RUSKIN, Fla. — Seattle-based Koryn Rolstad Studios designed a public art piece in Ruskin, Fla., entitled “Sandpiper Pavilions.” Located in the James Harkins IV Plaza at the SouthShore Regional Library Exterior Plaza, the permanent installation uses six ILUMINARC® Ilumipod Inground 36 exterior lighting solutions, installed by Portland-based Hollywood Lighting, to illuminate the sculptures in color-changing light.
Composed of palm leaves laser-cut into circular steel sunshades perched atop powder-coated aluminum bases, the structures resemble clusters of sandpipers convening in the sand. There are two groups of three “sandpipers” that form an arc, which allow plaza visitors to walk between their curved legs and beneath each “belly” of the bird. Three inground fixtures uplight these small flocks in slow-changing colors from six pre-programmed shows while employing an ILUMINARC® Ilumicode addresser.
“The pavilions are part of the Hillsborough County Public Art program and depict the running sandpipers at the nearby shore,” said Koryn Rolstad of Koryn Rolstad Studios. “We are excited about using [ILUMINARC®] products and relied so much on Hollywood Lighting to help us through this process.” The plaza, named for internationally acclaimed Irish historian, lecturer and world traveler James J. Harkins IV—who was also a fan of sandpipers, has become a public space for concerts, farmer’s markets and general gatherings. This suits an underlying goal of public art introduced to public spaces, which art programs at the local, state or national level try to achieve. For Rolstad, the gratification comes from designing projects that relate to the community.