John Littleton and Kate Vogel announce the completion of a new sculpture, Celebrating Muskegon, their latest large-scale project. Situated in a round-about by the shore of Lake Michigan, the assembly of colored glass and stainless-steel soars twenty-two feet into the air above Pere Marquette Park. The work is the latest realization of Muskegon’s community initiative for outdoor art installations.
Seven stainless steel structures—each formed by two intersecting rings—house blue and green glass. The colors symbolize the natural attributes of the city, green for land and plants, blue for water and sky. Rods tether the rings to each other and a concrete slab. The glass is textured with arced lines and lights up within from dusk to dawn. Up close the patterns trace the trails left by particles passing through space.
From a distance, the rings create an impression of the solar system. As the viewer moves around the sculpture, the shifting configuration highlights elements of the landscape. Each ring offers a frame that changes throughout the day, culminating in an illuminated nighttime observatory.
John describes, "We wished to convey a sense of collaboration between the rings themselves, the environment, and the viewer. The rings hold the energy of many individuals. Supported and elevated by a strong structure they join together to create a greater whole.”
This sculpture expanded the scale of their work. Kate Vogel explains, “To see the project evolve from a model on the design table to the finished sculpture has been an amazing journey for us. We hope the local community and visitors to this beautiful place will experience a bit of the joy we have today in seeing the piece completed."
John Littleton and Kate Vogel have ties to Michigan through their galleries, education, and family vacations. They were thrilled with the site proposed by the project manager, and her support throughout the process. Local volunteers and the artists’s on Erik, a SpaceX engineer, participated in the five-day installation of the sculpture.
Celebrating Muskegon was made possible by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation through their Public Spaces Community Places crowdgranting program, MuskegonCity Public Art Initiative of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, Howmet Aerospace Foundation, and the generous support of donors. This sculpture marks the completion of the third installation in a series of ten for the community.
Please follow these links to visit the sculpture virtually:
New Sculpture at Muskegon’s Pere Marquette Park - mlive.com
Celebrating Muskegon Artwork Comes to Pere-Marquette Beach, WZZM 13
