Ellicott City residents are appealing to keep peach, eggplant sculptures up on display

Some Ellicott City, Maryland, residents plan to appeal requests from Howard County officials to remove a peach sculpture and an eggplant sculpture currently displayed in town.

Both sculptures were made by Bozman, Maryland, artist Jan Kirsh. The peach sculpture, “Georgia Peach,” sits outside the Georgia Grace Cafe, while the eggplant, titled “Aubergine,” sits outside The Wine Bin, a wine store. 

The sculptures are both on display on loan from the nonprofit Fund for Art in Ellicott City, according to an agenda for a September meeting of the Howard County Historic Preservation Commission. 

The agenda notes that applicants retroactively asked for permission to install both sculptures, and that previously commissioned officials “expressed concern about a piece of art detracting from the historic buildings and said that any proposed sculptures should enhance or benefit the Historic District.”

Eggplants and peaches are commonly used to express innuendos about certain bodily parts in texts.

Howard County officials told Baltimore’s WBAL-TV that the commission previously “approved the artwork of the aubergine for 12 months, as amended by the applicant. The peach was denied at the proposed location, but the applicant may submit an application for a different location.”

Supporters of the sculptures told WBAL-TV that they plan to appeal the commission’s decision.