Janet Echelman, creator of “Sky Bloom,” the monumental outdoor sculpture at the new downtown Phoenix Civic Space at Taylor Street and Central Avenue, will hold a free public lecture entitled, “Her Secret is Patience.”
- Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Place: Phoenix Art Museum, Whiteman Hall, Central at McDowell
- Admission: Free (with refreshments to follow)
- Sponsor: Bentley Gallery/Bentley Projects
Major new parks and artworks have helped to turn urban spaces worldwide into “must-see” destinations. According to project proponents and the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Public Art Program, the new Downtown Civic Space with its monumental sculpture by Ms. Echelman will accomplish that in Phoenix.
Rising 90 feet above the ground, the artwork’s floral form was inspired by the bloom of the saguaro cactus — Arizona’s state flower. Built with structural steel tubing and flexible netting made from a woven fiber, the sculpture will be suspended approximately 38 feet above the ground on an armature of steel rings, support poles, and cables. The steel structure will hold the sculpture safely in place, allowing its light weight netting to billow in the wind. The artwork’s predominant daytime colors will be blue, violet, and yellow. Specialized lighting at night will give the sculpture a landmark presence at night.
One goal of this iconic public sculpture and surrounding park is to join the growing list of public and private initiatives revitalizing downtown Phoenix.
Downtown Voices Coalition 