The artwork has been chosen, now that all awaits is a place and time.
Stacy Levy”™s unique array of 20-foot poles depicting the rise and fall of the tide on the Hudson River is ready on a small model scale. All that the artist from Spring Mills, Pa., needs is the OK from Yonkers city government as to when to create it and where to place it.
Levy”™s work was selected from among artwork offered by some 200 artists worldwide vying to place their creation in a highly visible spot in the city”™s downtown and riverfront area.
The delay in picking a specific location for the tide poles is due to the indefinite time schedule of the massive undertaking slated for the city”™s downtown, said Helen Tvedt, special assistant to the mayor, Office of Economic Development, as well as a panel member and coordinator of the artwork competition.
A specific site for the artwork “remains up in the air” as it depends upon the final approval of the plans for the redevelopment, Tvedt said. “The mayor has not put a timeline on the project.”
Tvedt described the artists as “all incredible” with “great submissions.” After whittling down the entries to five artists, Tvedt said the judges were all in favor of Levy”™s Tide Poles. The other four artists and their proposals were: Steve Gillman, titanium sculptures that resembled large blades of grass; Brower Hatcher, a perceived cross-section view of the Nepperhan River; Dennis Oppenheim, a lighthouselike tower of curved glass; and Laurel Porcari, a glass sculpture depicting the edges of the city building and the Palisades escarpment across the river.
For her winning sculptures, Levy said she will use ultraviolet-resistant polycarbonate for strength and durability. The 20-foot poles will be lit with changing light-emitting diodes to show the rising and falling tide of the Hudson River. The LEDs will be powered by electricity plugged in at the site, Levy said.
“LEDs use very little energy to run; a watch battery runs an LED for five straight days,” she said.
Levy is also considering supplying the power with solar energy captured on site, which would add to the cost but would also add to the interest of the piece.
In addition to the light poles, glass insets would be scattered throughout the paving to show the fish populations and the microorganisms the fish eat.
“I hope this work brings additional understanding to the site by embracing the natural patterns of the river. And on a cold winter”™s afternoon or a lovely summer night, I hope the sculpture allows people to see the river”™s eternal tidal clock.”
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