Public Works

Public Works

Skeleton & Skin
Mitchell Museum at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mt. Vernon, IL | 2014

The public project for the Mitchell Museum centers on the unique architectural feature of an exterior support beam located at the north end of the building.  During a site visit in 2012, I asked myself “What unusual characteristics define the architecture? What is the purpose of the 15 degree angle in the roof’s support beam?”  The bent gesture of the preexisting beam inspired a skeletal and muscular form that supports the museum roof.  The art magnifies the column’s implied joint and upward movement.  The installation functions as both an architectural intervention and artwork in dialogue with the physical space of the museum and the people that make up its community.

Currents
Jill Downen + Act3
Center of Creative Arts, Saint Louis, MO | 2010

To honor the founding Executive Director, Stephanie Riven, COCA commissioned this permanent installation in the architectural addition to the original Erich Mendelsohn design of Synagogue B’Nai Amoona. The aim of the artwork was to celebrate a place of diverse people, interests and creativity.

Chosen from a field of sixty national and international artists, our project aimed to transform the COCA entrance into an interactive installation of sculpture, light, color and sound. The skin-like topography of the wall expresses subtle movements, like a dancer’s stretch or a river’s waves flowing together in a soothing rhythm.

Visitors’ movements trigger motion detectors that activate soundscapes, coordinated lighting, color and pattern transitions that transform the space into personalized, continually-changing experience.

error: © 2003-2020 Jill Downen