Alpharetta to spend $137.9K on downtown sculptures

“Alpharetta Town Musicians,” a sculpture inspired by the tale of the Bremen Town Musicians, is one of five pieces of outdoor art being acquired by the city of Alpharetta. Playable as a percussion instrument, it will be made by Sirlin Arts and cost the city $30,400. CITY OF ALPHARETTA

“Alpharetta Town Musicians,” a sculpture inspired by the tale of the Bremen Town Musicians, is one of five pieces of outdoor art being acquired by the city of Alpharetta. Playable as a percussion instrument, it will be made by Sirlin Arts and cost the city $30,400. CITY OF ALPHARETTA

The Alpharetta City Council has approved spending $137,900 for five original pieces of outdoor art as part of the 2016 Downtown Sculpture Project, “Instruments of Appreciation.”

The city is acquiring works of Greggory Johnson, Yaoundé Odeleye, Sirlin Arts, Dillon Forge and Outdoor Art. The pieces represent musical instruments or an artist’s representation of a music instrument “to communicate and encourage the spirit of the emerging music scene” downtown, according to a staff summary of the Council agenda item.

The city received 23 entries. A committee evaluated them for creativity, quality, elements of design, public interaction and response to site/context and recommended five to be acquired. Two, made of durable metals, can be played as percussion instruments. “The pieces selected range from the traditional to the modern and cover a broad range of musical forms,” the summary said.

The sculptures are to be installed along Roswell, Old Roswell and Main streets.