When students head to class at the new East Rock School, they might walk past a rainbow-refracting wind turbine, or a glass facade of lenses and images, or underneath a flying desk and chair.
Those are three possibilities for a new piece of public art slated for the new East Rock Global Magnet School, which is currently being demolished in advance of its reconstruction.
As part of New Haven’s Percent For Art program, which requires that 1 percent of the city’s contribution to certain building projects go towards a piece of public art. The budget in this case is $50,000.
Three artists have been selected as finalists to create that piece of public art at the East Rock school. Their submissions are currently on display at the New Haven Public Library, then at 100 Crown St. starting Tuesday. Members of the public are invited to look at the submissions and vote on the one they like best. A Percent For Art jury will make the final decision, but will take public opinion into consideration.
Read on for descriptions of the finalists’ proposals, and share your verdict in the comments section below. Cast your advisory votes at 100 Crown St.
Robert Perless, a Connecticut artist, has proposed a prism-like rotating sculpture for outside the school. The blades of the sculpture would be “photoengraved” with lines to refract light and project rainbows as the art spins in the wind.
New York City artist Paul Villinski is offering “Dreamdesk,” a used New Haven school desk equipped with wings and an airplane tail. The “canvas” of the wings would be made of children’s homework assignments collaged together. The message, according to Villinski’s submission, is that “Work is what makes flight possible.”
The final submission comes from Jo Yarrington, an artist from Connecticut. She proposes to transform the facade of the new school with glass, lenses, and translucent photographic images of the surrounding landscape. Other such elements would be placed throughout the school.
Click here and here for more information about the proposals.
Not to be crass, but... maybe there should be a second round submitted by each of the finalists. None of the submissions are particularly inspiring, especially given the $50K price tag.