Artist Selected for Edgar Allan Poe public art commission in Boston

Poe Returning to Boston, from Rocknak’s preliminary design proposal

Monday, April 23, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contacts:

Jean Mineo, Project Manager
Poe Square Public Art Project
508-242-9991; JeanMineo@aol.com

Paul Lewis, Poe Foundation Chairman
& Boston College Professor of English
617-552-3710; paul.lewis@bc.edu


SCULPTURE HONORING EDGAR ALLAN POE IN BOSTON CHOSEN
AFTER LENGTHY REVIEW PROCESS

POE TO RETURN TO CITY OF HIS BIRTH, WILL BE SEEN STRIDING ACROSS SQUARE DEDICATED TO HIM

TRIUMPHANT POE RETURNING TO BOSTON…SCULPTOR CHOSEN
FROM 265 ARTISTS

ARTIST/PHILOSOPHER SELECTED TO CREATE POE STATUE

BOSTON – Stefanie Rocknak, a professional sculptor with a tandem career as a professor of philosophy in New York, has been selected to create a statue to commemorate Edgar Allan Poe in Boston, the city of his birth.

“Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential writers ever born in the City of Boston. As a city proud of its rich history, I’m so pleased to see this wonderful tribute come to fruition. The statue chosen for Poe Square is full of life and motion, and is sure to inspire residents and future writers alike for generations to come,” said Mayor Tom Menino of Rocknak’s design.

A five-member artist selection committee, empowered by Boston Art Commission guidelines, has made the decision following a lengthy process involving intense public scrutiny of design proposals created by three competing finalists. The finalists were picked from a pool of 265 artists who applied for the competitive public art commission from 42 states and 13 countries.

“I propose to cast a life-size figure of Poe in bronze. Just off the train, the figure would be walking south towards his place of birth, where his mother and father once lived. Poe, with a trunk full of ideas—and worldwide success—is finally coming home,” said Rocknak of the design she calls Poe Returning to Boston.

“The sense of Poe returning triumphant with creative ideas bursting forth from his suitcase is very appealing,” according to project manager Jean Mineo.

“The review committee, and public input, conveyed great excitement with the dynamic sense of movement, accessible style, and Poe’s creative energy expressed in the proposal. There is also strong support for Steff’s approachable, ground level statue that helps humanize Poe and place him in the context of this active neighborhood,” Mineo said.

The plan calls for the statue of one of America’s most influential writers to be installed in Edgar Allan Poe Square, a tree-lined, city-owned brick plaza at the intersection of Boylston Street and Charles Street South, just two blocks north of where Poe was born in 1809. Mayor Menino dedicated the location to Poe—and to his place in Boston’s literary heritage—during bicentennial celebrations in 2009.

Poe, who at age 18 returned to Boston to publish his first book, later developed a notoriously contentious relationship with the city’s literary elite, including with local editors who seized an opportunity to criticize him upon another return to his native city for a reading in 1845, the year Poe’s most popular poem, The Raven, appeared. Poe’s final works were also published in Boston prior to his mysterious death in Baltimore in 1849.

An award-winning member of the Sculptors Guild whose artwork has appeared in numerous publications and in more than 40 exhibitions including at the Smithsonian, Stefanie Rocknak is an associate professor of philosophy and the director of the Cognitive Science Program at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, where she has taught since 2001. A graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, with a B.A. in American Studies and Art History with a concentration in studio art, she holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Boston University. Her interests include the 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume (the subject of her forthcoming book), the philosophy of art, and the philosophy of the mind.

Describing her dual roles as artist and philosopher in Colby Magazine last November, Rocknak said: “Initially I kept them totally separate … but making representational art is a manifestation of my philosophical belief that all art doesn’t have to be conceptual.” She said her figurative artwork, usually created in wood, is “cathartic” representing “a way to externalize certain emotions.”

The Edgar Allan Poe Foundation of Boston appreciates support for the Poe Square Public Art Project, and the financial contributions of the City of Boston’s Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust Fund that made its planning and artist selection process possible. Construction of a finalized design of the sculpture—which proponents envision by the end of next year—will depend on success of future fundraising initiatives to offset the anticipated $125,000 total cost of the project.

For more information about the Poe Square Public Art Project—and about how to contribute to the Poe Statue Fund—contact the Edgar Allan Poe Foundation of Boston at 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116, via email at info@poeboston.org, or care of http://poeboston.blogspot.com/

The Edgar Allan Poe Foundation of Boston, Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation organized exclusively for the charitable educational purpose of honoring Poe in the city where he was born in 1809.

