The City of Bellingham has installed a new sculpture in the North End Regional Pond (NERP) off of the newly developed Mahogany Avenue. The inclusion of artwork in public places reinforces the City's status as a regional arts destination, increases quality of life and attracts tourism and visitors to the area. The primary goal of this project is to create a visual interest along Mahogany Avenue and the pedestrian trail adjacent to the NERP.
The sculpture entitled “Rain Flower” created by artist Noah Ives of Building Wellness Lab, is placed in the pond and will have an ever-changing presence. With the fluctuation of water, the sculpture's visibility changes. This unique characteristic of the artwork will make the experience for those viewing it, different each time. The scuplture is made of 85 petals, laser-cut from sheet steel, formed with a press-brake and welded together.
“The Rain Flower is inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds it. It is both plantlike and architectural; both a solid object and an open vessel for wind, rain, light and the life of the pond to flow through. Time is integral to the design – over the next six months it will mature from steel-gray to rust-orange, and as the pond fills with rain. Its purpose is to celebrate Bellingham's wonderful landscape and encourage visitors to engage more closely with their surroundings” said the artist, Noah Ives.
The project is funded through the City's One Percent for the Arts program, a program which dedicates one percent of all eligible large capital project budgets for the incorporation of artwork. This will be the fourth completed percent for art project for the City since the establishment of the program in 2015. For more information regarding this project and others please visit www.cob.org/percent4art.
