Thursday, April 14, 2011

KITES & FLIGHTS



While in Jacksonville installing the 'Sky Bridges' aerial sculpture at the airport we installed our kite exhibition "Kites & Flights" in the Haskell Gallery there. The show features kites from our collection made by Melanie and myself over the years. It is a great pleasure to see the kites in an environment that is so public and available to people who are in transit, waiting for arriving friends and family and need a little diversion and vision into the world of kites. What better place than an airport!

The idea for the show came from early discussions with the airport's public art commission. We were presenting our proposal ideas for the newly renovated main connector bridge to the concourses and showed a few pictures of our kite works. The kites have been a big inspiration for the themes and aerial sculpture we've done in the public art realm over the years so it was good to put up a show in conjunction with the installation of the permanent 'Sky Bridges' sculpture.

Cabeth Cornelius who manages the Haskell Gallery and the airport's public art collection encouraged us to combine the show with the completion and dedication ceremony for the commissioned work. We ended up pulling many of the kites that have been our dedicated 'show' kites. These are either ones that we prefer not to fly at the kite festivals to keep them in good condition or prototype and test kites that, how should I say it, preformed slightly below our international kite festival criteria. Ok... they didn't fly so great. Most of the kites exhibited fly well. It does take a special appreciation level to see the kites close up in the intimate gallery space. We're proud of the craft involved in kite making and like it when people can get close up to the kites to appreciate that aspect. Many people who came to the show opening enjoyed the show and colors. Some told us it was the best show they have seen in the gallery.

The show opened a couple days after the last hanging cable was crimped on the 'Sky Bridges' sculpture on March 24th and will continue until July 14th 2011. If you're flying through Jacksonville anytime soon, please stop by and see the show.... as well as the 'Sky Bridges' aerial sculpture. Can't miss it. Just look up before you go down to baggage claim.





live music for the opening!

Melanie and George at the opening of the show 'Kites & Flights'

For more images from 'Kites & Flights' go to our Flikr slide show

2 comments:

udvardy boglárka said...

congratulation!

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