Anchorage is a city built of utility. It is here because of mining and the military, and in the last thirty years, oil money has certainly helped it grow. But the Pacific Northwest does not lend itself to the warmth of brick buildings and limestone facades. The saving grace for the beauty of public works in Alaska has long been its commitment to funding public artwork alongside the building of roads, bridges, and trails, creating surprising little nuggets of creativity throughout the state.
Having enjoyed the beauty of Raven trailing a curtain of auroras at the intersection of Tudor and Lake Otis, the cleverness of A Street being turned into a giant stream for fishing, and oddity of the mountains on the Glenn Highway overpass at Bragaw, I was delighted to discover sculpture scattered around the communities in St. Louis.
Everywhere as we drove around, we saw different pieces of artwork to admire. From the alternate takes on the Totem Pole off of Delmar Blvd to the ballerinas on Carondolet Plaza, we kept finding interesting, beautiful, odd, poignant pieces of art to admire. The man on a horse sculpture at the intersection of Wydown and Hanley became one of our landmarks as we drove in circles and rectangles around Clayton, Brentwood and other communities.
My Mom and I made a special trip to the Brown Shoe Company just to see a shoe sculpture that I had found online. When I found it, it was just an oddity – a picture that came up when I searched Google Images for St. Louis that wasn’t of the arch. The shoe was worth the side trip – it is a giant woman’s dress shoe made out of thousands of the same shoe- only in size 10. From the pictures, I was expecting it to be a dull grey, but up close in the light, it sparkled just like the glittery shoes that I had picked up for dinner with the hiring manager the evening before my interview. Ironically, even the shape of the shoe was similar to what I had chosen.
Come a nice day this spring, once I am settled into my new home, I am looking forward to driving around St. Louis just to check out the sculptures. I want to see the ballerinas when the water is running, find the dancing chairs, and look for Awakening Spring. What better way to explore my new hometown than to get lost looking for beauty?
Links to information about public art in St. Louis:
I think that public art adds character to any location, and it's nice to discover something pretty (or interesting, odd, or poignant) interspersed throughout the landscape. Because I've been here a while, I've stopped looking for the art - but I think I'll pay more attention to see what's new and recognize what's beautiful. Happy hunting to you, Jodie!
ReplyDeleteOne piece that I always wanted to stop and take a look at in Anchorage was a fairly new installation up in Mountain View. The artists had made masks of local residents and built an illuminated wall showcasing the masks.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a nice stop if you and Greg get up toward that end of town? :)