Experience a Sense of Place, Time and Community
Public Art Santa Fe Public Library Southside Branch
Santa Fe Public Library Southside Branch 6599 Jaguar Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87507 505-955-6707 505-955-2811 (fax) City of Santa Fe Arts Commission P.O. Box 909, Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909 505-955-6707 505-955-6671 (fax) artscommission@santafenm.gov www.santafenm.gov
Public Art at the Santa Fe Public Library Southside Branch WordFlow The public art installations at the Santa Fe Public Library Southside Branch are linked by the theme of “WordFlow,� which likens the power of knowledge to the power of water in its ability to transform, nourish, and create community. The concepts suggested by this analogy provided the broad framework which defined the public art collection. Each artist created a piece which built upon and responded to this theme.
WordFlow stuart keeler
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michael machnic
2005 Public art plan and theme “WordFlow” is the thematic vision around which the public art collection at the Southside Library was built. At its core, it likens the power of water to the power of knowledge in its ability to transform, nourish, and create community.
Arroyo Chamiso stuart keeler
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michael machnic
2006 Linoleum Using an aerial map of the Arroyo Chamiso as a starting point, Keeler and Machnic created an abstract waterway and terrain in the library’s main entry. The design flows from “Source,” the donor acknowledgement piece, into the lobby and café areas, drawing a thematic parallel between the community’s generosity and hard-work in realizing the construction of the library and the power of water in creating a sense of place.
Reference Point amy chaloupka
2006 Stainless steel Chaloupka’s piece was inspired by the capability of maps to relay complex information in a beautiful, simplified manner. The surface of this functional drinking fountain is etched with a map of the Santa Fe area, creating a miniature landscape, complete with running water. The water that flows through the fountain echoes the complex and fragile water systems that run through the landscape beyond the walls of the library. The piece also incorporates the taxonomy of the card catalog system by replacing some place names with card catalog call numbers. Books about these places can be looked up on the library’s computer database and found on the library’s shelves.
Source stuart keeler
2007 Cast resin, digital media, and maps A complex layering of cast resin and maps drawn from the “WordFlow” theme create a visually rich installation piece. Commissioned by the Friends of the Library to acknowledge the financial contributions of community members, this artwork also solicited the donation of maps from the public. A complex layering of cast resin and maps drawn from the “WordFlow” theme create a visually rich installation piece. Commissioned by the Friends of the Library to acknowledge the financial contributions of community members, this artwork also solicited the donation of maps from the public.
Untitled arthur sze
1998 Etched glass Taken from the last line of a poem entitled “The Day Can Become a Zen Garden of Raked Sand,” the words of the city’s first Poet Laureate float above the circulation desk. Made clear or obscure by the shifting sunlight, the fleeting nature of the piece echoes the ephemeral nature of water within the landscape.
Water Works don kennell
2007 Steel and ceramic Kennell’s work responds to the cyclical aspect of water in both the environment and the human body by representing the cycle of water from the atmosphere to the earth. Meteorological symbols are combined to create an image of water as the “source.” The “source” leads into a depiction of flowing water with the symbolic life forms that depend upon it. Finally, tiles below reiterate the cycle with clouds, a river and oceans.
View from Below stuart keeler
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michael machnic
2007 Digital media and fabric In a piece that inverts the usual relationship between map and viewer, Keeler and Machnic create a floating landscape with a global and interplanetary perspective. Maps of the Fraser River, the longest river in British Columbia; the Rio Ebro, the longest river in Spain; and the 3 ½ billion year old river system of Mars’ southern hemisphere were used in creating the piece.
Voiced form the South Side barbara robidoux with students karla montes, selene montes, melissa gonzales, laura diaz, maretza varela, and ilse varela.
2006 Etched glass These poetic phrases evolved from a bilingual workshop held on the southside for teens in July 2006. The strong voices of these young poets are a testament to the creativity and power of our youth.
Untitled jimmy romero
2006 Galvanized steel The Spanish Colonial tradition of tinwork is a centuries old art that remains vibrant today. Born into a family of New Mexico tinsmiths, Romero utilized a time-honored motif as his inspiration for creating these unique exterior steel pieces. The scale, 3 ½” by 5 ½”, is unusual for Spanish Colonial tinwork.
Driving directions to Santa Fe Public Library Southside Branch
Rd Airport
ncejo Calle De Ve
Santa Fe Country Club
Fairly Road
Calle Zanate
Calle Targera
Camino Juliana
Southwestern College
San Felipe Road
t aS Fri ua Ag
Avenida Cristina
Country Club Rd
Santa Fe is renowned as a center of art and creativity. This reputation is derived, in no small part, from the wealth of art seen in public places. The citizens of Santa Fe and visitors to the city enjoy an unusual environment filled with sculpture and two-dimensional art placed by private and public entities. Since 1985, the City has set aside 1% of the funds used for new buildings, renovations, and civic infrastructure to build its public art collection. More than 35 works of art that represent a variety of media, styles, and themes make up the collection. Through its public art collection, the City engages the community, stirs people’s imaginations, and inspires meaningful dialog. With this in mind, community involvement is at the core of each public art project. Santa Fe residents are involved in setting policy, choosing project sites, and selecting artists. For more information about the City’s public art collection or the Art in Public Places program, contact the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission. You can visit us on the web at www.santafenm.gov, contact us via email at artscommission@santafenm.gov, or call us at 505-955-6707. The City wishes to thank the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Scenic Byways Program for their generous support that made “Journey’s End” and this brochure possible.