homage to the Native American creation story.
Sky Woman features a life-sized female figure made out of bronze holding three concentric stainless steel rings representing the sun, earth, and sky. The base of the structure resembles a tortoise shell.
Jesse Kline is the Assistant Director of the Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District. She told Finger Lakes News Radio that this sculpture has been a long time coming for the City of Auburn.
“Pieces of her were cast about ten years ago as part of funding from Stardust Foundation of CNY, so this project has been a long time coming and we’re excited to finally be unveiling her,” said Kline.
Kline added that Stardust funding came with a five-year window for completion which proved nonfeasible for the sculpture; however, Auburn’s DRI award would prove a godsend for the project.
“We were always trying to come up with different funding streams to be able to complete this project and the DRI was the perfect opportunity for that.”
According to Kline, the location of the statue has also changed over the years. She said that Sky Woman was originally planned for the corner of South and Genesee Streets – the site currently occupied by fellow DRI-funded sculpture, Ideogenesis. The green space in front of the Boyle Center was also considered; however, when changes to the intersection of William and Lincoln Streets created a green space, it proved the perfect location for the sculpture.
The unveiling will take place at 6:00p.
Funding for Sky Woman comes from the DRI’s public art project which was selected for funding through the City of Auburn’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. The installation will mark the conclusion of the project.
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