Vandalized sculptures in Huntington being repaired

HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) — In July, multiple sculptures around Pullman Square were vandalized, and now, they are being repaired.

The sculptures were commissioned to benefit those at Hoop’s Family Children’s Hospital. Of the 48 sculptures created, it is estimated that 10 of them were vandalized.

A police report was filed for one sculpture near Huntington Junior College that was stolen and has yet to be recovered. That statue was replaced as, when word of the theft spread, the owner of a similar sculpture by the same artist offered their own piece to the Marshall Health Network Foundation.

The incidents surprised organizers as they have done similar art installation in years prior with no issues.

“I think that, you know, we do things to try to make Huntington better, bring businesses or bring business to downtown and make downtown Huntington a nice place to be, to walk around, you know, things to see,” said Kyle Coleman, event coordinator with Marshall Health Network Foundation. “You know, this was also an art installation. So, it was, we had maps that people could go around and look at the different sculptures. So, to say that they were vandalized, which is something that, you know, we really hated to see happen.”

The creators of the sculptures were upset as well.

“So a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of energy went into these. And especially because, it is such for such a good cause,” Coleman said. “So, yeah, they were devastated to find out that you know, people were vandalizing them.”

The sculptures will be auctioned off on Oct. 19 at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds in Proctorville, Ohio. All proceeds go to the Hoop’s Family Children’s Hospital.

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