You’ve driven by the field of giant stone corn in Frantz Park.
But did you know Malcolm Cochran, a professor of sculpture at The Ohio State University, created it with the vision of preserving Dublin’s farming legacy?
Field of Corn (with Osage Oranges) is just one piece of the Dublin Art Council’s Art in Public Places initiative, which has contributed more than 70 sculptural elements to parks around the community over the last 30 years. The program, which launched in 1988, partners with the City of Dublin to commission public art for the community.
“Public art provides a sense of place,” says David S. Guion, the council’s executive director. “It transforms the community into a space for creative placemaking by activating the space with art.”
At Scioto Park, it’s Ralph Helmick’s stacked limestone sculpture Leatherlips that leaves visitors wondering about the Wyandot Native American chief’s life.
Across the river, Todd Slaughter’s domed Watch House in Coffman Park sparks intrigue in the ancient Native American mound it covers.
These visionaries have poured a great deal of energy into their artwork, but not before submitting extensive applications for commission. The council’s selection process is quite competitive, drawing submissions from talented artists all around the nation.
“Normally, for commission, we assemble a jury to review nearly 150 applications we’ve received from all over the country, and the jury narrows it down to three who move to the second round,” says Guion. “We then contact the artists to present a proposal for the commissioned artwork, give an opportunity for the public to ask questions and then make the final decision.”
The most recent commissioned artist, Olga Ziemska, fashioned Feather Point, a 21-foot-tall cast aluminum sculpture inspired by the intersection of Polish and Wyandot Native American cultures in central Ohio. The feather, Ziemska says, stood out to her as a universal symbol underlining the connection between both cultures and the park itself.
“Feather Point is created directly from its environment, utilizing locally harvested tree trunks and branches from the grounds of Thaddeus Kosciuszko Park,” says Ziemska. “Ultimately, the artwork is a direct reflection of its environment and an homage to the rich history of the park.”
Officially dedicated in September, Ziemska’s masterpiece serves as a reminder of Dublin’s vibrant past and role in American history.
“It also visually enhances the park entrance area by creating a visual marker on the corner of Hard Road and Riverside Drive,” says Ziemska, “announcing arrival to the park and connecting the artwork to the land both physically and visually.”
By its very nature, public art evokes a response. For the local senior community in 2016, this meant organizing a yarn bombing phenomenon called Yarn Over Dublin.
“Dublin likes to set itself apart from other communities,” says Guion. “It’s not another cookie-cutter suburb.”
Seniors from 10 different local living facilities came together to knit and crochet unique pieces to adorn public art installations, from knitted hats topping the ears of corn to colorful textiles stretched across park benches. Yarn Over Dublin returned in 2017 and is scheduled to be back again this year, targeting Bridge Park.
This year marks three decades of Art in Public Places, and the program has certainly grown with the times. In 2012, the council introduced an interactive mobile component to encourage public engagement with both its temporary and permanent installations.
“We received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to open the collection to the public by creating a cell phone tour,” says Guion. “Each piece of art has a phone number you can call, and there are over 57 messages recorded by artists, talking about their work and exactly how they see it fitting into the context of the park.”
The vision behind Art in Public Places is simple: to add to the quality of life for residents, establishing Dublin as a unique place to live, work and visit.
“Dublin likes to set itself apart from other communities,” says Guion. “It’s not another cookie-cutter suburb.”
Fun Facts about Feather Point from the artist, Olga Ziemska:
- Feather Point is inspired by historical photographs of two very different, but equally compassionate and honorable men with direct connection to the land of Thaddeus Kosciuszko Park.
- Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish military engineer and leader, was gifted the land at the park for his many contributions to the American Revolutionary War.
- Bill Moose was the last full-blooded Wyandot Indian who lived in central Ohio and frequently walked this land throughout his life.
Mikayla Klein is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
