Local News |

Sculpture purchase request draws pushback from city council members

A request to purchase local artist Bradford Rhea’s “Exordium” marble sculpture drew pushback from some Sterling City Council members Tuesday.

The request was made by the Citizens Advisory Board, which makes recommendations on funding beautification projects using the city’s hotel tax. Kim Sellers explained that CAB has approached the city council with this request numerous times, with different ideas of where it could be placed but a plan has never been finalized. At first, they looked at areas outside but then it was determined it would need to be somewhere inside to keep it preserved and well-maintained. When discussion started about the possibility of a new community center combining both the Sterling Recreation Center and Logan County Heritage Center, CAB thought that would be a great place for it.

Though planning for the center is still in the very early stages, with a conceptual design being created by University of Colorado students, CAB brought the request to purchase the sculpture now because they felt if it is going to be placed in the center then that building needs to be engineered with the sculpture highlighted in the proper place, “not just plopped in the building,” Sellers said.

CAB asked the council to set aside $250,000, which would cover not only the purchase of the sculpture but the cost to build a base and all the things that go with it, as well as the cost to move it from Rhea’s studio in Merino.

Councilman Luke Janes expressed concern about setting aside money for something that won’t happen for five to ten years, at which time there will be new council members. City Attorney Matthew Richardson advised that committing city funds for beyond one fiscal year would typically require voter approval under TABOR (taxpayer bill of rights).

Sellers pointed out that the beautification project from Franklin Park out to Interstate 76 has $350,000 in funds that were allocated ten years ago and haven’t been spent, because the city keeps going back and forth with the Colorado Department of Transportation to get the designs done, and they haven’t had to go back every year for that.

While Richardson wasn’t here for that, he advised that if the council is going to commit to a multi-year fiscal obligation it needs to go to the voters but that doesn’t mean the city couldn’t commit on a year-to-year basis and then re-up. He asked when CAB thinks they would be able to pull the trigger to purchase it and Sellers responded that CAB would like to see the sculpture purchased now so that it doesn’t get sold to someone else. Richardson said he doesn’t see a legal problem with purchasing it now, but added that Janes raised a good point.

Janes suggested purchasing it now and in the future when the sculpture is ready to be placed in the building, the council could okay additional funding for the materials that are needed to go with it and the cost to transport it.

Councilman Albert Delgado expressed concern about spending $250,000 on a sculpture that might not be utilized in a building that might not come to fruition and about already committing to design for the community center.

“I don’t feel comfortable doing that, I think it’s far, far too early at this point in time to make that kind of commitment on something that may or may not come to fruition,” he said.

Parks, Library and Recreation Direction Wade Gandee clarified that the CU students are simply coming up with a conceptual design, not a construction design, and it just has a spot marked in the lobby that says art piece, “it’s not like I’ve got a wall built or platform built or anything like that.”

When the students are finished with the design, poster boards with a QR code will be placed at City Hall, schools, Logan County Courthouse, Logan County Chamber of Commerce and other locations, as well as the newspaper, directing the public to a place to give input on what they like or feel needs added or changed. Then, CU students will come back with a final conceptual drawing and the city and county can start talking about if they want to go forward and how to pay for the center.

“I’ve been to city council many, many times because we really do want to purchase this art piece from Brad,” Sellers told the council. “I understand your concerns right now and I understand if you don’t want to purchase it right now but our committee really does believe that Brad has given his heart and soul to this community and has not been paid for his work and his talent. He has donated most of the stuff that he has done over the years and we believe he’s our most famous artist in our community and at some point, we really would like you guys to commit to purchasing this and finding a place for it.”

Rhea created the Living Tree sculptures in Sterling parks, many of which were later cast in bronze while the wood pieces were relocated indoors.

Sellers welcomed other suggestions for where to place the sculpture if the council isn’t comfortable with the community center.

Delgado told her that while he is all for art, he also believes there’s a feeling amongst citizens that the infrastructure here is really poor and perhaps the money would be better spent taking care of some of those needs. In response, Sellers pointed out that the city’s hotel tax can only be spent on beautification, not infrastructure needs.

Remarks ended with Janes suggesting reframing the request to purchase the sculpture for potential future use at some potential future location.

CAB also brought two other requests. The first was for $4,000 for an Overland Trail Museum flag restoration project.

Museum curator Kay Rich explained that a “beautiful” 1876 flag came to the museum from New York City by strangers who happened to drive by and stop at the museum. They found the flag, which is 11.5 feet long and eight feet wide, in their great-grandfather’s belongings.

With the upcoming America 250-Colorado 150 Commemoration in 2026, the museum felt this would be a perfect time to get the flag preserved and hung. They are working with Colorado Art Restoration in Denver for the preservation.

“It’s going to be quite an undertaking but it’s going to be an incredible piece,” Rich said, sharing that it will be featured in the Colorado Passport Book that is part of the commemoration. “So, during that celebration, tourists will come and have this passport book and they’ll know that they can come to Sterling and see this incredible flag.”

The total cost for the project is $8,000; Rich has received the remaining funds needed from other groups in the community.

Mayor Matthew Foos asked why the frame costs so much. Rich explained the frame is actually two 12-foot posts that will be attached to the wall. The biggest expense is the 12-foot plexiglass and it needs to be museum quality that will block out UV rays and keep the flag protected. The costs also include the funds needed to pay for the flag to be transported to the museum.

CAB’s final request was for $202,900 for landscaping of four city-owned areas on West Main Street around Scooter’s Coffee, in front of Starbucks and where a former muffler shop, now demolished, was located at the corner of Division and W. Main. Gandee shared a landscape layout he developed, that includes art pieces that were already presented to the council. He explained that they would like to make the area where the muffler shop used to be into a small park that people could walk to from the coffee shops or even McDonald’s and enjoy the art.

“This would just be a small park with a few picnic tables and some trees, a parking lot on the side,” Gandee told the council.

Asked about ongoing maintenance costs, he said it would probably be around $1,500, mostly to mow and make sure the irrigation is up-to-date and working properly.