- 2,000 Americans surveyed.
- Wall Cycle to Ocotillo (“Squaw Peak Pots”) in Phoenix voted #75 ugliest.
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.
The top 10 were as follows:
#1. The Boll Weevil Monument, Enterprise, Alabama
Topping the list is the Boll Weevil Monument, a piece that confuses more than it inspires. At first glance, this looks like a graceful neoclassical statue of a woman in flowing robes. Then you notice what 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. Instead of inspiring pride, it feels strange and almost comical, making it one of the country’s most unintentionally unattractive monuments.
#2. Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks, New Haven, Connecticut
Few sculptures clash quite like a lipstick tube balanced on a tank, a satire that lands more as slapstick than social commentary. The clashing imagery was meant as satire, but the bulky proportions and cartoonish design come off as clumsy. The lipstick tube looks oversized and plasticky, while the tank treads give it a blocky, awkward foundation that many find unattractive.
#3. The Wall of Death, Seattle, Washington
With its grim slabs of steel and concrete, the so-called Wall of Death feels less like art and more like urban intimidation. Located under the University Bridge along the Burke-Gilman Trail, this 1993 work by Mowry and Colin Baden uses steel, concrete, and aluminum to evoke the carnival “wall of death” spectacle. Though intended to provoke and inspire, its rigid forms, cold materials, and sharp contrasts often read as grim rather than graceful. Instead of abstract artistry, many see a structure more imposing than inspiring – a piece that unsettles more than uplifts.
#4. World’s Largest Jackalope, Douglas, Wyoming
Douglas leans into its “Jackalope Capital” title with a towering fiberglass jackrabbit sprouting antlers. Beloved as a photo-op, it’s less majestic creature and more oversized novelty prop. The stiff pose and plastic finish give it a toy-like vibe, making it one of the state’s most infamous examples of kitsch – charming to some, but undeniably gaudy to others.
#5. Giant Metal Spider, St. George, Utah
This 17-foot steel spider by Deveren Farley, clad in old Utah license plates and topped with a stop sign belly-plate, stands just off the roadside – one of the quirkiest metal creatures out there. While its creativity and scale draw curious smiles, the spindly legs, looming frame, and stark materials make many feel it’s more of a creepy oddity than a graceful art. It’s the kind of sculpture people snap pictures of – and then shake their heads at.
#6. Clothespin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oversized household items can be playful, but this 45-foot steel clothespin comes off more bureaucratic than whimsical. Created by Claes Oldenburg in 1976, this 45-foot Cor-Ten steel clothespin looms outside City Hall, turning a household object into a monument. But its sheer bulk and weathered seams strike many as cold and industrial rather than playful. Instead of charming, it often feels like an oversized office supply dropped into the plaza – one of Philadelphia’s most debated and derided pieces of public art.
#7. Statue of Lucille Ball (“Scary Lucy”), Celoron, New York
Created in 2009 by sculptor Dave Poulin, this bronze statue was intended to honor Lucille Ball — but its distorted smile, bug-eyed stare, and awkward proportions sparked national mockery, earning it the nickname “Scary Lucy.” After years of complaints and widespread online outcry, Poulin apologized and a replacement statue by Carolyn D. Palmer was unveiled in 2016, one that more closely resembles the beloved actress in detail and style. The original “Scary Lucy,” however, was not destroyed — it remains standing a short distance away, so visitors can decide for themselves which “Lucy” they prefer: the new polished tribute or the infamous misstep.
#8. Pink Elephant, Guthrie, Kentucky
Garish, faded, and bubblegum pink, this fiberglass elephant looks less like art and more like a carnival leftover. Meant to catch attention, its exaggerated proportions and faded paint give it a shabby, kitschy charm that many find more ugly than endearing. It looms awkwardly over its surroundings, looking less like art and more like a novelty billboard.
#9. Giant Safety Pin, New Orleans, Louisiana
This towering metal safety pin juts out of the ground with no surrounding context, making it look more like misplaced hardware than public art. The plain design and oversized scale feel unusual and almost too simplistic. It stands as a stark, utilitarian object that many see as bland, baffling, and unattractive in a city known for vibrant artistic expression.
#10. Nibbles Woodaway (The Big Blue Bug), Providence, Rhode Island
Perched atop a pest control building, this 58-foot-long blue termite is hard to miss. Painted a garish shade of blue with bulging eyes and antennae, it dominates the skyline in a way that’s more absurd than impressive. While beloved as local kitsch, it’s often cited as one of the ugliest giant statues in America.
One Arizona public art piece emerged among the least liked in the country:
#75. Wall Cycle to Ocotillo (“Squaw Peak Pots”), Phoenix
This installation consists of a line of enormous, rust-colored pots tilted and balanced on steel poles. The idea was to connect with desert plant life, but the reality is that it looks more like someone scattered plumbing supplies along the road. The awkward scale, industrial look, and random arrangement leave locals debating whether it’s art or just debris-earning it a reputation as one of Phoenix’s least attractive public sculptures.
Infographic showing America’s ugliest public art pieces
“Public art is always a gamble – what one generation sees as bold or symbolic can, over time, be viewed as baffling or even ugly. What’s fascinating about these results is that every piece on the list has become iconic in its own right. Even when the public groans, the artwork still sparks conversation, and that, in a way, is its own kind of success,” says Tony Gilbert of Rivers Art.
