On Monday, September 22, the Breeze received an email from freshlygroundmedia.com titled, “West Virginia’s ‘Mothman’ Voted Among America’s Ugliest Public Art Pieces.”

What? How can this be? Thousands of individuals do not line up on 4th Street in Point Pleasant to pose for a photo shot with Mothman at his annual festival because they think he is ugly.

Upon reading further, I learned that Mothman was voted to be the 55th ugliest piece of public art in survey conducted by Rivers Art. Who is Rivers Art? The email identified Rivers Art as a premium fine-art provider.

The email stated: “Public art is meant to capture the spirit of a place, to leave us inspired or reflective as we pass it by. Sometimes, though, the best intentions lead to works that bewilder, irritate, or even amuse the very communities they’re meant to uplift. Across the country, there are sculptures and monuments that have earned more side-eye than admiration – whether because of their strange proportions, odd subject matter, or simply the way they clash with their surroundings.

“Love them or loathe them, these pieces stir strong feelings – which is why Rivers Art, a premium fine‑art printing provider, asked 2,000 Americans to name the ugliest public art in the country. The results show that when art goes wrong, it really leaves a mark.”

Really? Mothman is art gone wrong? I do not think so! The purpose of “Mothman” was to bring visitors to Point Pleasant. Mothman is art gone right.

Ugliness is in the eye of the beholder. I suppose that one could look upon the replica of the half-human, half-insect being that roamed the skies of Point Pleasant prior to the fall of the Silver Bridge as being ugly. That said, I heard one female admirer exclaim, “He has buns of steel.”

The results of Rivers Art’s survey are what they are. The Mothman statue was not created with thought of winning a beauty contest. The fact that Mothman ranks 55th means that there are 54 more ugly public displays.

The email reported that the ugliest of the ugly was the Boll Weevil Monument in Enterprise, Alabama. It is described as a piece that confuses more than it inspires. It looks like a graceful neoclassical statue of a woman in flowing robes until you notice that she’s holding above her head: a massive insect. The combination of an elegant base with an enormous, awkwardly perched boll weevil leaves most people scratching their heads, making it one of the country’s most unintentionally unattractive monuments.

No. 2 in ugliness was “Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks” in New Haven, Connecticut. Third ranked was “The Wall of Death” in Seattle, Washington. A complete list and description of River Art’s survey can be found at www.riverswallart.com