Meet SkyLume, Huntsville’s dazzling new 60-foot sculpture + how to see it now [PHOTOS]
Reading time: 4 minutes
Huntsville welcomed a bright new landmark on Wednesday night, May 13, when Arts Huntsville and city officials dedicated a new, 60-foot illuminated sculpture called “SkyLume” at John Hunt Park.
With its official lighting timed to coincide with the Huntsville City Football Club match at Joe Davis Stadium, fans exiting the game were among the first to see the glowing spiral in all its evening glory.
Here’s what we know about this new landmark lighting up John Hunt Park.
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‘SkyLume’ Quick Reference
What is ‘SkyLume?’
“SkyLume” is the latest addition to the City of Huntsville’s public art collection and is located in the roundabout south of Joe Davis Stadium, near the park’s festival grounds.
Artist Adam Buente of Project One Studio in Indianapolis created the sculpture with painted steel and aluminum. A tall central ribbon form anchors the work, encircled by a spiraling secondary ribbon that suggests energy in motion. The sculpture itself also moves.
☀️ By day: kinetic elements respond to wind + sunlight
🌙 By night: dynamic lighting animates the form through pixel-like components
“The sculpture explores themes of gravitational pull, community connection and forward momentum. The central ribbon symbolizes an unseen force that draws people in, while the encircling ribbon reflects the energy and movement of the community around it.”
Adam Buente, Artist, Project One Studio
Why this sculpture at John Hunt Park?
“John Hunt Park is where our kids compete, where our families gather and where Huntsville celebrates regional and national championship competitions. Now, a new landmark stands in front of Joe Davis Stadium that serves as a beacon for everything that happens here.”
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle
Director of Parks and Recreation James Gossett noted the shape reminded him of an Olympic torch and fittingly so, since 20 Olympic sports are practiced in and around the park.
Arts Huntsville’s announcement about the sculpture expanded that the sculpture is more than a colorful wayfinding addition to the landscape in that it conceptually “draws subtle connections to Huntsville’s legacy of propulsion and lift without rendering those themes literally … a nod to the city’s aerospace identity, expressed through movement, light and scale.”
How ‘SkyLume’ came to be
“Skylume” is the largest public art commission Arts Huntsville has managed for the city to date, according to Arts Huntsville Executive Director Allison Dillon-Jauken.
The Huntsville Public Art Committee selected the project through an invitational process and reviewed nearly 100 international candidates. They selected five finalists in February 2024, reviewed full proposals and ultimately chose Buente in November 2024.
Who selected + created ‘SkyLume’
The final selection committee included:
- The Huntsville Public Art Committee: Sally Allen, José Betancourt, Emily Bullard-McClellan, Anna Castellanos, Mike Donnelly, Marcia Freeland, Phoenix Robinson, Les Tillery + Kim Ward
- City of Huntsville leaders: City Administrator John Hamilton, Director of Parks and Recreation James Gossett + Manager of Urban and Long-Range Planning Dennis Madsen
- Arts Huntsville: Executive Director Allison Dillon-Jauken
“The City’s investment in recreation facilities at John Hunt Park has made the area a go-to destination for local residents as well as regional and national sporting events. ‘SkyLume’ gives the park a defining landmark that infuses the area with a sense of place unique to Huntsville.”
Allison Dillon-Jauken, Arts Huntsville Executive Director
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