Donald Lipski's explains St. Paul nautilus

Looks like a fantastic addition to public art in Boston!

This from UniversalHub.com:

To cap off major renovations, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul is getting a new design for its long vacant pediment: A nautilus shell, which will be lit at night.

The design, by Philadelphia artist Donald Lipski, is scheduled for completion by Oct. 7 - the 100th anniversary of the church's dedication as a cathedral (it opened as a church in 1818). http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The artist weighs with his explanation of the imagery in what is one of the most elegant, articulate, and clearly written statements I've come across in a long time (also on UniversalHub.com). Artists take note!

Donald Lipski replies
By Donald Lipski (not verified) - 3/28/12 - 7:03 pm

Thank you all for your thoughts. Here are some of mine:

St. Paul’s is a house of prayer for all people. So I wanted to find an image, a
symbol, that would speak to everyone.

I had the spiral in mind before I ever saw the Cathedral in person. The Greek
proportions of St. Paul’s derive from the Golden Rectangle, which in its
perfection generates a spiral. The SPIRAL is a universal symbol of the spiritual
journey. It’s the blueprint for life itself. Carl Jung saw the spiral as the
archetypal symbol of cosmic force.

I came for my first visit on a sparkly day last fall, got there early and took a
walk in the Commons to see what it looked like from a distance. Just a little ways across, and with a beautiful view of the church through the trees, I came across a woman who had made a spiral in the leaves and was walking it over and over like a labyrinth. I took that as a sign. We are all on a path. We spiral in toward our center, and venture out again into the world. The spiral is a symbol for the spiritual journey.

The Spiral is the most pervasive shape in the universe. We see it in the divine
workings of nature—from the movement of sub-atomic particles to the vastness of galaxies. It evokes thoughts of eternal growth and progression, circling out in ever widening circles.

My sculpture will float in front of a blue panel, which I took from the shield and flag of the Episcopal Church. This is the blue used by artists for centuries for the clothing of Jesus's Mother, Mary. It’s called “Madonna Blue” and represents the human nature of Jesus, which He received from His Mother. And that is so apparent in the spirit at St. Paul’s.

The St. Paul’s spiral is a slice from the shell of The Chambered Nautilus, an amazing creature. It starts it’s life in a tiny shell. As it grows, the nautilus
enlarges its shell through the addition of a new, larger, stronger chamber suitable for the next stage of its life. Season by season, these chambers are added, spiraling out with beautiful precision.

Here in Boston, when St. Paul’s was in its infancy, Oliver Wendell Holmes saw the nautilus as a beautiful metaphor for spiritual growth. This is the last stanza of his poem, The Chambered Nautilus:

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,

As the swift seasons roll!

Leave thy low-vaulted past!

Let each new temple, nobler than the last,

Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,

Till thou at length art free,

Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea!

Originally posted on Boston.com
Posted by Devin Cole February 23, 2012 03:55 PM

About a Pear: Boston and the Business of Public Art

By Donna Dodson, Artist

Laura Baring-Gould, John McColgan and the Clapp Pear

Arts and Culture dynamically contribute to Boston’s business community. The New England Foundation for the Arts, NEFA, recently released its 2011 annual report, New England’s Creative Economy: Nonprofit sector impact. ‘In 2009, the spending of these 18,026 organizations amounted to nearly $3.7 billion, and they provided jobs for over 53,000 people.’ This sector has grown substantially since 2002, and these organizations have a track record for being a steady reliable industry, not susceptible to the ups and downs of the market economy.

NEFA’s study also demonstrates that direct spending results in significant indirect and induced impact on the region’s economy. ‘Nearly every dollar spent becomes sales to suppliers and income to employees. These businesses and employees, in turn, spend that money to buy goods and services to meet their own needs.’ Therefore, the $3.7 billion of art and culture spending has an indirect impact of $2.2 billion and an induced impact of $2.5 billion, providing a total of $8.4 billion in the New England economy. Within the workforce, the 53, 270 individuals employed by art and culture industries result in an additional 12,960 jobs as an indirect impact and an additional 17,000 jobs as an induced impact for a total of 83,330 jobs.

The last and perhaps the most important impact of nonprofit arts and cultural organization is ‘more than economic.’ The NEFA study highlights ‘visitor attraction impact’ where those who come to an art museum, historic site or cultural festival spend money on food, lodging, shopping, etc. in the local economy. These nonprofits also help ‘attract new residents and new businesses’ by providing key dollars and vitality to a community. The Fenway district in Boston exemplifies this where key cultural institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, are accompanied by teaching institutions like The Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts that jointly bring visitors and students to Boston, provide key jobs across economic spectrums and greatly add to the vitality of Boston. This pattern is repeated across New England where museums, historic organizations, art and performance centers, gallery districts, artist’s housing, art schools and community centers contribute to the human capital of the region. The impact of this on the economy is significant and far reaching.

