| Milestones
was published monthly by the Phoenix Arts Commission from
1998 to 2002. Selected stories related to various public art
projects covered in Milestones are archived below.
Contemporary
Arizona Ceramics
| Contemporary Arizona
Ceramics |
Vase, Sam Chung,
1996, glazed stoneware, 11" x 4" x 4".
Photo: W. Scott Mitchell.
| The
Phoenix Arts Commission and Sky Harbor Art Program announce
the expansion of the Contemporary Arizona Ceramics Collection.
| |
As the
country heads into the new millennium public art programs
across the nation are expanding their scope of reach as well
as their definition of public art. Increasingly, this definition
includes "portable works" collections--individual works of
art that often take the form of the traditional arts of painting,
sculpture, printmaking, photography, ceramics and other crafts.
These collections are flexible, because the objects can be
combined in unlimited ways, creating exhibitions for a variety
of public spaces. Portable works collections also give more
studio artists the opportunity to contribute to public art
programs; such acquistion policies also allow these programs
to preserve the work of important local and national artists.
Stepping
away from the notion of portable works as mere decoration
for public buildings and toward the conscious acquisition
of objects with a particular theme or medium in mind blurs
the line between public art programs and museums. This exciting
new trend is becoming ever more apparent in the nation's airports,
where those who run Aviation Art Programs are now often called
curators whose purpose is to collect, display and preserve
works of art in ways strikingly similar to museums. Several
Aviation Art Programs are currently seeking museum accreditation.
"Contemporary Arizona Ceramics,"
exhibition view, 1997, Phoenix Sky Harbor International
Airport, Terminal 3. Curated by Rudy Turk. Photo: Scott
W. Mitchell.
In 1997,
Rudy Turk, Director Emeritus of the Arizona State University
Art Museum, was commissioned to acquire contemporary ceramics
by Arizona artists for the purpose of initiating a permanent
collection at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Turk
built upon an extensive Arizona tradition in both the collection
of and production of ceramic arts. The resulting acquisitions
are representative of the diversity of styles and influences
among ceramists in Arizona. Realism, naturalism, expressionism,
surrealism and non-objective stylistic conventions are found
among the sometimes functional, sometimes purely sculptural
pieces in the collection. Native American, European and Latin
American forms and subjects influenced the work of these artists
who were inspired by satire, comedy and folk traditions as
well.
Turk
purchased the ceramics of forty-nine artists from twenty Arizona
communities including: Amado, Apache Junction, Carefree, Clarkville,
Coolidge, Flagstaff, Glendale, Laveen, Mesa, Oak Creek, Oracle,
Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona, Tempe, Tucson,
Williams, Vail and Yuma. The works range from traditional
to whimsical, elegant to playful or funky and combine to form
a collection offering dynamic contrast and variety. Bowls,
casseroles, jars, pitchers, sugars and creamers, vases, plates
and platters, candlesticks, place settings, sculpted animals,
people, architectural works, ceramic painting and two-dimensional
relief are all represented in the collection.
The Sky Harbor Art Program displays both permanent and changing
exhibits to showcase Arizona's unique artistic and cultural
heritage. This program is sponsored by Phoenix Aviation Department
Percent for Art funds. For more information about this project,
please contact Ann Alger at (602) 495-0893.
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WATER
Spells: at the 23rd Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant
Most
of us don’t think about what happens to the water we use once
it has gone down the drain, but the treatment of wastewater
is a complicated and amazing process that recycles used water
and allows our community to survive in this desert climate.
The Phoenix Arts Commission, in partnership with the Water
Services Department, announces the opening of a new public
art project at the 23rd Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant
that explores the qualities of this precious resource and
educates the public about wastewater treatment.
WATER
Spells, by Su-Chen Hung, contains seven installations; each
of which illustrates a major step in the wastewater treatment
process and comprises a stop along a public educational tour
of the facility. WATER, pictured below, is a cast acrylic
sculptural installation that contains examples of the diverse,
and often unexpected, objects removed during the first stage
of wastewater reclamation. Other highlights of the tour include
a water drip screen, a language topiary garden, a water bubble
tank, and a microorganism trail. The tour’s last stop features
a ten foot tall sculpture of a saguaro cactus, divided into
totem pole-like layers showing water as it appears during
each step of the treatment process.
