City dedicates 14th Street roundabout sculpture

When the New York artistic husband-and-wife team of Josh de Sousa and Nancy Hou collaborated on their submission for a sculpture as part of Sarasota’s Art in the Roundabouts program nearly five years ago, they were no strangers to the city. 

Having first visited here a decade ago, they applied their shared initial experience with the area to create Poly, which now stands in the roundabout at U.S. 41 and 14th Street. As the din, and occasional roar, of traffic circled the roundabout, the city held a dedication for the sculpture under the shade of the adjacent Whitaker Gateway Park.

There, de Sousa shared their collective vision for the sculpture to a small crowd of city staff, elected officials, Public Art Committee members and nearby residents.

“About 10 years ago when Nancy and I first visited Sarasota, we were struck by the natural beauty and rich cultural history of this place,” de Sousa said. “Years later, when it came time to propose a sculpture here, we wanted to evoke how light reflects through crystal clear water and how wisps of clouds contrast against a bright blue sky, and we wanted to celebrate the diversity of artwork that Sarasota artists have produced over the years. 

“Ultimately, we sought to create a sculpture that serves as a vessel, one that's polyvalent in form and meaning and open for public interpretation.”

Photo by Andrew Warfield

During her remarks, Mayor Liz Alpert said she was uncertain the day would come when Poly was installed in its intended location. Selected by the Public Art Committee and approved by the Sarasota City Commission in 2019, both the fabrication and installation of the piece faced significant obstacles before finally being mounted in early January 2025.

Fabrication of the 20-foot, 2.7-ton piece was halted in 2020 because of pandemic-related global supply shortages. Then prohibitive costs to build the foundation delayed installation and prompted the City Commission to instruct the committee to seek alternative, and hopefully less expensive, locations outside of the Florida Department of Transportation right of way, where costs were believed to be higher because of regulatory conditions and a limited number of state-approved contractors.

In July 2024, though, the City Commission approved a bid of $340,906.50 for the foundation, $132,906.50 more than the cost of the sculpture.

“I didn't think we'd ever get to this day, so we are just so thrilled,” Alpert said. “There was talk of not putting the sculptures that were chosen in the roundabouts due to the cost of the mounting and the base of the sculpture, so it was very dicey for a while. I'm so thrilled that we had the opportunity to put this in the roundabout where it belongs, where we planned for it to be.”

Photo by Andrew Warfield

City Engineer Nik Patel called the event a milestone, setting the precedent for future projects that blend infrastructure with art, perhaps setting the tone for what was planned as the next roundabout sculpture installation, "Seagrass," four blocks south in the roundabout at 10th Street.

Two blocks south of that in the roundabout at Fruitville Road, the Public Art Committee has selected "The Sun Always Shines," which has yet to be approved by the City Commission. 

Wayne Gaither, director of the Florida Department of Transportation Southwest Area Office, said the state welcomes future installations.

“We recognize that transportation is more than just roadways. It's about moving people, it's about shaping communities, and it's about enhancing the spaces that we travel through,” he said. “This project is a perfect example of how infrastructure and art can work together to form a more vibrant and a more engaging environment for our communities.”