Busted Plug, the 40-foot fire hydrant sculpture and Columbia landmark, is still sitting in storage one year after the city moved it.
“No one’s decided when, where, how or what they want to do with it,” said Rusty McClam, president of contracting company McClam & Associates.
McClam has been holding the iconic sculpture on his property until Columbia determines the location of its new home. But he says he hasn’t received any communication from the city, which owns the sculpture.
“Staff is optimistic there will be an opportunity to return it to a public art piece in the future but no such plans are in process at this time,” a city spokesperson said in an email.
Blue Sky, the sculpture’s creator who expressed frustration when it was initially moved, is skeptical the city will follow through with its plans.
“They are artist bigots,” Sky said. “They think they know what’s art and what’s not art and they didn’t think it was worthy.”
Columbia Mayor Dan Rickenmann was unavailable for an interview about the sculpture for this story.
A crew removes the art installation Busted Plug by the artist Bluesky last February.
The 675,000-pound shiny metal fire hydrant that once towered above Taylor Street became a roadside destination for those traveling through South Carolina’s capital. Though Busted Plug is one of Sky’s best known work, he is also known for the nearby “Tunnelvision” mural and the “Neverbust Chain” that connects two buildings on Main Street.
OneColumbia Executive Director Xavier Blake wasn’t around when Busted Plug was built, but emphasized the importance of public art in Columbia.
“Public art plays a pivotal role in shaping a community’s identity, fostering a sense of community pride and belonging, and elevating the overall quality of life for both our residents and visitors,” Blake said.
The sculpture was originally commissioned by AgFirst Farm Credit Bank and unveiled in 2001, standing askew for two decades on the bank’s privately owned parking lot. When the bank announced it was moving from Taylor to Main Street in 2012, it donated the sculpture to the city, plus $25,000 to relocate it.
The sculpture also has a water feature that hadn’t been used for years. Different city officials over the years have said there wasn’t enough space, it was too expensive to operate or the pump was broken.
Busted Plug rested comfortably on the Taylor Street site until 2023, when it faced a challenge that’s familiar to some Columbia residents: being displaced for real estate reasons. Xsite Capital Investment bought what’s now an apartment building on the site and asked the city to move it.
A crew from McClam & Associates removes the art installation Busted Plug by the artist Bluesky on February 23, 2023. John A. Carlos II / Special to The Post and Courier
When this happened, a couple of local businesses and the mayor of Irmo offered to adopt and display the public art piece in several places in Richland County. But the city chose to store it until the City Council could agree on a permanent location.
When asked where he thought Busted Plug should be moved, its creator had a simple answer: “Where it was.”
“It was designed specifically for that site,” Sky said. “And that’s why it should stay right there.”