Su
Chen-Hung with WATER at the fabricator's studio.
Photo: Wei Ching |
Dedication
Date: Saturday, March 31, 2001
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: 2470 South 22nd Avenue.
Refreshments will be served.
Call Debbi Radford
(602) 262-4595 for further details. |
|
Hung
was raised in Taiwan and moved to San Francisco in 1977. She
uses a variety of media in installation and performance to
express the cultural duality that she experiences. Her growth
as an artist stems from exploring both the multitude of cultures
and the environmental beauty that surround her. Rather than
passive viewing, Hung’s work demands active participation
in order to experience it fully. She created Waterspells with
five guiding concepts in mind: 1) a journey through the cycle
2) site-sensitive, sun activated 3) revealing and recycling
4) cultural ecology: and 5) user-friendly information.
The conceptual inspiration behind the project is best communicated
by the artist herself: "'Wastewater' is an ironic term, implying
discarded and useless water eliminated from the life cycle.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The 'waste' water
processed here yields a bounty that aids in producing energy,
nourishing crops, and in many other ways finding new life
and function in the world. But most important of all, water
itself re-emerges in a clear, useful form. My goal here is
to raise visitor's awareness of the process of 'waste-treatment'
to a new level-to celebrate rather than to ignore a process
long considered ignoble and disagreeable at best. . . . Using
the Visitor's Center as both the beginning and end of the
visitor's journey, I hope to emphasize the cyclical nature
of water and its reclamation as one of humankind's contributions
to the life cycle. Installations and humorous information
signs will enable visitors to experience the nature of water
and its function in the landscape and to personalize their
own place in the reclamation cycle."
This project was funded by Water Services Percent for Art
Funds and administered by the Phoenix Arts Commission. For
further information, contact Chris Kelley at (602) 262-4637.
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Public
Art Network
|
Public
Art Network Listserv
Are you seeking information on upcoming public
art opportunities? Looking for sample public art
contracts? Have a question on how much finalists
presenting proposals should be paid? Want to find
sample public art master plans? Copies of maintenance
agreements or polices regarding placement of memorials?
The Public Art Network, an initiative of Americans
for the Arts in partnership with artists and professionals
in public art, has been created to provide a forum
for the exchange of information specifically related
to the unique challenges of public art. One of
the services of the Public Art Network is a listserv
that is utilized to distribute information including
calls to artists, to pose questions and discuss
issues, and to survey artists and public art administrators
on a variety of timely topics. This unique, interactive
feature of the PAN listserv creates a dialogue
about public art of a scope and scale that is
unprecedented in the field. The listserv is facilitated
by Jennifer McGregor in New York and Renee Piechocki
in Chapel Hill, NC.
The listserv is available to any individual or
organization that is a member of Americans for
the Arts, including any staff of an organizational
member. Contact Heather Rowe, Americans for the
Arts membership/marketing coordinator, at hrowe@artusa.org,
or call (202) 371-2830. For information on how
to sign up for a listserv or how to join Americans
for the Arts, and for more information on the
Public Art Network, please visit the Americans
for the Arts Web site at www.artsusa.org.
|
|
Americans for the Arts announces the
launch of the Public Art Network (PAN), a program designed
to provide professional services and networking opportunities
for public art professionals, visual artists, design professionals
and organizations planning public art projects and programs.
PAN establishes professional standards for the field,
serves as a central information clearinghouse, stimulates
discussion of critical issues, and provides a wide range
of services to members, as well as information to the
general public. PAN is guided by a national council consisting
of public art administrators, artists, architects and
consultants from across the country.
