AURORA | The viewers of David Farquharson’s sculpture titled “Illuminate!” will have an important role in how the piece looks and feels.
The 12-foot-tall glass tower set to go up at the Gardens on Havana shopping center later this month will feature hundreds of small LED lights, bulbs encased in glass that react to the surrounding crowd. Sensors will pick up on electromagnetic signals from nearby smartphones; the colors will change according to the number of phones and the intensity of the electromagnetic interference.
“This piece feeds off of that (interference). There’s millions of variables; it pulls from that chaos,” Farquharson said, standing in front of the unfinished work at his home a short walk from South Havana Street. “It becomes a reflection of the viewer and the energy of the street, of the activity going on around it.”
Capturing the mood and feel of Havana in sculpture has always been a central mission of the Art 2C On Havana exhibition. If the 11 new sculptures in the 2013-14 lineup are any indication, the area is ramping up in size and stature. This year’s crop of public art includes Farquharson’s interactive sculpture, as well as massive works that measure up to 18 feet tall and weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Loren Costantini’s aptly titled piece “Flower” is a 16-foot-tall sunflower; Lorri Alcott’s 12-foot sculpture “Conversation With Myself” consists of two massive figures facing each other.
The total value of the 11 sculptures — officially on loan for the year — is about $2 million.
That scope is a big step for the program that started three years ago as a joint effort between Aurora’s Art in Public Places program and the Havana Business Improvement District. The push to add culture to a road known for its car dealerships and burger joints didn’t start out on such a ambitious scale, according to Havana BID Executive Director Gayle Jetchick.
The sculptures submitted in that first year were much smaller and finding businesses to agree to host the art on their property wasn’t simple.
“I had to do a little arm-twisting,” Jetchick said. “But we were looking for something to give us an identity. I personally feel that public art is an economic development tool.”
Her hunch proved solid. Jetchick said it didn’t take long to convince the business owners along the strip that the public art work had some value. Drivers started associating specific pieces with specific businesses. Certain sculptures became landmarks along the street and the scope of the sculptures grew in size and creativity. Thanks to a buy-in of $25,000 from the Havana BID and $5,000 from Art in Public Places, the program has managed to secure millions in top-notch public art.
“We have a waiting list of business owners now that want to host a piece of art,” Jetchick said. “Now everybody sees the value in it.”
Artists from across the world have seen more and more value in the program as well. This year saw submissions from across the country and across the world. Sculpture submissions came in from Scotland and Iran. A piece by a Connecticut artist made the final crop of entries chosen by a committee of Art in Public Places commissioners, business owners and the public. According to Jetchick, part of the contest’s higher profile this year came as a result of the tragedy that, for many, is now synonymous with the city.
“What the committee thought was they saw the name Aurora, and because of the 7/20 shooting, they thought we needed some spiritual uplifting,” Jetchick said.
One of this year’s winners — a bronze sculpture titled “Peace” by LaPorte artist Lorri Accott that will go in front of the Summit Steakhouse — is a specific response to the violence of July 20, 2012. The sculpture measures more than 12 feet tall and depicts a figure releasing a group of origami cranes into the sky. According to the artist, the message of the work is meant to be simple and heartening: “Rise Above.”
Commissioners from the project will choose the best pieces from the group of 11; first prize wins $750, second gets $500 and third place awards $250. A people’s choice award of $1,000 will be announced next year, following a year of voting.
But those prizes aren’t foremost on Farquharson’s mind as he prepares to install his piece at the end of the month at the southeast corner of the Gardens on Havana. He’s more focused on making sure the 240 LED lights work properly and that the 180 glass blocks are intact when he puts the piece together onsite. Those are important details for this former museum employee who left to start his own exhibition design company.
“What I’m focusing on right now are either exhibits for museums or public art commissions, which are bigger projects,” Farquharson said, standing in his small garage packed with rows of sculptures and a glass kiln. “I’m working on sculpture with light and interactivity. They seem to go hand in hand.”
“Illuminate!” sums up that pairing perfectly. Light, glass and viewer participation is all at work here, and those elements didn’t come cheap. Farquharson says the sculpture cost about $10,000, but it was a small price to pay for his first successful public art commission.
“This will be my first one. I’ve been a finalist a couple of times,” he said. “This piece ended up being a scaled-down version of what I’d proposed, but it ended up making it more manageable and affordable.”
Even more valuable, Farquharson will only have to walk a couple of blocks to see how his piece is responding to those walking up and down Havana Street.
Reach reporter Adam Goldstein at 720-449-9707 or agoldstein@aurorasentinel.com