LYNN — Kevin Orlosky has been selected as the artist who will construct the “Lynnstallation” outdoor sculpture project in Mt. Vernon Square.
The Lynn Public Arts Commission met Tuesday to announce which artist received the most votes from the public out of five finalists who presented their ideas for the installation during a public meeting in June.
In his proposal, Orlosky described his concept, “Laces of Lynn,” as being composed of interwoven shoelaces, which is a nod to Lynn’s history as a shoe mecca.
“It represents the strength of a diverse community coming together. The laces create a new form that represents the future, or path forward, for Lynn,” Orlosky said.
This Lynnstallation project got off the ground with a technical assistance award, given by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), in 2018.
Between the LPAC, the MAPC, Creative Collective, the City of Lynn and Kick It Up consulting, the planning for the Lynnstallation began in 2019 with workshops to determine what the project’s values and goals were.
The committee determined required values for the project, including “engagement and interaction,” “multi-generational,” “education,” “justice,” “support,” “positivity and joy,” and “vivid and colorful.”
In March 2020, a call for artists was released, yielding 46 national, regional and local applicants.
Application requirements included examples of prior work, a letter of intent in terms of their vision and concepts for the project, bios and references and a statement on how the artists planned to engage the community of Lynn.
The evaluation committee then went through the applications and chose the five finalists.
After these finalists presented their ideas on June 24, the public was able to view the ideas and photos of each artist and vote online for which one they liked the best.
The public was also able to leave comments on what they wanted to see with this project.
Orlosky got the most votes with his idea that includes a sculpture of laces with words carved into them, which he said is a “sculpture that connects Lynn’s past, present and future.”
Orlosky’s sculpture consists of pieces of steel with words cut into them. The words he will use will come from about 10 to 20 in-person and virtual workshops with community members that will use mindfulness to help people identify words that represent the uniqueness and personal identity of the community members.
The piece will include more than 450 words in a variety of languages, and people can choose the color they want their word to be when submitting it. Anyone can submit a word, which he will elaborate on during his community engagement and his work with local organizations including Raw Art Works (RAW), New Lynn Coalition, Lynn Community Health Center and The REAL program.
As a part of this project, Orlosky will be reaching out to about 100 young people at RAW, who will create their own designs of public art to be exhibited at the same time as the unveiling of this Lynnstallation piece.
Following LPAC’s recommendation of Orlosky, Mayor Thomas M. McGee must approve the endorsement before the final design process and fabrication and installation can be done.
“With over a decade of experience producing community driven works of art, I work strategically to bring people together to activate their imaginations, amplify their voices and create art that is a manifestation of the community it exists in,” Orlosky said. “Intentional, equitable inclusion is a foundational element of my outreach goals, and I work hard to include and draw connections between differing demographics.”
Orlosky said the resulting sculpture will consist of meaning and cultural relevancy and the final artwork will act as a “beacon of unity and a landmark of home.”
