Politics & Government

Peekskill Considers Shoreline Sculpture Proposal

Peekskill could see a stone sculpture sitting on the shore of the Hudson River if city leaders accept a Rhinebeck woman's proposal.

Earlier this week the Common Council heard from Raquel Rabinovich. Her piece would stand at about three feet. It would be approximately 20 feet long and 15 feet wide, and the "loosely arranged" mounds of stone—some of which would be imported, while others are gathered at the site—would "hug" the ground, according to Rabinovich.

How much of the sculpture would be visible at a given time would depend on whether it was low-tide, high-tide, or in between. 

"Merging with its surroundings, the piece will resonate with the ever-changing currents of the waters, the weather, and the seasons," Rabinovich writes in her proposal, adding that the stones would eventually disperse. "Echoing life itself and our own existence, the sculpture will be in a perpetual state of flux."

Location was one concern city leaders identified during the discussion at Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting. The plan calls for the sculpture, which is part of a series entitled Emergences, to be placed at Riverfront Green Park.

Mayor Mary Foster said she would prefer a spot where there aren't "so many children" playing.

Another issue is the shoreline stabilization that area is set to see during future waterfront improvements. Funding has not yet been obtained and officials are unsure of when the work would occur.

"I guess my question would be is this the right time, or do we want to sort of get the riverfront in the shape that we had planned on and then pick the right space?" Deputy Mayor Drew Claxton said.

"Being the artist, my inclination is to go ahead and do it," Rabinovich said, adding that the sculpture is about impermanence and change.

She told the council she has received positive feedback on the other sculptures in the series, which was launched in 2001. They are spread throughout parks in several counties, including Dutchess, Green, Orange, Rockland and Ulster.

Peekskill is on Rabinovich's list because it offers a "wonderful waterfront," and it's a "wonderful community," the artist told Patch.

Officials are considering other locations for the sculpture. The artist would cover costs associated with the project, she said.


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