Soaring more than two stories high, a new art installation will transform Mellon Square Park.
“Aurora: Illuminating the Holiday Magic of Mellon Square Park” in Downtown Pittsburgh will debut on Light Up Night at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Aurora refers to arches of light, which is fitting.
“It was amazing to see it being built and to now see it in its full glory is wonderful,” said Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy CEO Catherine Qureshi. “Public art speaks to everybody. This is so exciting — so energizing. We love Mellon Square Park and this art is a way to keep it activated throughout the winter.”
Usually Mellon Square Park closes from October until April. The conservancy wanted to try something different, Qureshi said, so an artists call was held and 30 artists submitted credentials. Joshua Challen Ice of Murrysville was chosen. His work will be on site through mid-January.
“His vision spoke to us,” said Qureshi, who is open to doing this again. “His idea fit the space perfectly.”
Ice describes it as “an immersive light installation.”
The structure is made from an aluminum truss and is 25-feet high and 70-feet long. Aurora features nearly 700 diamond-shaped polycarbonate panels that have been machine-cut. The diamonds catch the breeze or respond to the touch of passersby, Ice said. The diamonds are arranged in an argyle pattern.
The installation rises and dips as it bounces across pathways, stretches over the central fountain, and weaves through landscaping and gathering spaces, soaring more than two-stories high at its peak, Ice said.
The polycarbonate diamonds are white but diffuse light from stage lights set up nearby. So they appear to change color. Wind will affect how the diamonds move.
Ice said people might associate the art with the Northern Lights, which are called aurora borealis, a natural light display in varying hues.
“It is fantastic to have this open on Light Up Night and I am looking forward to seeing how people respond to it and interact with it,” said Ice, as he stood near the artwork on Thursday evening.
Ice, is a Point Park University graduate in theatrical light design. He is a sculptor and installation artist who works at the Mattress Factory on Pittsburgh’s North Side where he builds installations for artists.
His background is in lighting design and entertainment technology. Ice’s work has been exhibited in a wide range of settings from galleries to public spaces.
“This is a dream come true,”Ice said.
Mellon Square Park was built in 1955 on top of a parking garage and conceived as a green space in the middle of downtown with the fountain’s running water blocking out the sounds of the city. It is known as a space for summer block parties and live lunchtime music.
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy gave the park a complete makeover in 2014. Aurora has been made possible through The Benter Foundation, Eden Hall Foundation and Richard King Mellon Foundation.
Light Up Night activities
During Light Up Night from 6 to 9 p.m. there will be photo opportunities, ice sculptures, carolers and a hot cocoa stand. Restaurants will serve seasonal cocktails, mocktails and treats. Cello Fury will perform with three cellos and drums.
There will be free rides on the Holly Trolley between Mellon Square Park and Market Square from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
This is the first-ever holiday display in Mellon Square Park. It will help illuminate the city along with Christmas trees at the City-County Building, PPG Place and at the former Horne’s department store as well as the Rachel Carson, Andy Warhol, and Roberto Clemente Bridges, known as the Sister Bridges, which have been transformed in a stunning light installation.
For the bridges, artists Marques Redd and Mikael Owunna, co-founders and co-executive directors of the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Rainbow Serpent, created the artwork that will be on display Saturday through Dec. 31.
Redd is a multimedia artist, independent scholar and traditional African cosmologist. Owunna is a Nigerian American multi-media artist, filmmaker and engineer who explores the intersections of technology, art and African cosmologies.
The bridge project draws inspiration from indigenous and African diasporic traditions. In a 15-minute light show it will run on a continuous loop from sunset to midnight. Public art specialists Shiftworks assisted with Aurora and the Sister Bridges projects.
“In many ways our work is a metaphorical bridge — between ancient and contemporary, myth and science, art and technology, seen and unseen,” said Owunna, who also serves as president of the City of Pittsburgh’s Public Art and Civic Design Commission in a statement.” We strive to create art that ritually elevates those who engage with it, inspires people to see themselves as part of something larger and deeply interconnected, and leads people to explore the limitless creative potential within themselves and the world around them. Come journey on the bridge with us!”
Details: pittsburghparks.org or therainbowserpent.org