Lexington city and Public Art Commission members celebrated the permanent installation of a white‑oak sculpture titled “2020 Blues” on Southland Drive, adding the work to the city’s public‑arts map and planning a commemorative plaque.

Commission members and city representatives said the piece, carved from white oak, captures emotions from the COVID‑19 era and will sit along a trail corridor near the Manchester distillery district. Celeste Lewis, a Public Art Commission member, said the city intends to support local artists and that Council Member Reynolds helped find a permanent home for the work.

Artist Kiptu described shaping the piece after Picasso’s late‑period imagery and said the sculpture is intended as a visual homage to the pandemic’s emotional landscape. He said the figure includes a guitar whose head is missing and a face that carries the “blues” mood of the era; the artist also referenced lost friends and musicians as part of the work’s meaning.

Commission members noted the site is visible to drivers, bicyclists and trail users and will be added to the commission’s GIS map of public art. Lewis said a plaque is being produced and will be attached to the base in several months to give background on the artist and the work.

A city council member relayed an anecdote from a constituent: a 7‑year‑old who, when told the sculpture had been moved, asked whether “the man with a guitar” was still there — underscoring the piece’s recognition in the neighborhood.

City staff and commission members emphasized the selection reflects support for locally based artists and said they hope the sculpture will encourage visitors to the growing music and cultural scene along Manchester and Southland Drive.

A plaque and final installation details were said to take several months to complete; organizers told the commission they will follow up with updated timelines and will post the piece on the public‑arts map online.