Embrace: Public Art on The Smokestack
PUENTE worked with artist Gillian Christy to create a dramatic urban signifier for The Plant. Visible from Route 6/10, Federal Hill, Olneyville, Mount Pleasant, and the West Side, the smokestack project has a tremendous impact on the perception of the neighborhood, community pride, sense of place, and the role of the arts in community building and development.
With support from the City of Providence, community welding classes were held at The Steel Yard, giving male and female students ages 15-45 years the opportunity to help fabricate several of the leaves that adorn the stack.
Gillian Christy is a local artist with experience in creating site-specific and public artwork. The arts have always played an important and influential part in Gillian's life and after working with many mediums, she found her true love working three-dimensionally with metal. The opportunity to create large-scale art works has come to be by attending, and graduating May 2002, from the University of Northern Iowa. It is through constant investigating, learning and growing that her work is being redefined. For a more complete biography and portfolio, visit her website www.gillianchristy.com.
The Smokestack Project is an example of PUENTE's commitment to finding
creative ways to engage artists and community members in the
real-estate development process.
This project would not have been possible without the generosity of individuals, corporations and grant-making agencies. All of these partners on this wonderful project are listed on the next page.
