I have been very fortunate to know some amazingly creative and well-connected artists who inspire me. One of those artists is Vivienne McConnell. Vivienne has been doing public art for more than twenty years throughout the United States, mostly in Alaska.
This 2010 installation for a university in Alaska spans 100 feet of window space. A collaboration of three glass artists, this is the center 40ft section to be installed in the common area.
The design is the spawning of the salmon, with the adults racing up stream and the millions of salmon fry swirling with the current downstream to grow and thrive and repeat the cycle of life in the seasons to come. (Pictures are pre-shipping, set up on Vivienne's deck.)
I came to this project late as a volunteer production assistant, lending my hands to cutting, foiling, soldering and polishing Vivienne's beautiful work of art.
I hope to be able to assist her and other artists with upcoming public art, as I have found the scope of such an endeavor exhilirating.
I thank Vivienne for her trust in me as a helper, and I commend her for her talent.
To be sure, I will be researching local public art to get my feet wet on a collaboration here at home.
-Kahlila