During the coming year, PAN is providing focused services
for the field by generating dialogue on public art issues
through a listserv, making timely and useful information
available on the Americans for the Arts Web site at
www.artsusa.org
and planning for a public art workshop taking place
July 26-27, 2001 in New York as a preconference to the
Americans for the Arts annual convention. |
Marking
PAN’s launch is the release of a new publication, The Americans
for the Arts 2000-2001 Public Art Program Directory. The directory
is a vital tool for professionals working in public art and
contains up-to-date information of over 300 public art programs
around the country, including contact information, Web site
addresses, slide registry information, artist eligibility
requirements and program details.
“We
are pleased to launch both the Public Art Network and the
2000-2001 Public Art Program Directory which documents the
growing field of public art. It is estimated that public art
expenditures exceed $200 million annually. PAN will enable
us to serve this expanding constituency,” says Robert L. Lynch,
president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.
PAN
services are available to all Americans for the Arts members.
For more information on PAN or becoming a member of Americans
for the Arts, call (202) 371-2830 or e-mail Heather Rowe at
hrowe@artsusa.org. The direct Web address for PAN is www.artsusa.org/about/pubartnet.html.
The cost of the Public Art Program Directory is $20 for members
and $25 for non-members. Copies may be ordered through the
Web site at www.artsusa.org
or by calling (800) 321-4510.
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Contemporary
Print Exhibition: "Limited Editions"
The Phoenix Arts Commission and the Phoenix Sky Harbor International
Airport Sky Harbor Art Program present “Limited Editions,”
an exhibition of the city’s recently acquired print collection.
This exhibit of 30 fine-art prints by emerging and internationally
recognized artists can be viewed at Sky Harbor Airport, Terminal
4, Level 3 from March 31 through July 15, 2001. Local artist
and book arts printer for Arizona State University’s Pyracantha
Press, Dan Mayer, was commissioned to curate this collection
of regional, western-states contemporary artists. Mayer reviewed
over 600 prints submitted by 143 artists to make his final
selection of 30 prints by 30 artists. Included in the collection
are works by artists such as Claudia Bernardi, Faith Ringgold
and Gustavo Rivera. Funding for acquisition of this collection
was provided by the Percent for Art Program. The prints will
become part of the Phoenix Arts Commission’s portable works
collection.
Jane Rosen, Head
on Profiles I, monotype, 17" x 25" Photo by artist.
Exhibition Dates:
March 31 - July 15, 2001
Location: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,
Terminal 4, Level 3:
Featured in display cases on the east and west ends
of the Terminal
Time: 24 hour access to display cases
|
Mayer
describes the collection as diverse, both culturally and technically:
“This public art project demonstrates the strength and diversity
of original prints. . . . The prints were created in various
working environments such as multicultural community-based
print workshops, artist cooperatives,private studios, and
professional ateliers. Inspiration was derived from cultural
identity, ethnicity, morality, science, mythology and humor.
This collection also examines works that are experimental
in concept, materials, and techniques.” The artists used various
printmaking techniques (sometimes combining several techniques)
including stone lithography, intaglio, woodcuts, engravings
and screenprints as well as digital or electronic technologies.
Artists
who do not traditionally work in this medium are also represented
in the collection. Seattle-based ceramic artist, Patti Warashina,
recently collaborated with printer John Armstrong to produce
her first prints at the Phoenix-based print studio of Armstrong-Prior,
Inc. Her power-tool engraving monoprint (left) has a spontaneous
quality to it--the artist effaced her last marks on the plate
leaving a faint transfer of pigment from plate to paper.
Patti Warashina, Untitled,
power tool engraving monoprint, 15" x 22" Photo by
artist.
|
Sky Harbor
Art Program is one of the largest airport art and changing
exhibits programs in the United States with a collection of
more than 200 works of art and changing-exhibit spaces throughout
Terminals 2, 3, and 4. Sponsored by the City of Phoenix Aviation
Department, the Sky Harbor Art Program showcases Arizona’s
unique artistic and cultural heritage. For more information
about the Sky Harbor Art Program and “Limited Editions,” call
(602) 273-8863 or www.phxskyharbor.com.
