By Gretchen Webster
WESTPORT — Installation of three sculptures in town parks has been approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission, including Eloise A. Ray Park on Riverside Avenue, where plans to build a house on adjacent riverfront land drew opposition from neighbors concerned that it would overshadow the park and spark flooding.
The sculpture to be placed in that park — “Enso Black,” by artist Marc Zaref — has been designed to enhance the view, not block it, Kathleen Bennewitz, the town curator, told the commission Wednesday. The sculpture is composed of two partially open black metal rings atop a ladder-like structure.
“It allows for a view through to nature,” Bennewitz said. “It’s a reflective piece.”
The proposal to build a house on a sliver of land next to the small Ray park, property that some people erroneously believed was part of the park, was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 7. The Parks and Recreation Commission, acknowledging the neighbors’ concerns, will meet with them next week to discuss the placement of the sculpture, commission Chair David Floyd said.
Despite the concerns, the sculpture is a welcome addition to the park, commission members agreed, as are the two other sculptures approved Wednesday.
They are:
- “Tulip Bulb” by Emily Teall, made of steel lattice in the form of leaves and other organic shapes. The sculpture will be installed at Grace K. Salmon Park on Imperial Avenue.
- “Egrets” by Babette Block, a stainless steel sculpture evocative of wildlife at the seashore or pond, which will be placed in Canal Green Park.
The sculptures are on loan from the artists for five years, according to Bennewitz, and are insured under a town policy covering art. The artists get a stipend every year the work is displayed by the town, she added.
“Artists shouldn’t give away their work for free,” she said.
Commission members asked a few questions of Bennewitz and Nancy Diamond, chair of the Arts Advisory Committee, including whether other sculptures displayed on town property have been vandalized.
There has been no vandalism, Bennewitz said, with the exception of the iconic Minute Man sculpture near Compo Beach, which has been defaced by graffiti in the past and once was struck by a car.
The sculpture project began with the placement of the “Rock, Paper, Scissors” sculpture by Kevin Box at the Westport Library on Jesup Green in 2021. And last January, the commission approved plans to install sculptures in two other parks.
Commission members approved plans to install the three new sculptures unanimously, with the caveat that Parks and Recreation Department staff will have final say on the exact location of the sculpture to be placed in Eloise A. Ray Park.
Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.