Public Artwork Relocated to Harbor Point
One of Baltimore’s largest outdoor public sculptures has been relocated to Harbor Point. Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA) and Beatty Development Group announced today that Energy, a 33-foot-tall cast bronze sculpture by Italian artist Francesco Somaini, has been moved to the new location as part of preparations for the sculpture to be made more available to the public.
Francesco Somaini was commissioned by Baltimore Gas & Electric in 1970 to create a piece as part of the celebration of their new headquarters on Center Plaza. The resulting piece, Energy, was done in Somaini’s trademark half-finished, half-unfinished surface and is intended to be a monument to human energy. In the early 1980’s, the sculpture was relocated by then-Mayor William Donald Schaffer to celebrate the opening of the Baltimore Wheelabrator plant on Annapolis Road. The sculpture was later relocated to the rear of the plant and has been inaccessible to the general public for more than 10 years.
Beatty Development Group stepped forward to move the sculpture to Harbor Point development and bring the impressive artwork back to the public. The artwork was moved around the harbor by truck and will be professionally restored on-site. It is expected to be kept in storage for up to three years until its new home at Harbor Point Park is complete.
“Energy is one of Baltimore’s greatest modern sculptures and has largely gone unseen for a generation,” said Ryan Patterson, Public Art Administrator for BOPA. “We are thrilled that Beatty Development stepped forward to take on the costs of moving and restoring this cultural asset. The sculpture will be beautiful at its new home.”
