Houdini Plaza Selfie Sculpture On Hold – ADI Executive Director Jennifer Stephany Reports That Price Of Materials Is Too High To Proceed With Existing Design And That The Groundswell Of Negative Feedback On Social Media Had Given Them Pause

The selfie sculpture the Appleton Downtown Inc was requesting to install in Houdini Plaza is on hold. ADI Executive Director Jennifer Stephany spoke at the Common Council meeting on 03/19/2025 and explained that the prices for materials had turned out to be too high to allow them to proceed with the existing design and “Additionally, the groundswell of negative feedback following an alderperson’s post on social media has given us pause.” She asked for the item to be referred back to committee to give ADI time to retool the design and bring the proposal back at a later date.

I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion for download:

The selfie-sculpture had appeared before the Public Arts Committee, the Parks and Recreation Committee, and the City Plan Commission. Mayor Woodford had initially intended to refer it back only to the Parks and Recreation Committee. [Although it wasn’t stated in the meeting, it sounded like ADI was going to withdraw the proposal, which is something that only needed to be done at one committee, not all three.]

Alderperson Nate Wolff (District 12) objected to referring it back to only the Parks and Recreation Committee and said that the Arts Committee had requested that it be referred back to them for further discussion. Alderperson Vered Meltzer (District 2) also indicated the chair of the Public Arts Committee had requested a refer back. Alderperson Martyn Smith (District 4) agreed the item should go back to the Arts Committee because much of the public feedback had been on the aesthetics of the piece which was more appropriately discussed by the Arts Committee than the Parks and Recreation Committee.

The Council ended up voting to refer the selfie sculpture back to all three committees that had previously dealt with it.

[There’s some degree of absurdity to the idea that the Trump Administration’s aluminum tariffs may have saved Appleton from this selfie sculpture. If this was a sit-com, it could not have been scripted better.]

View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1254914&GUID=43F2E1EF-D349-49B9-90AF-1FCEF906F9FD