Zappa statue to be dedicated Sept. 18 outside library

Musician was Baltimore native

A bust of legendary musician and Baltimore native Frank Zappa will officially be dedicated Sept. 18.

Members of Zappa's famiily are expected to attend the ceremony, which will take place at Eastern Avenue and South Conkling Street in Highlandtown, where the bust will be erected. The location outside the Southeast Anchor Library was chosen in part because Zappa was a staunch advocate for free speech.

During Wednesday's meeting of the Baltimore Public Art Commission, officials raised the possibility of turning the dedication into a mini-festival with live music — if it can be done within budgetary constraints.

The bust, which will sit atop a tall column, is a gift to the city from a Zappa fan club in Lithuania, and is being readied for shipment to the United States.

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