Day and Night at Riverwalk Public Art Proposal in Lawrence MA

  I wrapped a sliver of the sky around each smokestack at the Riverwalk mills in Lawrence, to propose public art Day and Night

...to create a sense of arrival in Lawrence along Route 495, a vision for a new gateway to the shared environment of the city.

    Public art tells you where you are -- that's my mission, inspired by the subtitle of Placemakers, a favorite book from the Townscape Institute. Public art makes a place memorable and unique. Only an eternal theme, something the same for all people in the present moment and tomorrow, only the most universal theme of all, could be worthy of our vision for the future and for this new public art.

Remember a surprising sight on Boston's Southeast Expressway?  For new inspiration along Route 495 north of Boston, Day and Night would declare a new day dawning with infinite cheer, steadfast, yet always becoming new with changes of time, light and weather, a visual riddle to refresh all who live and work nearby and thousands more commuters.

Light and dark blues for the smokestacks match Riverwalk’s own awnings and banners. First, I painted 12-foot Sonotubes, resting in my studio breezeway. These larger models also have spirals of gold to symbolize spools of thread and the history of Lawrence. The gold shines like sunlight all day, while mica flakes and silver moonbeams symbolize the mystery of night. I simplified the smaller models. Click to enlarge photos.

Last year I visited the mural department of the best contractor to paint huge public art, Evergreene Studios in New York, the leading mural company for decorative painting on skyscraper exteriors with decades of experience across the US, restoring the interior glory of opera houses, court houses, state houses and historic theaters, as well as painting original outdoor public art and hotel and corporate interiors. They are qualified to paint the smokestacks and anything else we might imagine. These designs are copyright © 2009 by Holly Alderman, all rights reserved.

Comments

[Elatia Harris]

What a lovely post!