NJ Decides to Save “Green Acres” Public Art Installation

New Jersey officials have reversed course and will not demolish a landscape art installation outside the state Department of Environmental Protection building.

Earlier this year, state officials told artist Athena Tacha that her 1985 installation "Green Acres" was too expensive to maintain and was becoming a public safety risk because of its disrepair.

Arts groups rallied to try to save the Trenton work.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation announced Monday that the state has told Tacha that the work will be spared after all.

DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese says the department has not yet decided what could be done to repair the site. But he says plans to replace it with a rain garden have been scrapped.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)