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Public
Art Resources and Mentorship Program
Public
Art can be a complicated business. Many artists are interested
in pursuing public art projects, but few are educated in the
practical, philosophical and political realities of working
in this constantly changing and growing field of cultural
production. Public artists and administrators are reevaluating
and often redefining the purpose, position and meaning of
public art around the country. This month's issue of milestones
explores just a few of the various opportunities for artists
new to public art as well as resources for seasoned professionals.
For online resources, visit the Phoenix Arts Commission Web
site at: Phoenix.gov/arts and follow the links to the milestones
index and resource page.
Tamara Frey, Playing
with Parallels, cast iron, 7' x 3' x 4" Photo
by artist.
|
Mentorship
The Phoenix
Arts Commission's Public Art Mentorship Program is now in
motion. Tamara Frey and Eric Franklin, both recent graduates
of Arizona State University's undergraduate sculpture program,
began working on two important new projects this year. Frey
helped Phoenix artist Tom Strich by casting relief tiles that
will be installed on shade structure columns at the new Rio
Salado Gateway Plaza. These "Layers of Time" tiles will be
installed in five layers, each of which represents an era
in the history of the Rio Salado and the surrounding area.
In working with Strich, Frey is learning a four-step casting
process that moves from clay negatives to plaster positives
to rubber molds to concrete tiles. She will also have hands-on
experience when the tiles are complete, helping with their
installation.
Eric Franklin, Trying
to Remember Being a Fish, illuminated glass, laboratory
slate, wood. Photo by the artist.
|
Eric
Franklin was brought in to help with the WATER Spells project
(see the March issue of milestones) as it was being installed.
Working on this complex project, which includes seven sculptural
installations, Franklin assisted in project installation and
also became involved in some of the less glamorous, yet essential
aspects of project management, including insurance verification,
budgeting, and preparing maintenance recommendations. The
Phoenix Arts Commission's Public Art Mentorship Program is
open to emerging artists from Phoenix and neighboring cities.
Candidates are selected through interviews with commission
staff and the lead artist/mentor. The commission is accepting
resumes and slide sheets from interested candidates on an
on-going basis.
Light
Rail and Transportation Systems Workshop
A workshop
was held in October for Phoenix artists interested in learning
more about public art in light rail and transportation systems.
The Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail System is planned to begin
construction in 2003 and will include a public art program
that invites artists to collaborate with architects and also
to create large-scale works of art along the light rail route.
The workshop gave artists the opportunity to learn how to
explore methods and concepts for integrating art into these
types of projects. The following topics were addressed: collaborations
between artists and architects (working styles and negotiations,
ingredients for success), differing perspectives about making
art in the public realm (issues of diversity, audience, who
is the public, which public, whose history is being addressed),
conceptual problem solving (process, how to maintain the integrity
of the work through the bureaucracy), and making meaningful
work that stands the test of time.
The panel
leading these discussions included Tad Savinar, lead artist
for the Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail Program; Jessica Cusick,
nationally known public art consultant; Gregory Baldwin, architect
with Zimmer-Gunsul Frasca Partnership; and Bill Will, artist
with extensive experience developing public works of art in
light rail systems.
The
event was sponsored by the Phoenix Arts Commission, Arizona
Commission on the Arts, City of Tempe Cultural Services, Valley
Connections and Valley Metro, with planning assistance provided
by Arizona State University and City of Mesa Public Art and
Arts and Culture Division.
Courses
A new BFA program in environmental public art and the New
World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida offers visual artists
the opportunity to learn how to create site-specific works
of public art that address social, cultural, political, historical,
architectural, and ecological issues in addition to aesthetic
ones. This BFA program trains students to work collaboratively
with a wide range of community members, architects, engineers,
landscape designers, and other artists on real-life public
art projects. Students may apply by contacting the New World
School of the Arts, 300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33132, or
by calling (305) 237-3794.
