The Outer Harbor is set to be graced with some new high profile public cart. The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) Board of Directors have announced that world-famous artist Robert Indiana’s work “NUMBERS ONE through ZERO” will be temporarily installed at Wilkeson Pointe in early June – the work is on loan until October 2019. The playful work of art, comprised of 10 eight-foot-high COR-TEN steel sculptures, weighing close to 2,000 pounds apiece, will be the perfect fit for Wilkeson Pointe, due to the number of families that frequent the site. According to the ECHDC, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery will facilitate the loan* and exhibition of this monumental work of public art.
“Just as the Outer Harbor, thanks to Governor Cuomo, is now open to all, we think that public art should be accessible to all,” said Empire State Development Senior Vice President Christopher Schoepflin. “Wilkeson Pointe is the perfect place to display these iconic works by Robert Indiana. By partnering with a renowned institution such as the Albright-Knox we are both expanding the public’s interaction with art, and activating the Outer Harbor to bring more people to the waterfront to enjoy its natural beauty.”
The Outer Harbor turns out to be the perfect place for whimsical creations, as can be seen with the relatively new playground that was constructed back in 2015 (see here). Who would have thought in a million years that so many families would flock to that family-friendly interactive feature? The place is constantly packed with kids and adults having the times of their lives. The more things to see and do at the Outer Harbor, the more that these families will stick around. It would be great to see some food trucks out there this summer, to accommodate the people who are cycling, playing, boating, etc. That said, “NUMBERS ONE through ZERO” should fit in well with everything else going on at the Outer Harbor. Maybe this sculpture, along with Flat Man, will help to demonstrate the need (and the want) for a sculpture park along the waterfront?
“We are thrilled to partner with ECHDC to bring these extraordinary works by one of America’s foremost artists into the public realm,” said Albright-Knox Deputy Director, Dr. Joe Lin-Hill. “This summer the museum will present a major retrospective of Indiana’s sculptural work, and this installation at the Outer Harbor allows us to share that exhibition in the wider community through the AK Public Art Initiative.”
Projects costs associated with the art installation:
The project costs will be direct expenses related to the installation, maintenance, and deinstallation of the sculptures. The AKAG will not receive a fee associated with the project; nor is there a fee associated with the loan of the artwork. The Wilkeson Pointe installation coincides with the exhibition Robert Indiana: A Sculpture Retrospective at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery this summer.
For more information on “NUMBERS ONE through ZERO,” visit Robert Indiana’s website.
The ECHDC Board also approved a $480,000 contract to Dixon Schwabl, Inc. for the development of a new website to serve as a “one stop shop” for Canalside and the Outer Harbor and development of a Buffalo “waterfront” umbrella brand to help support the individual Canalside and Outer Harbor brand identities. Dixon Schwabl is a full-service, women-owned marketing firm with more than 30 years of experience in branding, advertising, design, strategy, research, PR and digital services. The new website and brand is expected to launch in spring 2019.
The funding source for both contracts is the New York Power Authority relicensing agreement.