An interesting case study of the economic impact of art is told through a 17-year effort to bring public art to Edward Everett Square, in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. Organized in 1995 by historian and archivist John McColgan with a network of dedicated residents, civic associations and historic organizations, the group advocated for public art to celebrate the historic legacy of the community. Recognizing the importance of urban planning and design, the community successfully enjoined the city of Boston to provide $2.2 million in public works capital funding to redesign and renovate Edward Everett Square, transforming traffic and pedestrian safety, green space and creating a pedestrian plaza for public art.

In 2003, Somerville Artist Laura Baring-Gould was commissioned to create the artwork with the important goal of celebrating history and place within a diverse community. Baring-Gould seized upon the area’s history as a 300 acre pear orchard, where a hybrid pear was first cultivated by the Clapp family. Clapp’s Favorite pear was renowned for it tough skin, but sweet and juicy fruit -- an apt metaphor, Baring-Gould felt, for the tenacity and good will of the community. The artist added ten additional smaller sized artworks to the design to celebrate modern aspects of Dorchester history, and led a community initiative to inscribe bricks with quotes and dedications celebrating contemporary Dorchester stories. In 2007, the 12 foot tall Clapp pear sculpture was installed in Edward Everett Square, along with the ten additional artworks. In addition, comprehensive text panels describing the project and area’s history were installed in 2011. Each event was magnificently celebrated by the community, local business, city and state officials.

When asked if the project met its stated goals John McColgan replied, ‘The Edward Everett Square art project has achieved the community vision, conceived in 1995, to reclaim this place as one of historical significance expressed through public art. The vision has now evolved and focuses more intensely on Edward Everett Square as an important cultural asset - one that may be used to promote awareness of art, culture and history, and to celebrate personal, community and national connections to Dorchester and Edward Everett Square.’ Laura Baring-Gould adds, ‘public art, when done well, can be a great addition to a community. Not only does the artwork create a landmark, but it contributes to a sense of importance and well being. All great cities have great art- several residents told me how much they feel the neighborhood has improved with the artworks that benefit us all.’

Coming up with the concept is perhaps the biggest challenge of the project, but in truth, the success of the project hinged upon the cooperation of all the players, and upon all the pieces falling into place. Project Artist Laura Baring-Gould worked closely with the community while John Mc Colgan organized civic involvement of many neighborhood associations. The City of Boston provided financial support, as well as tangible support from the Parks Department, Department of Public Works, Boston Art Commission and the Public Improvement Commission. Local businesses also supported the project as did many local elected officials at all levels of government. Private firms were contracted for the design of the project and labor was contracted from local companies and donated by the Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen Union Local 3 Training Center. Finally, Corporate Sponsorship was committed by Waste Management Corporation for maintenance.

In other words, it was a true community effort, brought to bear with support from stakeholders throughout the neighborhood and city.

As a result of the Clapp Pear project and the Edward Everett Square renovation, the community has experienced tangible results such as increased property values, a changed sense of place and a renewed identity as diverse community which shares a common sense of history and experience. This artwork illustrates the role art can have in improving civic space, community pride and the overall experience of a neighborhood/important Boston gateway. The Clapp Pear made a place into a Place with history. It was the stimulus that mobilized $3 million of indirect and induced spending in Dorchester whose trickle down and ripple effects will continue to impact the future of the local businesses, and the people who live there, for many years to come.

Donna Dodson graduated cum laude from Wellesley College in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts. Since 2000, Dodson has been honored with solo shows nationwide for her wood sculptures. Dodson enjoys public speaking, and has been a guest speaker in conferences, panels and forums at museums and universities in North America.

Hannah Verlin on creating Bloom

Bloom: the process behind the installation


Completed installation

From August 21-22 the installation Bloom transformed the grounds surrounding Union Square’s Prospect Hill Monument in Somerville, MA. The piece featured 4,500 paper flowers with “he loves me, he loves me not” and “she loves, loves me not” written on the petals, a field of hope and possibilities. Just as the flowers suddenly appeared on Saturday morning, it disappeared on Sunday evening.

But before the installation…

I approached the Somerville Arts Council in April 2010 about Bloom, since then I have been busily making each of the paper flowers that went into the installation. The repetition of this process reflects the approach that I take to many of my projects.

