Sacramento residents divided over nude Poseidon statue relocation to McKinley Park

By Carolina Estrada

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — The city of Sacramento’s plan to relocate a nude statue of the Greek god Poseidon to McKinley Park has sparked controversy among residents.

The statue, gifted by the Greek government in 1974 to commemorate the Greek Orthodox community’s contributions, was removed during the convention center’s renovation.

City staff proposed to relocate the statue to the duck pond in East Sacramento’s McKinley Park, close to the Greek Orthodox Church.

Judy McClaver, a longtime East Sacramento resident, said the main concerns are its nudity, environmental impact, and cost.

“It’s a statue that doesn’t belong in a nature area,” McClaver said.

On the other hand, resident Katana Vaughn believes a relocation to the park is fine.

“As long as you teach your kids about the history because it is someone else’s culture,” Vaughn said.

In a statement to KCRA 3, the city said it is working to “ensure all appropriate guidelines are being followed, including any related to environmental considerations.”

City Council Member Phil Pluckebaum, who represents East Sacramento, said the goal is to find a home for this statue.

“Also to make sure that, you know, everyone feels good about what’s happening in their public spaces,” Pluckebaum said.

As for the cost, Pluckebaum said the funds are earmarked specifically for this purpose.

“If it wasn’t being used for this statue and this location, it would be used for some other public arts project somewhere else,” Pluckebaum said.

Although the Community Association initially stated the statue would be relocated between August and September, Pluckebaum said there’s no timeline yet.

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