‘Middens’ Makes Way to Clearwater Marina

Nearly 1,000 years ago, Tocobaga Indians walked Pinellas shorelines.

And a scultpure may bring a small part of them back to Clearwater soon.

The agricultural people lived off the land fishing and farming. They were here when Spanish explorers like Hernando de Soto and Panfilo de Narvaez came to conquer.

Between diseases and wars the Tocobaga all but disappeared by the 18th century.

What is left of their culture can be seen in ceremonial mounds made of shells, animal bones and broken pottery, or middens, in Safety Harbor and St. Petersburg. 

To give nod to that aspect of the area's history, "Middens," a cross-hatching of steel bars in the shape of two larger-than-life scallop shells will welcome visitors to Clearwater Harbor Marina.

Cliff Garten designed the $215,000 public art piece that will fill the green space near the tennis courts at the base of City Hall. City leaders are expected to sign off on the art at their meeting Thursday.

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The sculpture consists of two large scalloped dishes. One is a circular seven feet. The other is six feet by eight feet. Stainless steel tubing is formed and arranged in concentric circles to create a screen pattern.

The shells sit atop a midden which is encircled in two rings of crushed shell. The crushed shell will be bricks with that affect, similar to those near the Doughboy sculptures near Memorial Causeway, said Chris Hubbard, the city's cultural affairs director.

A spectrum of LED lights will keep the artwork aglow at night.

The dishes evoke scallop shells and the billowing sail of a sailboat, Hubbard said.

The stainless steel will not need regular maintenance, according to city documents. Hubbard said the structure also was beaten with chains and is resistant to hits and strikes.

The idea for the art's theme came out of a public meeting on Jan. 7, 2010. A group of about 35 people determined that the artwork should have three themes, called the “Safe Harbor” concept. It incorporates the current use of the site (i.e., boating and the marina), a natural look and the Coast Guard.

Vice Mayor Paul Gibson noted the lack of representation in the sculpture of the Coast Guard.

“In some way I wanted to see them recognized particularly given the relationship between our city and them,” Gibson said.

Hubbard said the LED lighting could be changed to the Coast Guard colors to illuminate the shells.

“We have Coast Guard representation on the panel and they were happy with the way this came out,” Hubbard said during the city council work session meeting Monday.

The project was a high priority item for the Public Art and Design because of its visibility and prominence, Hubbard said.

A nationwide call to artists brought in 246 applicants. That was whittled to 33 and then reduced to four. The city’s Public Art and Design Board selected Garten.

Garten, of Venice, CA, has completed more than 50 sculptures on display in landscapes as part of civic projects throughout the country and Canada.

“We wanted to ensure we did our best on it,” Hubbard said.

*updated 12:54 p.m. Jan. 17, 2013