I begin by breaking the process down into distinct steps. Rather than trying to tackle the full 4,500 at once, I work in manageable units (100 in this case).

Part 1:
Step 1: Preparing the material-- Starting out with 48” wide roll of tracing paper, I would cut off 4” wide strips. These strips I layered together in sets of four that I cut into 4” squares.

Step 2: Folding-- Now that I had 100 4” square pieces of paper in nice sets of 4, I folded each triangularly 3 times, and cut a petal shape into the little folded triangle, much like you would make a paper snow flake. Viola--Four paper flowers made!


Part 2:
Step 1: Writing-- After I had made about 2,000 flower I moved on to the second stage (to take a break from all the folding and cutting). This part of the process, however, was by far the most tedious and labor intensive. Working with sets of 100, I alternately wrote on the petals: “he loves me he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not” and then “she loves me, she loves me, she loves me, she loves me not”.

When doing something repetitive for long periods of time, one discovers all sorts of unexpected aches and pain. These I had a plenty—cramps in the hand, aches in the neck, and a shooting pain in a rarely used muscle of my right arm---but I never thought of the emotional impact that this particular process would have on me. As I wrote, I found myself repeating over and over in my head these messages of love and loss. The message would sink in and I would find myself emotionally strained as well as physically.

Step 2: Stalking-- Stalking the flowers was my favorite part, roll a little glue onto the dull end of the skewer then pierce the sharp end through the paper with a satisfying pop.

Step 3: Bundling-- With the flowers all stalked and drying, I would inscribe another set of petals. Before I stalking that set I bundled the dried flowers into sets of ten tying them up in cotton string left over from a previous project. In the end the 4,500 flowers fit into only two boxes—not too shabby!

Installation is a whole other story…

Public Art Exhibition in Medfield, MA Sept. 1 - Oct. 29, 2010

Portals: a temporary public art exhibition

Vine Lake Cemetery, 625 Main Street in Medfield, Ma

Exhibition: Sept. 1 - Oct. 29, 2010

Artist Reception: Sunday Sept. 12 from 3 - 5 pm with a guided tour at 3:30. Raindate Sept. 26

Portals features large scale work by five artists: Jim Coates, Danielle Krcmar, Andrea Thompson, Bevan Weissman, and Leslie Wilcox. Portals conveys tangile or symbolic entrance to new life and each artist is creating imaginative new work, specific to the site and theme out of sticks, stones, clay, steel screen, and wood.

For hundreds of years, sculplture has been an essential feature in cemeteries where artisans were commissioned to create individual and family memorials. Portals is planned to revive the century-old practice of engaging artists to design work for this picturesque setting.

The exhibition is free and open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. The art work is located near the lake, visible from the entrance on Main Street (Rte. 109). For more information visit http://www.vinelakepreservationtrust.org/. Portals is conceived and organized by Boston Sculptors Gallery Coordinator Jean Mineo, and juried by Cecily Miller, Director of the Forest Hillls Educational Trust in Jamaica Plain.

To receive email announcements about weather releated cancellations, sign up for the Trust's newsletter on the website above.

Gillian Christy on Daniel Buren and the Rodin Museum, France

I recently returned from a 12 day trip to Paris, France. I have been fortunate enough to have travelled to Paris before, however, both trips were during the cold month of January. With this trip, it was really nice to enjoy the city and parks during the full bloom of spring. A more detailed account of my trip can be found at http://gillianchristy.tumblr.com/

My favorite public artwork was discovered in the courtyard fo the Palais Royal. The installation was completed in 1986 by Daniel Buren, entitled Les Deux Plateau" or as it is often referred to "Buren's Columns".

Kids were playing, running and jumping from column to column. People were seated in groups around shorter columns or simply walking through the active space. The columns at varying heights, decorated with the stripe, simply encourage play and sort of appear to be playing themselves like a game of "now you see it, now you don't"....It is obvious that the materials were chosen with care, they looked clean, new and well cared for. It is also evident that the whole space was meticulously designed and masterfully crafted.

The trip also marked ny first time to the Rodin Museum. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the collection and relax in the garden. The "Rodin and the Decorative Arts Exhibition" on view through August 22, 2010 piqued my interest to learn more about Rodin and the chronology of his life. Rodin certainly makes a strong case for working with the human form as subject matter as well as being open to working with new materials. Seeing his body of work made me interested in redicovering plaster, stone and terracotta.

Find out more on Gillian Christy at http://www.gillianchristy.com/