St. Pete Pier's 'Bending Arc' sculpture to be temporarily removed after hurricanes caused damage
Removal of ‘Bending Arc’ sculpture to begin
FOX 13’s Regina Gonzalez has a look at why the ‘Bending Arc’ sculpture at the St. Pete Pier is being removed months after the 2024 hurricane season.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Months after multiple hurricanes caused damage to the ‘Bending Arc’ sculpture at the St. Pete Pier, crews will work this week to remove it.
What is the Bending Arc?
The backstory:
According to the St. Pete Pier's website, the Bending Arc sculpture was created by artist Janet Echelman. It was made using 180 miles of twine with more than 1.6 million knots, spanning 424 feet and measuring 72 feet at its tallest point.
The 'Bending Arc' sculpture at the St. Pete Pier suffered damage during the 2024 hurricane season.
Echelman said she wanted to give viewers a calming experience, mimicking the waters of Bay Area beaches. There's also a deeper meaning that dates back to the Civil Rights Movement. The name ‘Bending Arc’ comes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
The netted structure was supposed to withstand winds up to 150 mph, but St. Petersburg City Council members have talked recently about damage caused by Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
What they're saying:
City officials have said they're concerned about the net itself, along with the manner in which the net is attached, saying they want it re-installed to better withstand future storms.
The 'Bending Arc' sculpture at the St. Pete Pier suffered damage during the 2024 hurricane season.
"There was a material that was used to hang the structural net to the artistic net, and it was a twine type material. It was not sufficient. It would have never lasted 25 years, in my opinion, and clearly from the failings," City Development Administrator James Corbett said at a recent city council meeting.
Last week, the city approved $33,000 for removal and repair.
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What's next:
City council members have been in touch with Echelman, who said she's willing to return to St. Pete and do whatever is needed to get the sculpture back up.
As for the removal process, that's set to take place on Monday and Tuesday. No timeline for re-installation has been announced.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez.
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