Copper sculpture to hang in Wills Park tree, arts panel to vote

A copper sculpture that turns in the wind could soon hang from a tree in Wills Park. The city’s Cultural Arts Commission is due to vote on it at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at City Hall.

The piece is a kinetic mobile by Steve McPhail, a local sculptor. The city’s staff report in the meeting packet says he approached the Cultural Services Division about showing his work in his hometown.

It would be a temporary installation, on loan for six months.

What the sculpture is

The artist’s specification sheet, filed with the application, describes it this way:

• Size: the mobile rotates through 360 degrees inside a cube about 12 feet on each side.
• Weight: about 250 pounds, hung from a 3/16-inch stainless steel cable with a spring shock absorber at the top.
• Materials: sheet copper and copper tubing, soldered with lead-free solder, with stainless steel disks and swivels.
• Finish: a green verdigris patina, made by speeding up the copper’s natural oxidation.

The sheet says the piece was first installed in Florida in August 2024. It says it stayed up through Hurricanes Helene and Milton that fall, tethered to an anchor.

Where it would go

The packet places it in a large tree by the lower baseball fields, past the Wacky World playground. The reviewers wanted a tree high enough that nobody could touch the sculpture from the ground, with room for it to turn freely.

The city’s arborist approved the tree, according to the staff report. The report says the tree can carry the weight and the sculpture will not interfere with the trees around it.

Staff proposed it to help bring people onto the park’s new central walking path, which the report calls the spine. The report pairs it with another new on-loan outdoor sculpture on the path, “Crack in the Past.”

The Public Art Review Committee, made up of four Arts Alpharetta members, recommended approving the piece as proposed. Its notes call it a “wonderful ‘calder’ like piece” and say it “blends well but stands out.”

What it costs

The temporary installation would cost the city $2,700, according to the staff report:

The Cultural Arts Commission gives final approval for public art pieces under the city’s application process. Once a piece is approved, installation can start.

Also on Tuesday’s agenda

• A second public art application, for a collaborative blacksmithing sculpture. The packet carries no staff report or details for it.
• A cybersecurity update from the city’s information technology director.
• The Cultural Services Division’s October report. It lists the painted leaves crosswalk at Wills Park, a tunnel mural at Webb Bridge Park and the Paint the Town exhibit, which runs through Nov. 16.

Recreation fees on the table Wednesday

The city’s Recreation Board holds a work session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Community Room at City Hall. The agenda has two items:

• a fee study
• changes to the Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services registration and refund policy

The agenda says it is a work session only. The board will discuss the items but take no formal action. No supporting documents were posted with the agenda.

What it means for you

• To see the sculpture: if the commission approves it, look for it in the trees by the lower ballfields at Wills Park, 11925 Wills Road. The city has not announced an installation date.
• To speak at the meeting: the agenda includes a public comment period. The meeting is in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 2 Park Plaza.
• If you sign up for city programs: the fee study and refund policy could change what you pay for classes and leagues. Wednesday’s session is the first public look.

For more on the park, see our Alpharetta parks and trails guide and our list of free things to do in Alpharetta.