PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – A piece of public art that prompted an outcry in Portland, Maine, is going to be dismantled.

The City Council voted Monday night against spending $30,000 to $50,000 to move Tracing the Fore from Boothby Square to a new location. That means the creation of Boston artist Shauna Gillies-Smith will be removed altogether.

The sculpture, which was installed five years ago, features metal waves seeded with tall grass. The idea was that the grass would sweep over the waves, representing the Fore River, which flows into Casco Bay. Critics quickly took aim, and it didn’t help when weeds sprouted. One critic described the work as “metal shards” rising from “a weed-infested park.”

Councilor John Anton told the Portland Press Herald that he doesn’t view the unanimous vote as a repudiation of public art. He says it’s “like with everything – you win some and you lose some.”

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