The sculptures were commissioned as part of the city’s cultural arts master plan, Assistant City Manager Shanna Sims-Bradish said. The plan supports the city’s tradition of supporting the arts, she said.
“One of the ideas that came out of that was having public art in our civic spaces,” Sims-Bradish said.
A committee of citizens worked together with two artists, Shane Allbritton and Norman Lee, to design the sculptures.
The installation outside the new Richardson Police Department headquarters, titled “Radiant Shield,” was two years in the making, Sims-Bradish said. The sculpture is an abstract version of the Richardson police badge, she said. The base of the sculpture features the department’s three core principles: partnership, prevention and performance.
“It’s really talking about the connection of the police department to the community,” Sims-Bradish said.
The sculpture at the new Fire Station 3, under construction in Canyon Creek, is called “Flow,” Sims-Bradish said. The piece took about a year and a half to create, she said. The bronze sculpture depicts a fire hose shooting water.
“It talks about how it's both the individual firefighter as well as the firefighting team that works together,” Sims-Bradish said.
The pieces are meant to be enjoyed by both Richardson residents and public safety personnel, Lee said in a statement provided by the city.
“We hope that after these projects are dedicated that the community and various public safety departments can find a connection to these pieces,“ he said.
