Quigley Circle: Maya

Michael Murphy's sculpture Maya stands in the middle of a recently created traffic circle near the southern end of the Tremont neighborhood.

How it Started

In 2005, First Interstate Properties, developer of the Steelyard Commons shopping center, offered Tremont West Development Corp. (TWDC) funding for a sculpture in the new traffic circle being created at W. 14th St. and Quigley Rd., and the developer’s contribution was matched by a gift from Neighborhood Progress, Inc.

At the request of TWDC, Cleveland Public Art led an artist selection process. Examples of the work of ten qualified artists were presented to a selection panel, which led to the choosing of Michael Murphy, an artist then based in Ravenna, to produce an artwork for the circle.

About the Work

Maya, the sculpture the artist designed, fabricated, and installed in the circle, was conceived as a symbol of prosperity for the Tremont neighborhood; it depicts the hand of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi rising out of a lotus flower.

The sculpture, 18 feet tall and made of galvanized steel tubing powder-coated black and water jet-cut aluminum panels powder-coated clear, rests in a reinforced concrete base.

Landscaping around the sculpture, provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation as part of the project that extended Quigley Rd. to 14th St. and created the traffic circle, was augmented by and is maintained by the all-volunteer Tremont Gardeners.