FAQs for you, from you

Designing, fabricating, and siting a new permanent public artwork is exciting stuff, and always a bit daunting.  Will the community like it?  Will the desktop ambitions meet the real world situation?  Will we be able to stay on time and on budget?  Every step of the way there is something new to learn and boundaries to test, that's what makes it art!  Below are responses to some frequently asked questions that i have been asked while working on site.  The PhinneyWood Community has been just awesome in sharing words of encouragement and appreciation of the work in progress.  Here goes:

WHAT KIND OF STONE IS THAT?

The stone is of a variety called Glacial Erratic, scooped from the shoulder of Mt. Rainier near Enumclaw.  Thanks to a long series of fires, faults, floods, and some careful refinement, these boulders were transformed from volcanic fallout to public art.  The sculpture is comprised of 5 boulders, two sections were cut from each stone.  Can you look at the sculpture and find the matching pairs?

IS THAT REALLY GLASS?

Yes, the glass is really glass.  Each section of the glass is 2" thick and weighs between 100-200 lbs.  because the glass is cast solid (not blown) in a mold, it is not fragile unless dropped on edge and will not break under compression from the stone.  Just to make sure, we placed neoprene pads deep in the artwork, so there is no glass/stone contact which would create a vulnerable spot.

IS THE SCULPTURE GOING TO BE BIGGER?

Sorry but no.  We've topped out at 12' tall and 13,000 lbs. In addition, the work extends 3' underground through a plinth, footing, and subfooting to make sure it doesn't tip over.  

WHY ISN'T IT GOING TO BE BIGGER?

Because the sculpture is shy about its height and weight.  :)

DOES THE WORK HAVE A TITLE?

The work is titled "MOMENT TO MOMENT".  In moments of crisis and times of peace, fire stations are beacons of safety embedded in Seattle’s neighborhoods. Firefighters bring order out of chaos and respond to the call when we need them most. This sculpture honors the solid, calming presence of Fire Station 21 and the firefighters that bring life back into balance, keeping us safe.

WAS THIS THING STOLEN  FROM THE FLINTSTONES CAR?
:)  No cartoon characters were robbed to make this artwork.  If i were going to strip cars from cartoons and turn them into art, i would probably borrow parts from the jetsons instead of the flintstones.


WHEN WILL IT LIGHT UP?
Lighting the artwork is progressing day by day and we hope to have it fully installed by the end of December.  There are many technical hurdles to overcome, but we have settled on a 10 Watt, 2 color LED system.  The color will change from blue-green to red when the alarm goes off.  We hope this will help car traffic to slow down when it's time for the fire trucks to roll out.


WHEN IS THE GRAND OPENING?
The artwork and station will be dedicated on Saturday, 03 DEC between 11:00a-1:00p.  Details on the opening ceremony can be found if you follow this link.  We hope to see you there and thanks for all of your great comments and questions!






  
  

let there be light!

will this thing ever light up?  YES!  will it light up in time for the grand opening?  mmmmmmmaybe.  we are currently testing 10w and 5w lighting units to see which one will give us the best beam-spread through the glass.  all lighting units have to be weatherproof, and perfectly aligned with the glass sections in order for the illumination to happen.  there are 40 units in all, 20 of each color.  it's a lot of work, but well worth it!

installation of stone and glass

last week, we completed the installation of the stone and glass for fire station 21.  there has been some nice coverage in the phinneywood blog and lots of interaction with the community as the work takes shape.  swinging the stone and glass into place on a prominent corner of this main thoroughfare has been challenging, but seattle solstice did a magnificent job, supported by the project engineer, paul diedrich.  i am continually amazed by the spirit of the phinney/greenwood community and the steady stream of folks passing by to offer comments, questions, and "thumbs up". 

here are some pictures from the install.  if we are able to stay on schedule, the lighting will be in place on tuesday of next week (27 SEP).

glass section 01 gets lowered into place.

pick points were drilled into the stone for lowering over the center spline.

jason sets stone #02

stone #03 is set and grouted.

stone #05 stacks on glass section #02.

at the end of day #2.

glass #04 is lowered into place by stuart.

the last and final stone #10

final glass.

nothing broken.  noone hurt.  YAY!!!

the finished work, waiting for lighting.

jason, perri, and stuart. photos by patti.

with the project engineer, paul diedrich

glass is ready

glass for the greenwood fire station artwork is ready to go.  we will be installing next week, depending on weather.  each piece of glass is 2" thick, weighing approximately 250 lbs.  the hole in the center accommodates the steel support pipe for the artwork and allows the LEDs to shine through the glass to the outside edge.

logo glass in the house!

 

from the phinneywood blog.

CENTER SPLINE INSTALLATION

Click here to see what the finished sculpture will look like. 

the structural support for the greenwood fire station is now in place.  here's a look at the installation process:

the pipe is 6" diam. galvanized steel.  it is approx. 14 ft. tall.  the holes are where the LEDs will be located, corresponding to the glass sections where light will shine through.

the top of the pipe is fitted with a stainless steel cap which will keep the artwork watertight and house the controller for the lights.

steve twedt from apex metal fabrication handles the installation.

checking the levels.

final placement.

THE PROCESS

Click here to see what the finished sculpture will look like.

Stone #1 - first section being cut with the wire saw.

Stone #1 - second section being cut with the wire saw.

Stone sections being bored with 8" dia. drill.

Stone section with core removed.

Stacking sections #1-4 (10 sections total) with Jason Clauson from Seattle Solstice Stone.

Tracing templates for the glass sections.

The boulder ends will be donated to a local skatepark.

Sections #1-10 sawn, cored, and stacked.

LIGHTING TESTS

These images show the glass sections that will be placed between the stone sections.  When the station is "quiet", the glass will glow blue/green.  When there is an emergency, the glass will change to red/orange.