Circle of Friendship
The Circle is a universal symbol representing Unity. Non-linear, without beginning and end, it creates focus and balance.
The preliminary concept envisioned an artwork that served to describe a space in the environment, rather than functioning as a standalone object. This space then becoming an invitation, facilitating engagement and enabling the coming together of individuals and communities.
Brush Square Renovation (2022)
The Austin Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) put out an open call in early 2022 to commission artwork(s) for Brush Square. Key requirements included the need to ‘weave together stories from a variety of nearby events including music festivals and tourist attractions’; engage ‘with the unique history of the adjacent museums’; integrate ‘with the beauty and nature of the surrounding oak trees; and, be ‘accessible physically and conceptually by visitors of all ages to the park’.
Brush Square is located at a busy downtown location serving residents, businesses, and visitors. Over the years, the Square was used as a rail stop, a cotton yard, and the site of the City’s first Central Fire Station in 1938. Between 1893 and 1895, the author William Sidney Porter, better known as O. Henry, resided in Austin in a nearby rental house that was later relocated to Brush Square in 1934. The structure now houses the O. Henry Museum which is open to the public.
The Circle is envisioned as a gathering place, a space for individuals and communities to engage with one another in multiple ways. Some examples shown here include: Exhibition space, Public market; Stage and performance; and, Screening space.
Functions ...
