OCEAN CITY – The installation of the dolphin statue at the Route 90 entrance into Ocean City is approaching as the base is in place.
During last week’s Tourism Commission meeting, Todd Ferrante representing the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC), announced the concrete base to the dolphin statue to be installed in front of the Tennis Center at the foot of the Route 50 Bridge is in place and the statue has been cast. The next piece to the puzzle is to settle on an installment date.
“We will announce an installation date in the near future,” Ferrante said.
OCDC Executive Director Glenn Irwin reported this week there is a meeting scheduled for Feb. 5 to work out the specifics and the plan will be formally presented to the Mayor and City Council. However, it is known the installment date will take place after April 1.
Last February OCDC and its Public Art Committee came before the council proposing a new sculpture of three dolphins to be located at the southwest corner of Route 90 and Coastal Highway on city property.
The OCDC’s first public artwork was the white marlin sculpture at the Route 50 Bridge completed by sculptor Paul Lockhart in 2002. The OCDC raised the funds to pay for this artwork through private contributions.
In 2007, the OCDC and the Town of Ocean City installed the “Spillin’ the Wind” eagle sculpture completed by David Turner of Turner Sculpture from Onley, Va. This artwork was funded by proceeds from the former OC Beach Bird program and several fundraisers by the OCDC’s Public Art Committee. This sculpture graces the northern entrance into Ocean City at 144th Street.
Turner will be the artist to create the dolphin sculpture made of bronze with a concrete base. The base is eight feet in height and the three dolphin measure eight, seven and five feet in length with a bronze wave as the supporting base. The bronze sculpture will stand approximately 10 feet tall in height and will be anchored to a pedestal.
Becker Morgan of Salisbury is designing a park to surround the sculpture like what was constructed around the white marlin at the foot of the Route 50 Bridge.
Sponsorships will be made available to name each dolphin that will assist in funding the sculpture. More details will be made available following OCDC’s Feb. 5 meeting.