[Vision2020] PR - Wren Welcome Garden Selection Committee Recommends Robert Horner piece for installation

Tue Dec 20 15:18:13 PST 2011

City of Moscow
206 E Third Street
Moscow, ID 83843
Contact: Gary J. Riedner, City Supervisor
p     |  208-883-7006
e     |   griedner at ci.moscow.id.us<mailto:griedner at ci.moscow.id.us>
w    |  www.ci.moscow.id.us<http://www.ci.moscow.id.us>

PRESS RELEASE
Wren Welcome Garden Selection Committee Recommends Robert Horner piece for installation

December 19, 2011 (Moscow, Idaho) - The Wren Welcome Garden Selection Committee has formally recommended Robert Horner's "Helio-Terra" proposal to the City Council for installation at the Wren Welcome Garden, located at the south couplet of Highways 95 and 8, just south of Gritman Medical Center.

The proposed piece as described by the artist, "Helio-Terra is a mass of locally quarried earth that is compacted into a form resembling a seed.  The geometry of artwork is a gesture towards the agricultural heritage of Moscow, as well as the grain towers that flank the site.  The seed is a concentration of nutrient that gives forth the energy necessary to yield future sustenance, and thus serves as a metaphor for the community of Moscow. Helio-Terra strikes a direct connection between the sun and the harvest. The artwork highlights the furthest reaches of the sun along the horizon and depicts solar-rhythmic seasonal crests that have served as agricultural anchors for thousands of years."

The recommended piece stands 20 feet tall, and will be constructed of rammed earth, a well-graded mixture of subsoil with varying amounts of iron-oxide affecting the color of the earth to simulate the colors of the rolling hills of the Palouse.  Additional features include the variety of concave cavities that correspond to solar orientation.

Selection Committee Member Robin Ohlgren notes of the piece, "At its core, the Horner piece which was the final selection by the Wren Welcome Garden Public Art Committee, evokes several significant features of Moscow and the surrounding Palouse:  its landscape, its agricultural traditions, and the innovative people who settled it. The rammed earth symbol of harvest tells a story of the land and of the culture that has evolved here, and gives us a visual reminder of the solar rhythm that influences our lives. It is both innovative and ancient, serene yet dynamic. It will welcome citizens at a busy intersection into our community, and provoke inquiry for years to come."

Horner resides in Port Townsend, Washington, and has a background in planning and design, as well as archeology and microbiology. In 2008, he decided to dedicate himself to public artwork.  His first public art installation was in 2008-09 at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.  His most recent installation was the Tidal Resonance Chamber in Tacoma, Washington, another rammed earth project.  More information about the artist can be found at his website at www.robertmhorner.com<http://www.robertmhorner.com>.

The selection process for the site began with a Request for Qualifications that closed September 9, 2011.  The project was open to Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington artists. Twenty-one submissions were received, and from that the Wren Welcome Garden Selection Committee, an independent selection panel of arts professionals and community stakeholders, selected three semi-finalists after an in depth review of past work, previous experience, and demonstrated skill level.

The Committee was led by Karen Bubb, Public Arts Manager for the City of Boise, Idaho.  Bubb's assistance was made possible by an Idaho Commission on the Arts grants.  With her services, the City of Moscow established a process for this and future public art selections.  The selection committee was comprised of the following local volunteers:

  *   Ann-Marie Bilderback, Moscow Parks and Recreation Commission Member
  *   Stephen Drown, Chair of the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Idaho, Moscow Urban Renewal Agency Commissioner
  *   David Giese, Chair of the Moscow Arts Commission and Academic Faculty in Art and Design at the University of Idaho
  *   Tom Lamar, City Council Member and liaison to the Moscow Arts Commission
  *   Jeanne Leffingwell, Moscow Resident, Public Artist
  *   Heidi Linehan, Gritman Medical Center Foundation Executive Director
  *   Robin Ohlgren, Moscow Arts Commission Member
  *   Donna Woolston, Moscow Arts Commission Member

A site visit with the three finalists was held in late October at which point a Request for Proposals was forwarded to the finalists requiring specific proposals for the design, fabrication, and installation of a permanent outdoor sculpture.  The deadline for proposals was November 28, 2011.

Proposals were then displayed and public comment was accepted from December 8 to the 16, 2011 at City Hall in Moscow, Idaho.  Artist submissions were also posted on the City of Moscow website on December 10 and are still available for viewing at www.ci.moscow.id.us/art/wrenrfq_temp.aspx<http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/art/wrenrfq_temp.aspx>.  Based on the Committee's independent selection panel's input and the gathered public comment, Horner's design was chosen for recommendation to be approved by the City Council at their next scheduled meeting on January 3, 2012.

Selection Committee Member Donna Woolston, explains the process, "The Wren Public Art project was a rewarding adventure to be a part of the journey of discovering each option and opportunity for Moscow as presented by the professional artist was rich and thought provoking. In the end, as each story was told, the final decision unfolded with it, rendering a thoughtful and exciting conclusion for us all in the form of the Horner sculpture."

The Wren Welcome Garden was acquired by the City of Moscow via a land exchange with the Idaho Transportation Department in August of 2002.  During the summer of 2006, Moscow downtown merchants were asked to submit name suggestions for the park.  Wren Welcome Garden is a hybrid of two names proposed and was put forth by the Parks and Recreation Department and approved by the City Council in July of 2006.

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Story Contact: Kathleen Burns, Arts Director
Phone: 208-883-7036
Email: kburns at ci.moscow.id.us<mailto:kburns at ci.moscow.id.us>

The City of Moscow delivers quality municipal services while ensuring responsible use of resources.
We anticipate and meet the needs of our diverse population in order to build public trust
 and enhance a sense of community.

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