For artists and other art professionals looking to install a heavy, public art piece, the right art logistics partner is crucial, and the earlier you can get the contractors involved, the better. Installers can identify potential roadblocks and problems ahead of time, minimizing the chance that something goes wrong during installation.
Even if art professionals have all the planning in the world, there is always a chance that your installer will need to come up with creative solutions on the spot. Therefore, it is critical to have an installer with years of experience and creative problem-solving skills.
The team at Art Work Fine Art Services has a collective of decades of experience installing some of the most challenging outdoor art pieces for Washington State and Oregon. Recently, our Crating and Special Projects Manager, Rob Saccardi, led a team to install a bronze public art piece at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington. He recently shared what made that project particularly challenging and how the team overcame it to complete a successful installation.
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Case Study: Bronze Public Art Piece at Olympic College
There were two essential components of the art piece: a large stone at the base and bronze, sculptural elements which came out of the base. The stone base had been drilled with holes for the installation of the bronze pieces, but otherwise, the boulder itself was unadulterated.
“In working with this artist, I knew they had spent a ton of time creating concept drawings, making a mockup, having the sculpture fabricated, having the pieces finished correctly, and working out all the details,” says Rob. “This artist spent about 95% of their time creating the bronze elements, and then they spent 5% of their time picking out the boulder from the quarry. Meanwhile, I spent 95% of my time and the budget focused on the boulder.”
The 7,000-pound boulder needed heavy equipment every time it needed to be moved or shifted. The site was flat-bedded and a crane was used to get the boulder into place. Unfortunately, the first part of the base was wrong, and it had to be ripped out and done again. This delayed the project and resulted in a cost overrun, all because of a detail that the artist spent 5% of their time focused on.
“Sometimes the simplest part of a project for artists is the most technically challenging part for installers and contractors,” comments Rob. “It took days and weeks to get the rock installed, but the bronze elements took about four hours.”
Luckily, the team at Art Work was able to quickly make readjustments, which prevented further delays and cost overruns. The project was successfully completed in front of the Olympic College bookstore.
How Art Work FAS Partners with Art Professionals for Outdoor Installations
Art Work FAS offers installation services in Portland and Seattle, in addition to California’s Bay Area and Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, New York City, and across the Rocky Mountains. We employ resources and expertise to handle even the most complicated and hard-to-access installation projects.
Our team is made up of passionate experts in many mediums, including design, painting, printmaking, carpentry, photography, and sculpture. To request an estimate or to learn more about how our art installation team can partner with you to create your vision, contact us or complete the form below.