“Freeform,” the latest addition to Lawrence’s permanent outdoor art collection is an eye-pleasing sculpture that should suit many viewers.

The abstract metal sculpture by local artist Stephen Johnson was unveiled Thursday at the highly visible southwest corner of Sixth and Massachusetts streets. The painted sculpture is a pleasant partner for the less colorful, but more mobile “Flame,” across the intersection in front of City Hall.

The cost of the “Freeform” project has been estimated at about $50,000 and will be paid out of the city’s “Percent for Art” program, which sets aside up to 2 percent of the cost of city capital improvement projects to purchase public art. Some observers would argue – and certainly have argued before – that the money spent on art could go to better purposes, but Lawrence’s public art says a lot about this community and its residents.

“Flame” and “Freeform,” for instance, both commemorate Lawrence’s Free State past. “Flame” looks both at the city’s triumph after being burned to the ground by Quantrill’s murderous gang and complements a Langston Hughes quote that points the city to its future, “bright before us like a flame.”

Not every Lawrence resident will like every piece of public sculpture in the city, but our willingness to support art, react to and enjoy it says something about the spirit of Lawrence. It’s a positive message, in many ways, to send to future residents who we hope will maintain Lawrence’s vibrancy for many years to come.