4/19/26 - Artist Inspo and My Ideas
Commissioned by The Public Art for Public Schools program of the NYC Percent for Art Program, “Everything at Once” is a site-specific artwork created by Wendy Letven @wendy_letven for the lobby ceiling of the newly created Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers in Brooklyn. Bold, brightly painted shapes made from cut aluminum are curved and layered to create an exuberant burst of color that stretches over 12 feet long. The artwork can be seen from the sidewalk as students and passersby approach the school entrance, and it greets everyone when they first enter the building. From each angle, the undulating shapes look different, encouraging people to walk around, experience its many vantage points and notice how the patterns, colors, lines and shadows change.
Letven’s design was inspired by the many patterns found in both our natural and built environments. It incorporates forms that can be observed in nature such as tree branches, Fibonacci spirals, and ocean waves, as well as scientific elements, such as molecular structures and topographical maps. The sculpture also celebrates the beauty of the man-made with references to the architecture of the nearby Barclays Center, artifacts of the Lenape tribe and the elegant choreography of Alvin Ailey dancers, who perform at the nearby Brooklyn Academy of Music. “Everything at Once” offers surprising visual combinations that show the joy of discovery and learning across different subjects.
Everything at Once
Art on Paper
My Ideas:
For this project, I would like to make a sculpture for the elementary school I attended, where my mother also still works. The specific site in question is the cafeteria of Southside Elementary School in Powell, Wyoming. It has a wide, high vaulted ceiling, which is the perfect space for a hanging sculpture for the students to look at during lunch. Right now, it is just a blank, empty space despite being an area where parent and student events are held and being centrally located. This area could benefit from having a lively sculpture because artwork in schools can enhance creativity within students, improve the school's aesthetics and pride, and boost student morale and motivation to learn. By installing a sculpture here, my hope is that students have another element of their school to engage with and enjoy. The Powell High School is full of large installations within the hallways that the students would work on each year. I remember always staring at them as I walked in the hallways or during break times in class. They made me want to build larger sculptures myself and made me even more interested in our school's art classes, which in turn led me to where I am today. Making a sculpture for the elementary school would not only be giving back to the community that supported me, but would also unify the schools within Powell and inspire future creatives.
I would like to make a sculpture that is inspired by Wendy Letven's work, where she uses bright colors, layered materials, and abstract forms to fill a space. Southside's school colors are blue and yellow, and their school mascot is the sun, so I would like to design motifs that are abstractions of the mountains that surround our town, that include other elements of the local flora as well as that of the sun. I like the idea of having a design that mirrors itself on the other side, possibly having an abstract representation of a sunset and sunrise. I want to play with color and shape with this project to mirror the never-ending energy of elementary school children.
The full sculpture would be made of thin sheet metal and rod, which are each painted a different flat color. The installation would be installed into the ceiling with bolts and a metal chord to ensure they never fall. To mimic this within my maquette, I will laser cut the designs from chipboard because of its similar properties at a small scale. The rod will be mimicked with wire, and all pieces will be painted with acrylic paint.
My mom will be sending me some images and measurements of the space so I can prepare for class on Tuesday and start making files for the laser cutter.
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