Client: City of Durango Colorado
Location: Durango, CO, United States
Artwork budget: $25,000
Project Team
Artist
Jeff WISE
Future Wise Inc
City Arts Coordinator
Coleen OBrien
City of Durango
student artist
Sophie S.
student artist
Pablo S.
student artist
Julian C.
Overview
Collaboration with High School students for public art. I was commissioned by the Durango Colorado arts district to make a permanent piece of public art that would involve working with High School students. I designed a formed concrete bench with twin steel sculptures and the 3 students then made individual artworks that we cast into the bench.
Goals
The city chose the location on Main Avenue in order to engage the public, and it was great to see the students talking with passersby about what we were creating. The city had also asked for designs that provided seating so we incorporated that into the side of the piece, facing away from traffic so that it was a more sheltered spot.
Process
I worked with the city engineer on structural requirements and placing the piece so that it didn't encroach on the highway right of way. One of my students,Paul, wanted to learn welding so we incorporated that into the construction process, while Sophie built a magical 3 dimensional tableau that we cast into the main wall