TOLEDO, Ohio — Bringing beauty and art to Toledo in a roundabout way, The Arts Commission's “Art in Public Places Program” has partnered with Mercy Health to commission a new work of art for the Cherry Street Corridor.
The installation of “Vessel” by the artist team RDG: Dahlquist Studio is set for Tuesday morning. “Vessel” will be located at the roundabout at Cherry Street and Manhattan Boulevard. The installation will begin at 8 a.m. and is scheduled to be completed by May 2021.
This 20-foot tall sculpture, which is intended to act as a vibrant beacon and landmark as travelers navigate the corridor, was selected from over 60 submissions by a committee of local stakeholders.
The project has a budget of $200,000 and is funded by Mercy Health and managed by The Arts Commission on behalf of the City of Toledo’s One Percent for Art Program.
According to RDG: Dahlquist Studio, “The monumental form anchors the roundabout as a focal point for the Cherry Street corridor. Transforming as you circle it, the structure’s planes merge with voids, and angles converge with contours. Whether day or night, luminous color glows from within and light, shadow, and color engage in perpetual dialogue. At once open yet solid, the symbolic icon speaks of balance between containment and release, nature and science.
"Forms and color are rooted in history and place. A base of black obsidian relates to the swamp that was drained by settlers. A matte silver finish honors the Grey Nuns who selflessly cared for early Toledo residents, and a bold yellow interior is inspired by the Marguerite daisy. Toledo’s glassmaking heritage is evoked by silhouettes suggesting vessels while other ever-changing shapes suggest petal forms. The patterns on the form are derived from surrounding neighborhood building footprints and celebrate the community creating a colorful ever-changing figure/ground play of light and shadow.”
RDG Dalquist: Art Studio Artist team David Dahlquist and Matt Niebuhr are based in Des Moines, Iowa.
“Our Art Studio is a creative and collaborative environment. The outcome of which is a thoughtful integration of art into public and private spaces within building architecture and the landscape. Our work depends upon many different elements, orchestrated in a way in which the public is welcomed into and moved by the experience. Through a process that combines research and discovery with insight and experimentation, we design and create memorable destinations and exciting new places,” the studio wrote.
