Cary looks to move 'fire sculpture'

The town paid $40,000 to have a Danish artist build the so-called "fire sculpture," an 11-foot-tall clay structure that was burned last fall to become a massive piece of ceramic, in an open area across the street from the Cary Arts Center.

The area also is used for social gatherings, such as a polka night on Friday, and Cary plans to build a downtown park there in a couple of years – and the fire sculpture isn't included in the park plans.

"Right now, our intention is to try to preserve it to try to find a new location for it," said Doug McRainey, the director of Cary's Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural resources. "The goal is to definitely somewhere downtown, but right now, we are in the process of looking at all the essential locations in Cary."

Staffers plan to present the Town Council with options by mid-June, McRainey said.

"The big challenge is the sculpture itself," he said. "Moving it would require potentially additional funding, so that's what we're trying to get a handle on right now."