With a $2,500 donation from Southbridge Savings Bank, the committee planning a 20-foot sculpture of a pair of eyeglass frames to be installed on the town common has enough money to hire a sculptor.
The work of public art will honor those who worked at American Optical, for generations the primary employer and economic engine of Southbridge. AO no longer operates in town.
A 12-member committee overseeing the sculpture installation plans to hire Woodstock, Conn.-based metal smith Michael J. Saari to construct the eyeglass frame. The installation will also include a bench for visitors.
The committee is still seeking donations through the Southbridge-based Quinebaug Valley Council for the Arts and Humanities.
