The Future Culture 2018 Presents Sonic Gates + Court Yard Fridays ~ Staten Island

 

 

Float, Float, Float On by Arthur Simms is a floating sculpture collaged with nautical buoys and bells that will create chords as waves splash through and around it.
Photo by Sam Samore. Image courtesy Design Trust for Public Space

Sonic Gates: New York City’s Sound Sculpture Walk was created by artist Volker Goetze as a public art pilot of the Future Culture initiative, launched by The Design Trust for Public Space and Staten Island Arts. Sonic Gatesfeatures seven sound sculptures and a mural. Installed last summer, Sonic Gates is on view through June, 2019.

Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services Gregg Bishop and Commissioner of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl walk Sonic Gates on July 25, 2018. Pictured are Bishop and Finkelpearl with featured artist Lina Montoya. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola) Image courtesy Staten Island Advance.

The Sonic Gates sound sculpture walk created by artist Volker Goetze was unveiled on Saturday, July 14, 2018, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:00 pm at the St. George Ferry Terminal, followed by performances at sculpture sites on Bay Street, and an opening reception from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at ArtSpace @ Staten Island Arts, 23 Navy Pier Court, Staten Island.  The seven sound sculptures and a mural, on view for a year, are located along a wide-ranging stretch of landscape in St. George, Tompkinsville, and Stapleton, spanning Bay Street’s diverse storefronts, lively Tompkinsville Park, and the expansive waterfront.

Future Culture
Float, float, Float On by Arthur Simms. Image courtesy of the artist

Taking it from the top, Sonic Gate, created by Jeremy Munson, is located at the St. George Ferry Terminal Plaza. The sculpture measures 7’2″ long, 3′ wide and 7’2″ tall. It consists of three movable bell tubes that create a harmonic chord.

Float, Float, Float On, created by Arthur Simms, is located on the waterfront along Front Street. It measures 3′ in diameter and 7′ tall, and consists of dozens of nautical buoys, hammers and bells, which are attached together around a larger recycled buoy.

This piece, titled “Ballena & Vallenato (Whale & Calf),” was created by Lina Montoya and is located in St. George. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)

Right Whale is created by Lina Montoya with Curtis High School students. It is located at the Barrett Triangle Bus Shelter on Bay Street at Prospect Street and consists of two murals equalling 90-feet-long, of the endangered Right Whale, in homage to Staten Island’s maritime heritage.  Image courtesy of the artist.

“Our public art installations will attract Staten Islanders to get out of their cars and visitors to pass beyond the ferry terminal and explore the North Shore by foot or bike. We encourage everyone to slow down and discover things that we would otherwise miss just whizzing by in a city bus, the Staten Island Railway, or a car,” said Volker Goetze, lead artist of Sonic Gates.

The Future Culture
Drum Totem by Alassane Drabo. Image courtesy of the artist

Drum Totem, created by Alassane Drabo is located at Tompkinsville Park. It is 3′ wide and 16′ tall. The arranged pieces of reclaimed timber from the Staten Island shore incorporate ancient West African drums and will complement the ongoing weekly drum circles in Tompkinsville Park.

“This engaging public art program will inspire Staten Islanders and visitors to walk the underused pathways and unleash new possibilities for regenerating public spaces as a valuable community asset,” said Susan Chin, FAIA, Hon. ASLA, Executive Director, Design Trust for Public Space.
The Future Culture
Animal Cleats by Lina Montoya. Image courtesy of the artist

Animal Cleats, created by Lina Montoya is located on Bay Street between Hanna Street and Tappen Park. It is 6′ long, 1′ 6″ wide, and 4′ tall. The dolphins in the installation are made of re-used bottle caps and connect the trail between Tompkinsville Park and Tappen Park.

“Strong neighborhoods are the backbone of our city, and the $1.54 million in investments to Staten Island through our Neighborhood 360 ° grant program are already going a long way towards revitalizing key commercial corridors,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “By working with Staten Island Arts, we are responding to local needs to support small business growth and build more vibrant neighborhoods for all New Yorkers.”

