Central Bank chooses California artist for Eighth Street sculpture

Sculptor Pontus Willfors has made his presence felt from Dallas to Los Angeles, Berlin to Vancouver. In the near future, his handiwork will shape what Columbians see when strolling past the downtown branch of Central Bank of Boone County.

The bank chose the Sweden-born, Los Angeles-based artist from around 120 artists to create a sculpture for its Eighth Street entrance, according to a news release.

The bank intends for the sculpture to be completed next spring, it said.

Willfors' "work interprets cultural narratives and social histories through material means," the release said.

"I am interested in the social life of an object, its history, and the human valence of its materials and form," the artist said in the release. "How people engage with and occupy structures and space inspires me to reconsider everyday objects, reimagining the potential and possibility of their utility and limitations."

For more than 50 years, visitors to the bank were greeted by Don Bartlett's "People" sculpture and fountain, created in 1971. Materials in the fiberglass and aluminum pieces eventually deteriorated to the point of requiring a replacement.

More:Central Bank laments deterioration of 'People' sculpture, plans replacement art

"It's really painful to lose the sculpture. It has been part of our Eighth Street personality since 1971," Central Bank senior vice president of marketing Mary Wilkerson told the Tribune this spring. "It's a beautiful sculpture and reflects our feeling about being a community and being focused on people."

A wide range of Willfors' public art projects and gallery installations can be viewed via his website, https://www.pontuswillfors.com/home.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Central Bank chooses California artist for Eighth Street sculpture