BANGOR, Maine — Maine artist Anna Hepler could place a floating sculpture in the Kenduskeag Stream as early as Friday.
Hepler, who is known for innovative works such as the inflatable sculpture “Bloom,” was not available for an interview but said in an email to the Bangor Daily News that the working title is “Boat Load.”
During a meeting of the Bangor Commission on Cultural Development on Thursday, Chairwoman Kiersten Piccininni said she expected the sculpture to be installed in the stream Friday, though city officials are not involved in the installation.
City officials had no information on what the sculpture will look like.
Hepler said in January it is very likely that the final piece might not look like a pair of renderings submitted with her grant application. Those renderings raised controversy among online commenters and on social media over their perceived similarity to female genitalia.
On the recommendation of the commission, the Bangor City Council approved a $1,000 grant for the sculpture in January to match an additional $5,000 to $6,000 to be raised by Hepler.
Hepler’s solo exhibit “Blind Spot” is slated to open June 19 at the University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor. The exhibit will feature more than 25 sculptures and two-dimensional artworks, according to museum director and curator George Kinghorn.
The works were inspired by collages made from National Geographic magazine, according to the museum, which is open to the public free of charge.
Hepler said previously she hopes to move the sculpture to other sites in Maine once her exhibit closes Sept. 19.
Internationally known, her work has appeared in several galleries, including the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress and the Tate Gallery in London.
“She’s really very highly regarded throughout Maine and beyond,” Kinghorn said.
Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter at @evanbelanger.