Page last updated on July 6, 2024 at 9:12 am
HOPEWELL COMMONS 1% FOR THE ARTS INSTALLATION PROPOSALS
Public Feedback Period Complete
Thanks to all who provided feedback on the four finalist proposals for the Hopewell Commons 1% for the Arts installation design. Please check this page for updates to the selection process.
Please contact Holly Warren, Assistant Director for the Arts, holly.warren@bloomington.in.gov with questions.
Proposal One: Indiana Limestone Gateway and Gatepost
This sculpture design is a response to the call for a welcoming, inclusive artwork that will reflect the community’s connectivity. It is in two parts. The major element of the composition is a large-scale gateway covered with carvings. The second element is a gatepost that incorporates images of women working together, handprints and hand carved signage. Inspiration will come from the history and culture of Bloomington and this specific site. We will conduct research into this legacy utilizing the archives of the Monroe County Public Library and the Monroe County History Center.
We will use handprints as a unifying design element. Community members will be invited to have their hands carved into the stone. This engraving will be a lasting memory of that person at that moment, just as the limestone holds the geologic memory of specific moments from millions of years ago.
To give the community the best view of the carving process on the reliefs of the lintel we will carve that stone at ground level. At the culmination of the event the lintel will be lifted into place and the sculpture will be complete.
To create community ownership of the art, we will be engaging with onlookers, listening to their suggestions, and asking for ideas. We will take all precautions to ensure the safety of the public.
Whether carving handprints or following a suggestion from a member of the community, we are creating the occasion for people to witness and contribute as their community sculpture is being created in stone before them.
Proposal Two: Gateway Samples
GATEWAY SAMPLES is an immersive, interactive, and inhabitable public art environment for Hopewell Commons that invites community members to enter and participate in the ever-changing scene. Paying homage to the iconic Sample Gates that mark the threshold between the city of Bloomington and the Indiana University campus, GATEWAY SAMPLES positions three pairs of gateway-inspired screens that offer shapely profiles, arched openings, and viewing apertures for community members to traverse and explore. Like a diorama, the sequential arrangement of screens creates optical layers of overlapping geometries, revealing a cornucopia of gateway-like figures that snap into and out of optical perception as visitors approach and enter from different directions and vantage points. The result is a visual and interactive game that encourages everyday cooperation and conversation. This multi-dimensional landmark provides distinct meeting points, colorful selfie-opportunities, and a playful graphic identity for public programs that take place in the surrounding plaza.
Each pair of gateway screens features a different interactive element. The first pair (mango) features a public game table, perfect for chess, checkers and other table-top board games. The second pair (watermelon) features a sonic talk tube that invites visitors to whisper secret messages to companions standing at the opposite end of the tube. The third pair (boysenberry) features a swiveling mirror panel that invites visitors to playfully manipulate the optical effects of reflections, shape, color, and shadow that the artwork makes possible.
GATEWAY SAMPLES aims to initiate companionship with its growing community over time, as Hopewell Commons’s nascent identity and character continues to develop and coalesce. The artwork’s shapely visual language is both exuberant and open-ended, inviting visitors and future residents to interpret (and re-interpret) its gateway-inspired forms in pluralistic ways. What some community members might interpret as a welcoming arch, another community member might interpret as legs of a mysterious creature about to come to life and wander away down the B-Line Trail. As a community companion and gatherer of multiple publics, GATEWAY SAMPLES offers an approachable, participatory landmark of shared ownership, nickname-making, and collective storytelling.
As an alternative siting location, the installation could also be located at either of the two ends of the plaza, to serve as either a backdrop to the Hopewell Commons stage at location or as a plaza gateway near Morton Street and the B-Line. See alternate rendering in the images linked below.
Proposal Three: Canopy
Canopy aims to embody the community’s memories of the former hospital. The cluster of tree representations symbolizes the stages of life, from birth to death, which so many in our community experienced here. For members of the Bloomington community, the hospital is where they felt the joy of bringing life into the world, the fear of the fragility of life, and ultimately the acceptance of death. These feelings are shared by all members of our diverse community, and the former hospital site is where they were the most salient.
The cluster of trees, from sapling to stump, symbolizes life and community. Current research increasingly shows that trees are interconnected and exist in social networks. The formal relationship between the two live trees, and the implied subterranean connection to the stump, acknowledges this connection. The backdrop for Canopy looking west is a grove, allowing it to dance with the rhythm of the trees beyond.
This proposal reinforces Bloomington’s commitment to growing its canopy, and utilizes local hardwoods in the process. It remembers that Indiana was 80% forest pre-settlement. It also acknowledges Bloomington’s forestry efforts, as it was named Tree City of the World by the Arbor Day Foundation in 2021.
The project will engage visitors by providing shelter on the stage platform, creating a celebratory space for performances, and a place of play and contemplation for times when it is being used by the community. Replacing the planned umbrellas with a sculpture will activate the stage and create a special place for gatherings and performances.
Proposal Four: Undulate
Undulate is a public art installation designed to enhance the Wetland Garden at the Hopewell Neighborhood. This large-scale sculpture reflects the fluid, wave-like motion found in nature, seamlessly blending with the water element of the site's natural landscape. Using bright yellow, large-diameter ductwork, the design transforms industrial materials into captivating, interactive forms that engage visitors. Undulate weaves through the garden, creating a series of dynamic loops and arcs that rise and fall across the terrain.
The sculpture not only provides visual appeal but also serves practical purposes, incorporating seating, playground elements, and Instagram-worthy settings. Its embedded LED lighting adds a soft, glowing effect at dusk, enhancing the overall experience. Visitors can touch, climb, and explore the structure, making it an inviting focal point for both relaxation and play. Instead of a singular sculpture that forces viewers to passively look at it, this engaging and versatile installation enriches the park’s environment, offering a memorable attraction for all who visit Hopewell’s public spaces.