The Minneapolis
College of Art and Design Institute for Public Art and Design
is offering summer programs to advanced undergraduate and
graduate students in all related disciplines as well as professionals
working in related fields. A one-week intensive seminar and
three-week program will be conducted during the month of July
allowing students to refine their collaborative skills and
have the opportunity to use their studio skills, work with
experienced faculty, and experience one-on-one interactions
with leading artists. Students will develop new possibilities
for public art in contemporary society, the tools and knowledge
to implement these new practices (both independently and collaboratively),
and philosophical, historical and aesthetic knowledge to define
their personal interests and approach to contemporary public
art. The maximum enrollment for each program is 20. To reserve
a space in these programs, submit a non-refundable deposit
of 50% of the tuition (tuition cost is $2,036 for the three-week
program and $595 for the one-week seminar) along with registration
materials by June 1, 2001. For more information and registration
forms, call (612) 874-3765, or e-mail ipad@mn.mcad.edu.
Conferences
Americans for the Arts and the National Assembly of State
Arts Agencies will cohost this year's public art pre-conference.
An intensive two-day public art workshop, organized by the
Public Art Network, will be held July 26 and 27. Tours of
public art, visits to artists' studios, workshops, keynote
speakers, and special events are planned. The public art pre-conference
is part of pARTicipate, the Americans for the Arts and National
Assembly of State Arts Agencies annual convention. The convention
will take place in New York City from July 28 - 31. Detailed
information about pARTicipate and the public art pre-conference
will be regularly posted on www.participate2001.org.
Conservation
Conference
Cambridge Conference on the Conservation of Contemporary Public
Art invites public artists, administrators, and conservators
October 26-28, 2001 to the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard
University to discuss and develop practices for the increasingly
important issue of conservation. General discussions of cultural
preservation will be combined with in-depth explorations of
technical and administrative aspects. A full symposium brochure
with registration materials is available through the Cambridge
Arts Council (617) 349-4380 or e-mail hyngvason@ci.Cambridge.MA.US;
www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/~CAC.
On October
26-28, The Cambridge Arts Council hosted “Conservation and
Maintenance in Contemporary Public Art,” a national conference
that explored the challenges and solutions of conservation
today. While conservation has been an issue long-familiar
to museums, preservation of contemporary public art has only
recently received the attention it deserves. How do we save
these works for future generations when they are so vulnerable
to weather, pollution, graffiti, and shrinking maintenance
budgets.
Lloyd Hamrol's Gate House in Cambridge Massachusetts.
This
conference fostered an interdisciplinary exploration of the
complex issues involved in preservation. These issues included
the practical and the philosophical, case studies and general
maintenance program guidelines, as well as the public’s role
in maintaining public art.To find out more about the information
and inspiration shared at this conference, contact the Cambridge
Arts Council, (617) 349-4380; hyngvason@ci.Cambridge.ma.us;
www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/~CAC.
The International
Sculpture Center, in collaboration with Pittsburgh's host
committee, APT Pittsburgh (Art + Performance + Technology)
invites you to join your colleagues from the international
sculpture community in Pittsburgh June 6-10, 2001 for the
19th International Sculpture Conference. For more information,
and registration information call (609) 689-1051, fax (609)
689-1061, e-mail isc@sculpture.org or visit the Web site at
www.sculpture.org.
Public Art 101: The Creation and Management of Public
Art Programs
SEATTLE, WA. The
Seattle Arts Commission presents “Public Art 101,” a three-day
conference that provides information and inspiration about
the creation and management of public art programs. Scheduled
for October 3 through 5, 2001, the conference features an
overview of public art funding and legislation models, describes
how to initiate public art projects and commission artists,
and explores the practical aspects of developing projects
from concept to ribbon-cutting. “Public Art 101” will be held
at the Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Avenue in Seattle,
Washington.
Potential
attendees include public administrators, planners, architects,
arts managers and citizens interested in developing public
art in their cities, neighborhoods or workplaces. Conference
participants will have an opportunity to see the many ways
that public art has become a part of Seattle's identity, to
meet artists, arts administrators and other professionals,
and to learn more about building partnerships through the
arts. The fee for the three-day conference is $400, which
includes all lectures, presentations, tours, welcome reception,
continental breakfasts and afternoon snacks, and lunch on
October 3 and 4. Accommodations and transportation are not
included. For registration information and form, visit www.cityofseattle.net/arts/workshop/publicart_101.html,
or contact Venus Bravo de Rueda at (206) 684-4186 or venus.bravoderueda@ci.seattle.wa.us.
