INDIANAPOLIS — An arsonist destroyed a new piece of public art at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site early Sunday, less than two weeks after its installation.
Fire consumed the life-size, 5-foot-6-inch statue around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at the presidential site. Officials said the 3D-printed artwork is a total loss.
“It was printed out of polymer that was heat and fire resistant, so apart from the vandalism that took place, otherwise would’ve been durable for the one year installation we had envisioned,” said Charlie Hyde, president and CEO of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.
While the fire destroyed the piece in minutes, the production required more than 1,000 hours to print. Hyde said students and faculty from the Herron School of Art and Design spent over 1,200 hours creating the statue as part of a collaboration with the presidential site…