West Palm’s next big thing is a big thing: “Be Art” sculpture

28 Jul West Palm’s next big thing is a big thing: “Be Art” sculpture

You can be art.

The city commission is scheduled to vote Aug. 1 on buying a 61-foot-long, 12-foot-high metal sculpture that forms the words, “BE ART,” as West Palm Beach’s contribution to this year’s Canvas Outdoor Art Museum event.

Designed by California artist Laura Kimpton, “BE ART” fits the theme of the show, “connections,” organizer Nicole Henry said Wednesday.

The 4-foot-deep work, illuminated from within by colored LED lights, “invites you to climb into it, to be part of it,” Henry explained. “People are meant to interact with the sculpture and take pictures in it. That’s what the ‘BE ART’ means.”

Assuming the city approves the $138,000 expenditure, the work would be delivered in time for Canvas, which kicks off Nov. 11. The location has yet to be determined. One possible spot is in front of the old city hall, which is slated for demolition and redevelopment. The money would come from the city’s Art In Public Places program, a fund to which developers are required to contribute.