NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A prominent black sculptor's statue in a high-profile spot in Harlem is being refurbished after enduring decades of corrosion and graffiti.
The restoration of Richard Hunt's "Harlem Hybrid" began Friday and is expected to take about three weeks.
The abstract bronze sculpture was installed in 1976 in the Roosevelt Triangle, at West 125th Street and Morningside Avenue. The 5,500-pound piece became a refuge for homeless people, who set fires under it. The statue also was covered with graffiti, posters and eventually paint, in an attempt to cover the graffiti.
The mostly privately funded Citywide Monuments Conservation Program is paying to restore "Harlem Hybrid."
Hunt's work was featured in 1971 retrospectives at New York's Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Photo Courtesy: NYC Parks Department
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