Sculpting a Dream

In early February, Kennedy Plaza received four new residents – an angel, a man, and two llamas – all made from repurposed metal and scrap. These four sculptures, the first major installation of their kind in Kennedy Plaza in nearly 150 years, were the work of sculptor Peruko Ccopacatty, and the culmination of a decades-long dream.

Ccopacatty, an indigenous artist from Peru, earned approval in 1995 for a downtown sculpture installation, but the project never came together. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony on February 5, Ccopacatty told the crowd that he “never lost that dream” of sharing his work with the people of Providence. With the help of The Avenue Concept and RIPTA, he finally saw it through. The pieces, made from reclaimed stainless steel, car bumpers, and scrap metal, are evocative of Ccopacatty’s roots in the Aymara culture of Peru. 

In a video released shortly before the installation of these sculptures, Ccopacatty describes himself as a “magnet… all the metal comes to me.” Kennedy Plaza is its own kind of magnet, drawing people into the heart of the city. Now Ccopacatty’s sculptures are adding to that power of attraction, inviting people to stop, linger, and explore the art around them.