A topiary man standing 50 feet above a revitalized shopping center in downtown Columbus, was created at the Point on Otterbein University's campus.
Curtis Smith, the Maker Space and laboratory operations manager at the Point, was one of the local artists approached to help with the project.
Topiary is the art of creating shapes and objects out of bushes and trees. The topiary man was created from welded steel and a plastic plant that is UV safe. It took Smith about three months to complete and was installed on October 5. The man is on top of the Scientology building looking down on Pearl and Lynn alley.
Smith got Otterbein student's input on the project. "I definitely had many conversations with some of the art students and some of the engineering students about it and their interests in how I was making it," said Smith.
This was Smith's first time working with topiary. He was referred to the project by his former professor at Ohio State University, Malcolm Cochran. The revitalization is a project of the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District and the Greater Columbus Art Council.