Watertower Part II, Research

How does one begin to think about how to design art for maybe one of the largest public art commissions? The tower is 175 feet tall, and Lisa DeJohn has been asked to design art for the tank; that’s that circular donut thing on top. Mesa del Sol is a a community that will have 37,000 homes, 3,000 acres of parks and open space with outdoor art and sculputure; there will be schools, and bike paths, and all kinds of great things for a semi-sustainable, amazing planned community. Since the water tower will be so visible, the visionary Amy Coburn, Director of Residential Development, insisted upon commissioning art for it and as a way to enliven the community.

The first step for Lisa is getting reference, so Susan McCabe and I take Lisa to a garden nursery and the Pertroglyph National Monument where Lisa can take photos for inspiration.