Glencoe Park District Paying Artist To Remove Art

GLENCOE, IL — Glencoe Park District commissioners agreed to pay an artist to remove a 40-year-old sculpture from district land, at a cost of about $1,700 more than what it would cost to dispose of the structure. The district will pay Chicago-based artist Barry Tinsley $3,720 to dismantle and remove his sculpture, "Breakwater," from a strip of park land across Old Green Bay Road from the Glencoe Metra station, Pioneer Press reported.

Tinsley told Patch there is a request for an estimate for restoration in place of the sculpture and a decision will be made later about its removal. He said he was first contact by Glencoe Park District officials early this past summer because they were "concerned about insurance issues."

According to the artist, the sculpture was built in 1978 and sold to a Glencoe resident, whose family donated it to the park district after his death.

He described it as his "one of [his] major pieces from 1978," telling Patch he hoped to save it from being scrapped and hopes to find a new home for the sculpture by next summer. He said he was glad the town decided to spend the extra $1,700 not to destroy his work and plans to put it into storage until he identifies a new location to install it.

"Breakwater" was placed at its current location in 1982, district officials told Pioneer Press. But after 35 years at its current location, Park Board President Dudley Onderdonk said it was time for it to go.

"It's not well-positioned for the community," he told Glencoe News. The district said it has no plans to replace the sculpture with any other art.

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Location of "Breakwater" sculpture.

_{Top photo: "Breakwater" sculpture in Glencoe (Google Street View)}