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Aviation
Art Projects
Phoenix
Sky Harbor International Airport serves over 33 million passengers
yearly as one of the largest airports in the world. Four new
transit shelters by Phoenix artist Kevin Berry are now in
place at the intersection of 24th Street and Buckeye Road.
Berry's shelters serve as a gateway to Sky Harbor Airport
and are part of the area known as Sky Harbor Center, 830+
acres located immediately west of the airport that encompass
a major business and office park still under development.
As Berry
explains, these designs "pay homage to the graceful, streamlined
aeronautical forms that compose the structure of many airplanes
and jumbo jets typically seen flying to and from Sky Harbor
Airport. The design is also intended to aesthetically reflect
the natural beauty of our own unique desert environment through
the use of local imagery, indigenous materials, and a desert
color palette." The shelters feature roofs shaped like airplane
wings with bird silhouettes built into their profiles. Columns
supporting the roofs are topped with forms resembling jet
engines and are enhanced with river rock from the Rio Salado.
Kevin Berry, one of
four new transit shelters at 24th Street and Buckeye
Road.
Photo: Tarah Rider Berry.
|
Currently,
Arizona artist Joe Tyler is in the process of completing several
more transit shelters for the Sky Harbor Center. "I designed
shelters that would relate to the old established neighborhoods
and the local business community, and also give the users
of Sky Harbor Center a recognizable and memorable place to
await public transportation. I chose the theme of old vintage
radios from the 30s, 40s, and 50s as my inspiration because
of the direct tie to the surrounding neighborhoods and architecture
that evolved throughout these decades. Each shelter will incorporate
the title logo 'Tune in to Public Transportation' as part
of the artwork design, " explained the artist.
Joe Tyler, model for
future Sky Harbor Center transit shelter.
|
One of
the most exciting opportunities for public art as Sky Harbor
Center is the forthcoming Consolidated Rental Car Facility,
which will be located at the southeast corner of 16th Street
and Buckeye Road. Portland artist Ed Carpenter has been selected
by the Phoenix Arts Commission to collaborate as a member
of the design team for this project. Carpenter, who designed
the 7the Avenue Pedestrian Bridge in Phoenix, is well known
for his exploration of the affective qualities of light blended
into architecture. The facility and surrounding site offer
the design team an opportunity to create a lasting impression
on travelers as they enter and leave the city by car and by
plane.
For
further information, contact the Phoenix Arts Commission at
(602) 262-4637. Kevin Berry's project was made possible by
city of Phoenix Aviation Department Percent for Art funds
and was administered by the Phoenix Arts Commission Public
Art Program.
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Rio
Salado Gateway
On June
4, the city of Phoenix dedicated the first stage of an extensive
land rehabilitation project, marking the event with a public
art piece that takes its inspiration from the very earth it
celebrates. Construction commenced one year ago on the Phoenix
Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project, which will restore
riparian habitat along the Salt River. Congress approved the
$85 million project in 1999, agreeing to use federal Water
Resources Development Act funds to pay two-thirds of the project
costs in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Phoenix
Rio Salado will transform 580 acres along five miles of the
Salt River stretching from 19th Avenue to the Interstate 10
bridge. The project is designed to bring enough water into
the Salt River to re-establish native grasslands, trees and
wildlife, while preserving the river’s flood capacity. Trails
for hiking, biking and horseback riding will also be developed
to give visitors access to all of the project’s natural beauty.
Artist Tom Stritch with
his Layers of Time tiled columns, part of the
Rio Salado Gateway.
Photo by Dick George.
|
The Rio
Salado Gateway serves as the entry into the trails and facilities
of the Rio Salado Project. The design firm of Orcutt/Winslow
Partnership was joined by landscape architect Christy Ten
Eyck and local artist Tom Stritch. Through their efforts and
a series of public workshops that sought community input,
this public art project became a collaboration of many minds.
