LEWES, Del. - When the construction is complete Canalfront Park will have a new art sculpture for everyone to enjoy, but it's going to take a little longer than originally planned.
The installation of the new art sculpture by artist DeWitt Godfrey and his team will have to wait. That's due to a crack in the concrete foundation the city was responsible for pouring.
"I think there was some miscommunication about what we required for a foundation and unfortunately it wouldn't withstand the loads we were asking it to." said Godfrey.
The sculpture's name is "Paviljoen" which is Dutch for pavilion. It's a tribute to Lewes' Dutch history. People will be able to walk through it, once Godfrey is able to come back and finish it.
The sculpture is made of corten steel, the same material that was used for the Overfalls Lightship.
Barry Dunkin, member of the Lewes Public Art Commission, hopes the massive 12 foot tall masterpiece in the park will engage visitors, "Really public art, that's really the way it should be experienced. You should look at it multiple times and you'll get a different impression I think every time."
Art in this location has sparked debate in the past. The 2021 sculpture "Unbounded" was ridiculed by some, praised by others.
Some who frequent the park say that's kind of the point of public art, "Do people interpret anything the same way? But that's kind of the beauty of art." said Kate Gleeson.
Cliff Diver who used to be on the Lewes Public Art Commission agrees, "I imagine we'll get some good strong reactions, both pro and con like we usually do and hopefully those people will be talking to each other, which is what we want them to do and therefore build community."
Godfrey is hopeful that the sculpture will be fully installed during the summer and that its stay may be extended past the original term of September.