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CEO: Toppled artwork on Kino Parkway is "rare"

Posted at 10:19 PM, Jul 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-07 01:30:47-04

The investigation into the art sculpture that toppled over on Thursday on Kino Parkway continues.

The 30-foot decorative light pole that came down and temporarily blocked traffic on Kino near 22nd Street now sits in the yard at Caid Industries.

The sculptures, designed by Barbara Grygutis, were fabricated by Caid. 

CEO William Assenmacher says this fallen sculpture is a first for him in nearly 50 years with the company.

"Having a piece of artwork get damaged in a storm is rare," Assenmacher said. "So the microburst probably was a little abnormal."

Whether Caid is creating indoor or outdoor artwork, Assenmacher says they always think about what could happen. Wind load designs in Arizona often prepare for heavy gusts.

"You usually have to worry more about graffiti and vandalism," Assenmacher said.

In the 70 years of creating metal artwork, Caid says something like this has never happened. Assenmacher says the public shouldn't be concerned about a similar situation ever happening again.

The City of Tucson are investigating the cause of the fallen structure, which is believed to be due to Thursday's storms. The inspection of the artwork could take days or weeks, Assenmacher says. During monsoon, drivers are urged to be cautious.