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Posted October 28, 2005.
Muscogee Board Settles with Sculptor for Breach of Contract
The Muscogee County (Ga.) Library Board reached a $35,000 negotiated settlement October 27 with an artist it had contracted with to create a $250,000 metal sculpture for the Columbus Public Library. Attorney Neal Callahan said in the October 28 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that private individuals would make the payment anonymously through the Muscogee County Library Foundation. Board members had backed out of the agreement with Albert Paley in July after city council refused to pay for the artwork with public funds.
The board approved the settlement 14–2. “This compensates Mr. Paley for his trouble and expense,” Callahan said.
One board member told the newspaper that most of the money would come from library board members or foundation members who understood that a mistake had been made and wanted to resolve the controversial issue.
The library and city council began receiving complaints about the project in May after a photo of the design appeared in the paper. Some residents thought the price tag was too high; others felt that a local artist should create the art instead of Paley, who lives in Rochester, New York.
Posted October 28, 2005.
