SALISBURY – A new public art installation will be unveiled in downtown Salisbury next week.
This week, officials with the Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District announced the installation of a new piece of public art in downtown Salisbury.
The three-piece steel sculpture – created by Salisbury University student Blaine Steiner – will be located along the banks of the Wicomico River, near the intersection of Circle Avenue and West Market Street across from Market Street Restaurant and Pub.
Entitled Bloom, the sculpture consists of multiple lighted cast glass elements designed to reference the growth of Downtown Salisbury in recent years. Steiner, a senior at Salisbury University, is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in fine arts and works as a studio assistant in both the glass blowing and sculpting departments.
“The three elements of the sculpture tie together the present, past and future and speaks to the vitality of our City,” Steiner said. “As the sun moves across the sky, light will shine through the work and create dynamic shadows and the nature of the cast glass elements are such that the work will have a totally different feel depending on if its interacting with reflected or transmitted light, creating a dynamic, ever-changing work of art depending on time of day and season”.
An unveiling and ribbon cutting ceremony in conjunction with the City of Salisbury Mayor’s Office is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 4 p.m. Officials said all are welcome to attend.
“We are so thrilled to have Bloom nearing completion,” Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District Executive Director Jamie Heater said. “I can’t wait to see it fully installed.”
The project was funded in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council’s Public Art Program, and matched by the Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District, with in-kind support from Salisbury University.
A call for proposals was publicly advertised last winter. And while multiple proposals were submitted, Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District’s Public Art Committee selected Bloom based on multiple criteria, including creativity, technical viability, and connection to the community.
Bloom is the first project that Salisbury has submitted for the Maryland State Arts Council’s Public Art Grant, but officials say they hope to continue to submit concepts annually.
The newest art installation is just one of several public art pieces on display in downtown Salisbury.
Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District projects include the painted electric utility boxes throughout downtown and the Heron Mural on the City Center Building, to name a few.
Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District is a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the City of Salisbury to produce events, public art, and to market arts & entertainment related activities in Downtown Salisbury.
For more information on Salisbury Arts District, visit www.SalisburyArtsDistrict.com.
