Carson City Supervisors to vote on roundabout 'Downtown Gateway' sculpture selection Thursday
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Tue, 12/19/2023 - 12:25pm
On Thursday, Carson City Supervisors will select a sculpture design for the roundabout at South Carson Street and South Stewart Street, which is intended to serve as Carson City’s downtown gateway.
Previously, a request for qualifications was released and the city received 153 submissions which were then scored by an ad-hoc panel. The three top-scoring artists have since spent time in Carson City researching the project and “gaining inspiration from the people, history and environment,” according to the agenda.
Artists were asked to complete a proposal that was site-specific, incorporated Carson City symbols, emblems, culture and/or history, included clean, simple lines, and be aesthetically pleasing from all directions.
The top three artists were awarded $3,000 as part of their participation.
At the November 13 meeting of the Cultural Commission, commissioners recommended the approval of Karen Yank’s “Sense of Place.”
Supervisors will decide whether or not to enter into a contract with Yank which carries an approved budget of $190,300.
About Karen Yank’s proposal
In her proposal, Yank’s sculpture “Sense of Place” is based on the intersection of culture and history, while “serving as a monument to its captivating natural beauty and exciting vibrant nature.”
Yank’s design (photos 1-3) incorporates the bristlecone pine in the center, with a silhouette of the state Capitol building, and an eagle.
“I chose to include the eagle as a metaphor representing the spirit of the people past and present,” Yank wrote. “Seeing that the city has already chosen to showcase the eagle at the northern and southern points of its community, I thought it would be nice to add that element to this central location as well weaving this symbol of spirit and freedom throughout the entire community.”
Further, Yank writes: The focal and center piece of “Sense of Place” holds the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine which is the oldest know living tree in history. I am using the Bristlecone Pine not only to represent Carson City’s long history, but also as a symbol of its bright future. The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine may hold the key to bark beetle management, hence preserving all the other trees found throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains. Another important element in my design is seen in the detailed insets found on the outer band of the circle. I use this pattern found on the Washoe Tribe’s Seal to include their important history in this area into the sculpture.
In total, the sculpture will stand 20 feet tall from its base, and 25 feet above the roadway due to the roundabout’s height.
Other finalists
The other top two finalists were Curtis Pittman and Michael Szabo.
Pittman said that after visiting Carson City, he realized how impactful Burning Man has been in the shift towards including art in public spaces regionally, especially in Reno. However, he said that repurposed art can lack an identity or purpose in its new setting.
He said that she turned to researching the Comstock, as well as the natural flora in our surrounding desert and submitted two designs: a geometrical design (photo 4) and a botanical design (photo 5).
Szabo’s proposal “Willows” (photo 6) was influenced by the narrow leaf of a willow, due to its importance to the local Great Basin tribes and to the willow tree’s continued presence throughout the region.
To learn more, the full packet can be viewed here.
