PITTSBURGH (AP and ACNI) – Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato wants to prevent the removal of artwork from county property following a plan emerged to replace a sculpture at Pittsburgh International Airport in favor of paid advertising.

Onorato says protecting public art is important.

Earlier this month, he ordered the county airport authority to stop removing Silver Grid Wall, an 8-by-68 foot aluminum sculpture by Peter Calaboyias. The sculpture has been in the same place since the airport opened in 1992, but airport officials wanted to move it.

They hoped to earn between $250,000 and $300,000 a year by leasing the space for ads.

Onorato says he’s creating a committee to decide on a case-by-case basis whether public artwork can be moved.

This summer Pittsburgh will gain a unique display of outdoor sculptures based on vintage and antique toys. Artist Tim Kaulen, recipient of Pittsburgh’s Artist of the Year Award, will create the sculptures to be placed at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

Kaulen is currently researching images of toy designs from the 1900s through the 1950s to serve as the inspiration for his sculptures.

“These toys could be American or from other countries, however I have a specific interest in seeing if there are any local ties to the toy industry,” Kaulen told ToyCollectorMagazine.com, a digital magazine that is assisting him with information and images of toys.

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Catherine Saunders-Watson, Auction Central News International, contributed to this report.

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