There are eight installments of the Sonic Gates public art and sound collection, created by Volker Goetze, Staten Island Arts and Design Trust for Public Space.. This piece, titled “Talking Tubes,” was designed by DB Lampman and stands in St. George. Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola) Image courtesy of Staten Island Advance

Talking Tubes, created by DB Lampman is located at the Barrett Triangle and Bay Street. It measures 7′ 9″ long, 5’55” wide and 8′ tall. The colorful PVC pipes shaped into whimsical lines, can be played to create sounds.

Wind Harp #7 by Scott Van Campen. Image courtesy of the artist

Wind Harp #7, created by Scott Van Campen, is located on Bay Street at Slosson Terrace. It measures 17″ long, 2’6″ wide and 12′ tall. The steel strings vibrate in the wind and “sing” recreating the phenomenon of the “von Kármán Vortex Street.”

The Future Culture pilots will highlight our borough’s rich cultural assets, from the Bay Street commercial corridor bustling with restaurants, stores and art centers, to Parks locations where dynamic community activities are taking place, to the spectacular waterfront, where we are reflecting Staten Island’s deep maritime heritage,” said Elizabeth Bennett, Executive Director at Staten Island Arts.

There are eight installments of the Sonic Gates public art and sound collection, created by Volker Goetze, Staten Island Arts and Design Trust for Public Space. This piece of public art, made by DB Lampman and students of PS 78. It hangs in Tappen Park in Stapleton. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)

Wind Chimes, created by DB Lampman in collaboration with students from PS 78, is located at Tappen Park.  It measures 10′ long and 12′ tall. Wind will activate the hung wind chimes to create musical sounds.

Sonic Gates is created by artist Volker Goetze. In addition, Court Yard Fridays is developed by musician Homer Jackson, community organizer Kevin Washington, and designer Lynn Washington. Both are pilot projects of the Staten Island’s Waterfront, fostering community connections. The project is supported in part by the NYC Department of Small Business Services’ Neighborhood 360° Grant program.

Sonic Gate
Sonic Gate created by Jeremy Munson. Image courtesy of the artist.
Court Yard Fridays will host music performances on four consecutive Fridays in June 2018, in the courtyard between the Staten Island Borough Hall and the old Supreme Court in St. George, Staten Island. This concert series brings together pioneering music legends of varying genres representing cultures from around the world: House and techno powerhouse Worldtown Soundsystem on June 8 at 5 pm, funk and brangra guru Red Baraat on June 15 at 5 pm, Afro-Latin music impresario Papo Vázquez on June 22 at 5 pm, and Staten Island’s jazz band extraordinaire UTA All Stars on June 29 at 5 pm. Staten Island native, retired NYC Firefighter, and community organizer Kevin Washington, Philadelphia Jazz Project director Homer Jackson and designer Lynn Washington created Court Yard Fridays to activate this underused central civic space in St. George as a regular gathering place for the Staten Island community and visitors.

“Located directly across the street from the Staten Island Ferry, the Richmond County Courthouse – a beautiful example of neo-classical, 20th century architecture – will come to life at our four multicultural concerts featuring international music stars and local talent. We invite commuters, workers, neighbors, and visitors to join us,” said Kevin Washington, organizer ofCourt Yard Fridays.

Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services Gregg Bishop and Commissioner of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl walk Sonic Gates on July 25, 2018. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)
The installations vary from nautical buoys covered with bells on the waterfront along Front Street, to “talking” PVC pipes at the Barrett Triangle, to a self-playing wind harp on Thompson Street, to a drum totem for weekly drum circles in Tompkinsville Park, to calming wind chimes in Tappen Park, to a 90-foot-long mural of the endangered Right Whale at a bus shelter that pays homage to Staten Island’s maritime heritage.
A team of Staten Island-based artists directed by Volker Goetze created the artworks with Staten Island MakerSpace as an integral community partner. The team includes Scott Van Campen, Alassane Drabo, DB Lampman, Jeremy Munson, Lina Montoya, Arthur Simms, and students from PS 78. Sam Samore is the artistic advisor.
The opening performances by Dawn Crandell, James Shipp, Xi. Me. Na, Yacouba Sissoko, and Martita Abril at each public art piece will lead the audience along this walk.
For more images, check out Staten Island Advance.