The
Gateway features terraced seating, interpretative gardens
and a 40 foot by 80 foot shade structure. The entire site
covers about one acre. The plaza space at street level occupys
approximately a half-acre, which is surrounded by a gabion
retaining wall. A bicycle lane has been added to Central Avenue
from Jefferson Street to Baseline Road, completing a vital
link in the 39-mile Phoenix Sonoran Bikeway, which links South
Mountain Park to the Sonoran Desert Preserve in North Phoenix.
Creating
a shade structure, the arbor columns and trellis form the
central spine from which the plaza extends. The arbor columns
are made of poured concrete and host inset tiles, and a unique
trellis provides a shady escape from the Phoenix sun. The
“Layers of Time” tiles that line the support columns of the
new plaza’s shade structure were created by local artist Tom
Stritch. Stacked in five bands, the tiles resemble the layers
of an archaeological dig. The first layer explores the geological
history of the Rio Salado area. Impressions on these tiles
were taken directly from the ground and capture patterns created
when water mingles with the earth.
The
second layer of tiles addresses natural history, showing plants
and animals that thrive when water is brought to the desert.
Impressions of animal tracks, such as beaver, and habitats
including marsh, cottonwood/willow and mesquite bosque trees
are featured. The third layer honors the first people to inhabit
the region. Prehistoric Hohokam culture is represented with
castings of artifacts and a model of a hohokam canal. This
layer also includes castings of traditional foods and rafts
of historic and contemporary Pima and Maricopa peoples.
The
fourth layer of tile evokes the influx of settlers from around
the world as the valley developed into an agricultural community.
Various products of that early economy are represented, including
cotton, wheat, citrus and flowers. The fifth layer characterizes
contemporary urban culture and contains emblems of modern
desert living, from golf balls to gas nozzles, from plumbing
to computers and cellular phones. Many objects used in the
designs were donated by community members.
Phoenix
was awarded a grant to fund the project from the Arizona Department
of Transportation. The city’s Parks, Recreation and Library
Department teamed with the Phoenix Arts Commission, Public
Works and Street Transportation departments to complete the
first Rio Salado Gateway plaza. The hope is to do something
similar to gateway structures at each of the river’s major
street crossings. For further information regarding this public
art project, contact the Phoenix Arts Commission at (602)
262-4637.
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Splash
Dash at Mountain Vista Park
On Friday,
August 11, at 9:00 A.M. the Phoenix Arts Commission will celebrate
the opening of Splash Dash at Mountain Vista Park, a childrens’
play area designed by artists Richard Green, Simon Donovan
and Alex Garza that teaches while it entertains. Children
will interact, experiment and delight in this new playground’s
creative use of materials and cooling sprays of water that
help beat the Arizona heat. So put on your bathing suit and
join the fun!
Richard Green, Simon
Donovan and Alex Garza
Splash Dash at Mountain Vista Park. Photo by Chris
Kelley.
|
You
will be greeted by an undulating outlined biomorphic form
created from a rough, non-slip poured rubber-composite surface
of alternating blue and green concentric shapes. Flat outlined,
colored fish and other water creatures “swim” among the
wave-like forms. Scattered throughout are spray nozzles
that shoot water into the air and a steel archway that twists
above the playground and is crowned with a leaping dolphin
from which water sprouts as well. These streams of water
are activated by the user’s action of stepping on a control
switch set into the ground and regulated by an electronic
system. Like a game, children try to predict which place
is next to erupt and to be standing in the right or wrong
spot as the refreshing burst occurs.
As the artists explain, “By creating an interactive game
of chase and time, through a logical and predictable sequence
of erupting geysers and mist spray that requires pattern
recognition to seek or avoid, children will revel in a good
soaking.
The best form of education comes not through a single instructive
experience but by the imprinting of knowledge through continual
interaction in a social setting. Children will gain knowledge
of science and math from playing (thereby experimenting)
in our created environment. Three great progressive educational
proponents wrote extensively about the value of hands-on
learning in a social setting such as our designated water
play area. John Dewy, the founder of the modern American
school format, supported communal and experiential learning
over rote memorization of facts. Jean Piaget, the renowned
child developmental psychologist, believed that through
the experiences of play, children are gaining imprints of
scientific knowledge that will enable them to understand
more advanced scientific and mathematical concepts later
in life.. In playing our guessing game of geysers erupting
at timed intervals, children racing to catch up as spouts
go off around them will learn to discern sequence of time,
rhythm and pattern.”
