What are the new 40-foot sculptures in Sacramento’s River District? Here’s why they’re here

Have you seen the new, tall-winged sculptures in the River District?

A Reddit user recently posted a picture to r/Sacramento Reddit forum of a sculpture under construction, asking if anyone had information about “what it’s meant to signify.” The post had more than 70 “upvotes” and nearly 100 comments.

Residents began making their own guesses within the Reddit forum of what the sculpture is supposed to represent. Here are a few that made us giggle:

• Whale tail
• Football
• Lawn darts
• Fish
• Mermaid
• Alien
• Angel wings
• Badminton racket

Here’s a hint: It’s none of the the above.

This is what we know about the newest sculptures in Sacramento churning curiosity among its residents:

Positioned on the corner of Richards Blvd. and North 12th St. near Mirasol Village, the city of Sacramento wrote on its website, two 40-foot sculptures titled “Uplift” are the newest addition to the city’s metamorphosis-themed public art project.

The art pieces, which will soon light up, were created by Seattle-based artist Vicki Scuri. She underwent a “competitive” application process and was eventually selected by the Office of Arts and Culture and the Sacramento Arts Culture Creative Economy Commission to create the art pieces.

Manager Donald Gensler with Sacramento’s Art in Public Places program said “The sculptures frame the city and welcome visitors, business owners and residents to the City of Sacramento,” according to the city website.

Skuri’s professional work dates back more than 30 years. She’s worked with gateway bridges, railings, streetscapes, towers and sculptures — all defined by their patterns and use of sunlight and shadows to connect humans with nature. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1975 before completing her masters in Wisconsin, according to the Washington State Arts Commission.

The sculptures were largely funded through a $400,000 United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Choice Neighborhood Initiative grant. They’re part of an approximately $750,000 metamorphosis project that includes seven murals painted along the North 12th St. corridor in the River District.

This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 11:07 AM.