"Skywriting I" is a 14-foot tall kinetic sculpture that has wing-like elements to represent riding air currents in a hang glider. The piece has sat at the southwest corner of Leawood City Hall as part of the "Art on Loan Program." It will now be moved to a permanent location at the intersection of Town Center Drive and Tomahawk Creek Parkway as part of the Sculpture Garden. Image via City of Leawood.
A kinetic art piece entitled “Skywriting I,” which has graced the southwest corner of the lawn outside Leawood City Hall for more than two years now, is set to be relocated to a more permanent site nearby.
The Leawood Planning Commission at its meeting Tuesday unanimously approved a final plan to move the artwork to the city’s sculpture garden near the intersection of Town Center Drive and Tomahawk Creek Parkway, a few blocks away from city hall.
“Skywriting I” is a kinetic sculpture — an art piece with some moving parts — by artist John King, who says was imagined while riding the thermal currents in a hang glider.
The art piece is steel painted a shimmering iridescent blue, reflecting the sky as it moves with the wind.
Standing 14 feet high, “Skywriting I” has wing-like elements, hinged in four places that move the piece horizontally.
The sculpture was installed outside Leawood City Hall as the 10th temporary installation of the “Art on Loan Program,” which provides local artists the opportunity to display their work to the residents of Leawood.
The city rented the sculpture for $2,500 in 2019 and then later purchased the piece from King for $40,000 in March 2020.
At its new location, a five-foot wide path will be placed around the artwork to allow for people to walk right up to the piece.
“We’re very excited about “Skywriting 1″ and locating it to its permanent site in the sculpture garden,” Holy York, Leawood’s cultural arts supervisor, said.
York said there is currently no plan for what new artwork will take the place of “Skywriting 1” outside city hall.
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