LYNN — Five finalists chosen to create the”Lynnstallation” public art piece at Mt. Vernon Street Plaza presented their ideas and concepts to the community during a virtual public meeting on Thursday night.
The artists introduced themselves, gave some background information and explained why they believe their sculptures would be a good addition to downtown Lynn.
Mayor Thomas M. McGee said the “Lynnstallation” is an exciting addition to the city, adding that it is important to engage the community with public art.
“I know that people in the community are all excited about this, and it really gives an opportunity for us to build on what’s going on in our arts and cultural district,” McGee said.
There are a lot of great things happening in the area where the art will be installed, McGee said, and the art addition will continue to add positivity to the community.
“You can feel the vibrancy in the air and how it’s building across the district,” McGee said.
The first artist introduced during Thursday night’s event was Yetti Frenkel, who presented her idea, “Star Fish.”
With this work, Frenkel pays homage to the city’s seashore in a playful and interactive sculpture that offers a place to meet, sit, rest or to simply provide a presence as people walk by.
Her idea, which she described as a “bench concept,” includes a circular cement base supporting a vertical sculpture featuring an art-deco fish with a series of ocean creatures on its nose.
The sculpture itself will be made from EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam covered with layers of fiberglass mesh and cement, and decorated with mosaic. The circular cement bench will also have a mosaic border.
The next artist, Fitzhugh Karol, discussed his “Jumbo T-Jax” sculpture, which will feature archways and large “portals” with colors representing the city.
He said one color chosen was from Lynn’s emblem, seen on the city’s website, while the other was found from an image of a sunset over Red Rock Park.
“My hope is that these palettes will connect the sculpture to other beautiful elements of the city,” Karol said. “The title refers to the children’s game Jax/Jacks and the T station, perhaps proposing the scale of the train station might be that of a child’s toy train set.”
Artist Beth Nybeck followed Karol, presenting an idea known as “The In Between.”
Her piece, she said, is designed to capture the beauty and individuality of Lynn.
The piece consists of two, geometric human heads, one of which Nybeck says is facing toward the future and the other toward the past. There is also an in-between space cut out, which allows people to enter into the sculpture.
“It is really meant to be both physically and collaboratively engaging with the audience,” Nybeck said. “This sculpture is hoping to really capture the tapestry of who you are, where you’ve come from, and then also where you are going.”
She plans to work with the community to hear their stories, asking about their past and the dreams they have for the future of Lynn.
“Their written responses will be cut out of the metal on the interior of the sculpture for everyone to read and reflect upon,” Nybeck said. “The artwork is designed to encourage physical exploration. There will be a space between the two faces for you to walk, stroll and run through. The open space is metaphorically our present. It is a place where we hold the tension of our past and look towards the future.”
Kevin Orlosky presented his idea on behalf of Orlosky Studio, which plans to create a sculpture tying into the shoe history of Lynn. This idea, called the “Laces of Lynn,” will appear as colorful laces consisting of words submitted by residents that “represent personal attributes they hold dear.”
“This project invites inclusion of multiple languages to express local demographics, and the visual representation of different languages instills community pride,” Orlosky said. “By having residents identify their own personally-cherished traits, we are gifted a collection of community values which demonstrate the universal human condition.”
The last sculpture idea, “Periscope,” presented by Ryan Swanson of The Urban Conga, contains multiple forms of acting as a periscope, which Swanson said will allow people to explore the world through the eyes of someone else.
“It becomes a timeless landmark for the city while coexisting in harmony with the surrounding context,” he said. “It becomes a playful gesture encouraging people top slow down and look at the changing landscape around them.”
At the ends of the directional components of his sculpture, there will be a vinyl graphic designed by a local creative with the distance to a specific location in the city that will be chosen by the community.
“Periscope is a platform of open-ended play encouraging creativity, exploration and community,” Swanson said. “It begins to break down barriers and connect the community as one.”
All of the artists said they plan to incorporate the community through engagement opportunities including conversations, ideas, feedback and storytelling.
Community members have the chance to vote on the different concepts presented until mid-July at lynnincommon.com/lynnstallation.
The art piece is scheduled for installation in the fall.
Ideas and photos can be viewed on the city’s website at https://lynnincommon.com.
