Bounce Sculpture installation set for Thursday
Press release from Alachua County
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – In June 2022, the Alachua County Commission commissioned Alachua County-based artist Jenn Garrett to create “Bounce,” one of three artworks funded through the County’s Art in Public Places program for the new Alachua County Sports Event Center, which opened earlier this year. The sculpture is being installed on Thursday, September 28, 2023.
Bounce celebrates the vitality of sportsmanship. The arcing forms reflect both the arc of a bouncing ball as well as track and field events like the high jump and hurdles. Atop the arcs are super-sized stainless-steel basketballs, two volleyballs, cheer pompoms, and numerous pickleballs. Each ball is roughly three times the size of the balls used at the Sports Event Center, making it the focal point of Celebration Pointe Avenue.
“Bounce, a one-ton sculpture, is being installed on Thursday morning. It is ideal for wayfinding and photo ops for athletes and facility visitors,” stated artist Jenn Garrett. “The sculpture was fabricated and installed in partnership with local businesses, including Boone Welding, JWM Engineering, and Viking Construction. As an Alachua County resident, it is an honor to celebrate and commemorate the opening of the Sports Event Center with a monumental scale sculpture. I hope this project will highlight our local vibrant arts community.”
Jenn Garrett is an internationally recognized artist based in Alachua County. Her work can be seen in permanent and private collections throughout the southeast United States, including public art projects commissioned by Orange County, Stetson University, Mercer University, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Ms. Garrett’s exhibition highlights include the National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition in Dublin, Ireland; the National Outdoor Sculpture Competition in Charleston, SC; and the Art on the Atlanta Beltline Inaugural Exhibit. Her work can also be seen locally at the path surrounding the Cade Museum of Invention and Creativity in Depot Park, a series of 22 sculptures that honor the initial donors to the museum, as well as in the kinetic, interactive color-changing sculpture “Nautilus” located inside the museum.
OK, just as long as it’s not as bad as the barely artistic representation of multiple testicular vesicles on display outside the UF student gym on Hull Road. I doubt that UF administrators were smart enough to see how they were being made fun of by the artist who created those beauties and who probably slinked off with tons of cash in payment for such a sligh flipoff.
What a waste of $100,000 of our tax dollars. Could have built a Habitat for Humanity house and given free housing to a homeless family.
One clear sign of a society in decline is a lack of support for the arts. I’m glad to live in a county that has its priorities in order.
It’d be nice seeing the other two public artworks too, maybe they’re inside? Congrats to C.P. getting the sports center, too. Being off I-75 makes it more accessible to most county residents, and there’s parking.
Parking is PAY parking in parking garages owned by CP. Sven the Viking robbed Alachua County for tens of millions of tax dollars. The financing of the event center needs to be investigated by a grand jury, IMO.
I have been to multiple events there, and the parking in the garage next to the Event Center has always been free.
It won’t always be free.
“Celebration Point Events Center Pro Forma Budget Year One– Parking Revenues: $360,000.” (How many free parkings do you have to give away to collect $360,000?)
2021 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ALACHUA COUNTY, FL AND CP EVENT CENTER OPERATIONS, LLC
“6.13 Parking. The Operator shall manage and control the parking for the Sports Center for all Sports Center Events. The Operator or its designee may charge patrons of Sports Center Events a fee which revenue shall be included as part of Sports Center Gross Revenues. The Operator is further authorized to grant, within its reasonable commercial discretion, to any Promoter of Sports Center Events the right to collect and keep for its own account any and all parking fees.”
Free parking does not have fees.
If they charge in the future, I’m happy to pay.
No one robbed or even ripped off any tax money. The BOCC and state legislature voted to give $35 million (with almost no strings attached) to a smooth talking operator. Don’t blame the recipient of the tax check, blame the politicians for being poor stewards of our tax money. By the way, the Sports Center, which opened 3 months ago, promised in writing they would not come ask for any more tax money. They are already asking for up to $4 million more tax dollars. It appears the county commission, Clemons, and Perry are ready to give it to them. SSDD.
Your numbers are and your whole premise is wrong. The BoCC did not give $35 million to anyone. The County and the taxpayers own this building, they just have an operator agreement with CP.
Not to worry. The Sports Center will soon be annexed by Springs County. Then they will be responsible for this money losing pig. If only they owned a slaughterhouse so they could butcher it and get some good hams from it.
Right, because Springs County is doing so well. I’ve been hearing about this pipe dream for ten years.
“UF’s French Fries From Hell Grow Balls.”
What an amazingly original idea for a new work of art. The Artist must have spent at least two or three seconds thinking up this new idea. A real Picasso Jr.