By Eric Dietrich, Chronicle Staff Writer
Bozeman Daily Chronicle – Dec 5, 2015
Want to see local artist EJ Engler’s new 20-foot-tall sculpture in front of Wild Joe’s coffee shop? Better hurry, because it’s having its Main Street tenure cut short.
The sculpture, put in place Tuesday, appears to have run afoul of the Montana Department of Transportation’s somewhat unclear regulations for Main Street sidewalks — both a vital space in Bozeman’s vibrant downtown and, technically, public right of way along U.S. Highway 191.
As a result, said Gallatin Art Crossing director Tate Chamberlin, the piece needs to be moved off Main Street — likely to a new location behind the Bozeman Public Library — by Monday.
The sculpture, said Jeff Ebert, MDT’s Butte district administrator, doesn’t meet safety requirements designed to minimize the risk of injury in the event a vehicle collides with it, and also infringes on Americans with Disabilities Act regulations intended to ensure ample wheelchair access.