The skills learned through playing in such an environment
give children an understanding of basic mathematics and
musical properties, making play part of education. This
project was made possible by Parks, Recreation and Library
Department Percent for Art funds. For further information,
contact Chris Kelley, project coordinator, at (602) 534-5084.
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Compel
+ Provoke: Public Art 2001
At
the end of July, public art administrators and artists from
across the nation gathered in New York City for "Compel
+ Provoke: Public Art 2001," a two-day public art preconference
to “pARTicipate 2001,” the joint convention of Americans
for the Arts and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
The preconference was designed as a venue to exchange ideas,
share new approaches and engage in critical dialogue about
public art. Events included a keynote address by artist
Mierle Laderman Ukeles, a Year in Review session presented
by Jack Becker and Harriet Senie, tours, study sessions
and panels.
Attendees participated in tours of both permanent and temporary
public art installations throughout the city. These works
ranged from the most integrated, including manhole covers
by conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner to the surprising--Ellen
Harvey's series of nearly 50 small oval landscapes painted
on the often-vandalized surfaces of dumpsters, doors, subway
columns and fire escapes. Subtle sea breezes could be felt
at the summer installation by ROY that transforms P.S. 1
Contemporary Art Center's courtyard into an urban beach.
Louise Bourgeois' giant bronze spiders in Rockefeller Center
offered a scary and elegant alternative to last year's popular
flower Puppy by Jeff Koons.
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Louise
Bourgeois, Maman, 1999 (365” x 351” x 403”),
Spider, 1996 (133” x 263” x 249”),
Spider, 1996 (128” x 298” x 278”), Rockefeller
Center, New York, NY.
A project of the Public Art Fund. Photos by Greg Esser. |
Bourgeois,
who is best known for her exploration of the parent-child
relationship in a variety of media, has created a work
that blurs the line between the abstract and the figurative.
The central piece towers 30 feet tall and spans the pedestrian
walkway, allowing visitors to pass under the spider's
legs as they taper into impossibly elegant points. Entitled
Maman, one only sees her precious cargo of eggs by braving
this path. She is flanked by two smaller works, each entitled
Spider, and together they exude a powerful presence in
the heart of New York City. Simultaneously mechanical
and organic, these twisting, flowing shapes transform
metal into sinew and muscle into bronze.
The preconference also hosted a number of panel discussions,
including “Turning up the Volume: Increased Visibility of
Public Art,” moderated by Glenn Harper, Sculpture Magazine,
Washington, D.C., with panelists Alice Aycock, Casey Blake,
and Jeffrey Kastne. This roundtable discussion focused on
ways to increase the visibility of public art in the media
and in the dialogue on contemporary art. Questions for discussion
included: “Are public art projects too complex for the media
to deal with; How can we get the attention of writers and
publications; Why does the art press pay so little attention
to public art; How can we increase the level (as well as
the volume) of critical discussion on public art; and How
can we deal with controversy more effectively.”
These issues and many more were tackled by artists and administrators
during the two-day event. The preconference set the tone
for the following “pARTicipate 2001” convention, and fostered
new relationships among public art professionals across
the nation. For more information about the preconference
and the convention, visit the Americans for the Arts web
site at www.artsusa.org.
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Winged
Flight
On
Friday, October 19th, the Phoenix Arts Commission and Aviation
Department dedicated a public art project at the Deer Valley
Airport, Winged Flight. Installed at the west end of the
main entrance of the airport, “the sculpture is a wedge
shape evoking the shape of a wing or vertical stabilizer.
Cut out of the shape are 25 plane silhouettes representative
of planes that have a history with this airport,” explains
artist Jeff Zischke. The sculpture measures 14’6” x 9’ x
9’ and is made of painted plate steel with rivets. Photos
by Chris Kelley and Ann Alger.
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