“Shattered Sphere” Concept is Shown Above by Sarah Sze, Sze Studio, New York City.

Deer on Stilts Coming to the Portland Waterfront Next Month.

Julia Kirby, Chair of the Public Art Committee.

Last summer the Portland Public Art Committee accepted the concept for”Shattered Sphere” a piece of art work  in two pieces that will be on exhibit at the Congress Square Park sometime in the near future. Sarah Sze, Sze Studio, New York City, is the creator of the sculptures following a competitive process in which she was selected  in June of 2016.  Julia Kirby, of the St. Lawrence Arts Center, is the chairwoman of the Public Art Committee.

“It looks like a sphere that has been blown apart,” said Caitlin Cameron, urban designer for Portland and staff member for the Committee.   “It looks like each sphere is disintegrating. Each piece is supported by scaffolding.”  According to the Sze’ proposal, “a series of three site specific sculptures that mark and articulate Congress Square as a site of interaction and intersecting ideas…the first and largest section ….describe a sphere.  The second and third sections will act as fragments..The piece will be unusually light and porous, allowing for views into the park from the street.”  Landscaping is being done by WRT and is in the works.

The cost for the entire project has not yet been established.  A fund raising committee is in the process of being set up according to Cameron.

On another art project that is temporary, many will remember the art installation of Andy Rosen, who unpacked his incredible life-like wolves on the pilings of the waterfront near Ocean Gateway.  That was three years ago and the exhibit ran from August until November.  Now Rosen has committed to another show beginning mid-August and also running until November.  It’s of deer enduring climate change.  Rosen is a local art teacher.  (See above left photo).