Northampton Arts Council : �Curtain� by J. Seth Hoffman, Penn Ruderman and Meera Deean has been selected for new public art

�Curtain� by J. Seth Hoffman, Penn Ruderman and Meera Deean has been selected for new public art

Spaced Curtain

The Northampton Arts Council is pleased to announce that the “Curtain” by J. Seth Hoffman, Penn Ruderman and Meera Deean has been selected for new public art on the railroad trestle bridge over Rt. 9 near Market and Hawley Streets.

The design team suggests screening the width of the railroad bridge with a rigid translucent sculpture, depicting a realistic draped curtain. ”It will soften views of the tops of downtown buildings, heightening a sense of expectation and discovery. It will subtly reveal the heavy steel infrastructure beneath it. It will capture daylight, and glow on sunny days, an arresting image that will cause one to pause before completing the passage into downtown.” Jena Sujat, owner of Pinch! and selection committee member adds “’Curtain’ is a beautiful concept designed to fit gracefully with the structure of the bridge and its surrounding architecture. Because I find the engineering and materials of bridges themselves to be beautiful, I like that with the Curtain design, the structure of the bridge shows through. It is subtle; it is modern; it is unexpected. I like that Curtain pioneers new materials, that it's challenging in terms of art, and that the design concept is fresh and new. It's edgy, beautiful, urban, and creative, and it made me laugh!”

The team is working on securing a space suitable for fabricating the piece. There will be a series of fiber reinforced polymer panels that will float on a steel armature affixed to the bridge. The panels will be made over the winter and installed in spring 2011.

The Northampton Arts Council recognizes the talent of the 16 artists that submitted work and is grateful to the volunteer selection committee for pooling their time and talent to consider the proposals. We also hope that this project will inspire more public art in our community, and that is in part, why we are so committed to sharing the process, and learning from artists, business members, students, seasoned community members and those new to the area. David Kutcher, the Arts Council President, led the Steering Committee that designed the Request for Proposal nurtured the web aspect of the project. The Northampton Arts Council is especially pleased with the community response to the proposals via our website, and many took time to visit City Hall and comment in the guest book on the models as well.

Bob Reckman, Jamie Haskin, Jena Sujat, Ali Osborn, Lisa Leary, David Gengler and Mary Kasper formed the selection committee and respectfully considered each proposal on artistic merit, technical competence, feasibility and community impact among other criteria. The Northampton Arts Council is grateful for their diligence and dedication to the project. There were many fine submissions and it required lots of research along with lengthy deliberations to come to a decision. We hope the anonymous donor will be pleased with “Curtain” and that the financial and technical support from Chartpak, Inc will meet their goal for supporting the arts in our community. Bill Letendre, James Laurila and David Valeta represented the city in the final stages of the selection process with the due diligence necessary to insure that this will be durable, meet safety codes and regulations, and be integrated into the site in a way that honors the aesthetic concerns and meets technical challenges. The Northampton Arts Council appreciates their efforts and the support of the city.

Since 1991, the "Dream" mural created by Leland Johnston has welcomed residents and visitors.

The Northampton Arts Council gratefully acknowledges Leland’s contribution to this significant gateway to the City of Northampton.

Curtain