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The City of Mesa invites the community to experience an exciting expansion of public art in Downtown Mesa with new installations at the recently opened Mesa City Hall and idea Museum. These works build upon Mesas commitment to creativity, innovation and cultural engagement, enriching downtown for residents and visitors alike.
Public art creates vibrant and engaging spaces that reflect our communitys values and aspirations, said Mesa City Manager Chris Brady. These new installations demonstrate our ongoing commitment to making Downtown Mesa into a destination where creativity and civic life intersect.
At Mesa City Hall, a striking collection of artworks selected by a panel of residents and arts and engineering professionals represents Mesa while adding beauty, excitement and meaning to Mesas sense of place.
These new public art projects at City Hall contribute to shaping the identity of Mesa as a special place to live, visit and conduct business by giving our downtown and center of government a unique and engaging setting, said Kevin Vaughan-Brubaker, Mesa Arts Centers festivals and special events manager.
Just down the road, idea Museums exterior now features bold and playful new additions designed to spark imagination.
I am honored to represent these talented and diverse Arizona artists to our community, said Mike Goodwin, curator at idea Museum. It has brought me pure joy to be able to have our building adorned with public artwork that anyone can enjoy for free.
These new works reflect Mesas continued investment in public art as a source of accessibility and connection. Visitors are encouraged to explore these new additions, take in their unique stories and experience how art can transform our community.
New at City Hall:
Will Clift
Convergence, 2024
Carbon fiber composite, steel
Convergence represents the City of Mesa's commitment to transparency, accessibility and connection between its citizens and City officials; City Hall is a place where the public and private parts of Mesa come together. Will Clift
Adrian Yu and Digital Ambiance
Strata, 2024
Painted steel, stainless steel, LED panels, generative software
Strata is a large-scale sculpture taking the form of an abstracted mountain range crafted from steel and curved LED panels, powered by generative software that visualizes real time climate data. The sculpture, designed and fabricated in collaboration with multimedia design-build studio Digital Ambiance, draws inspiration from the natural landscape and towering peaks visible from Arizona's valleys, while prompting visitors to engage with the ongoing impacts of climate change and the city's terraforming initiatives. The sculpture's design mirrors the geological concept of strata layers of rock that chronicle the Earths history using generative technology to reflect the transformation of the planet and local area.
Beth Nybeck
Flip Side
Steel, acrylic
Photographer: Amanda Williamson
Flip Side is an interactive and brightly colored sculpture installation that showcases the faces and voices of Mesa. This project is meant to display the external and internal aspects of our humanity in a playful way to look at a persons face and wonder what their strengths are, or to read about what makes a person proud of themselves and wonder who wrote those words.
Flip Side is a temporary installation that will travel to Mesa Public Libraries following City Hall.
Kerrick James
Red Mountain image for perforated metal wall
Photograph
Kerrick James was commissioned to take a photograph of the iconic Red Mountain. The photograph was reproduced using perforations in a metal wall. James has photographed the lands and cities of the American West, Mexico and the Pacific Rim for over 25 years, shooting both adventure and destination travel features.
Ana Herruzo, Arizona State University
Weidi Zhang, Arizona State University
Sentient Resonance
Digital screen
Sentient Resonance is a living digital artwork that senses and responds to the environment in real time. Using data captured from custom environmental sensors, the piece visualizes this information as a dynamic particle system, where attributes such as color, movement and density shift in harmony with the surrounding world.
Each hour, a snapshot is taken, and 24 snapshots are composited into a single still image, revealing the passage of time and the subtle rhythms of the day. Over time, these stills accumulate, creating a visual archive of the environments moods and changes across days, seasons and years.
Kamil Nawratil, Volvox Labs
The Fields, 2024
Digital screen
Volvox Labs draws inspiration from the beauty and complexity of nature and natural phenomena. Leveraging advanced computer graphics software and rendering techniques, we craft moving image projects that replicate and reimagine the essence of the natural world. For The Fields, we brought our expertise in designing breathtaking, nature-inspired visuals to create a truly unique and immersive experience, captivating every visitor to the new facility.
Zach Valent
Community gallery wall
These wall sculptures offer a glimpse into the ideas, materials and influences shaping Valents work. Since moving from the Midwest in 2014, Valent has explored the intersection of natural landscapes and human infrastructure. Initially organic and fossil-like, the aesthetic has evolved into a more structured, architectural style. Blending contemporary and traditional woodworking techniques, Valents pieces evoke nostalgia, challenge perceptions and highlight the beauty in everyday life.
Daniella Napolitano, poetry broadside design
Tomas Stanton, poet
Together Mesa
Together Mesa is a poem by Tomas Stanton written for the All-America City National Civic League award event. Daniella Napolitano designed the broadside for Stantons poem. Napolitano draws inspiration from nature and ecology, her art explores the diverse and complex relationships between animals, humans and the environment.
Ivan Martinez
Photography in council chambers
Ivan Martinez has a passion for capturing the essence of people, places and moments, blending technical skill with an artistic eye. His work aims to tell stories that resonate with viewers, offering a glimpse into the heart and soul of his subjects. I am honored to be a part of Mesas artistic landscape and to contribute to the citys vibrant visual history.
Tuning Fork
Historic photo wall
Tuning Fork, a local art consulting firm, worked in collaboration with city staff to design and produce the gallery and historic photo wall inside City Hall.
New at idea Museum:
Yukue
Saugo's Sonoran Serenade
Mural
Saugo sits on her cloud bidding the day farewell with her flute song, thanking the land as the skys colors melt into clouds and a setting sun.
Kyllan Maney
Bright Color Arches With Flowers
Mural
Inspiration of Light and Color implies a place of fun and happiness exploring the interplay of space, play, time and observation. Maney created these ideas with this in mind. The possibilities of this interplay are endless and up to children's vast imagination. Bright color archways, bold happy color and fun playful dots all intertwine in this mural. The composition of forms is created in a way to draw people who are driving by the museum as well as be a fun playful way for people to landmark the museum from down the street.
Spectacle Works
Pinwheels
Three towering, larger-than-life pinwheels now stand proudly in front of idea Museum. Guests of all ages can bring them to life with a simple turn of a lightweight hand-held wheel easy enough for even little hands to spin. As night falls, the magic continues, with each pinwheel lighting up thanks to a solar charger at the top.
Dave Quan/Luster Kaboom
Whats the Big Idea
Currently underway, this mural in the museum parking lot celebrates the ingenuity of imagination in a playful, diverse and childlike way.
For more information, and to see all public art in Mesa visit mesaaz.gov.
About City of Mesa Arts and Culture
Mesas Department of Arts and Culture includes the Arizona Museum of Natural History, idea Museum and Mesa Arts Center, all located in downtown Mesa, Arizona. The mission of the department is to strengthen the creative, social and economic fabric of our community and region through inspiring, relevant, engaging and transformational experiences.