The Collaboration of Design and Art, or CODAworx, is, a prestigious global community for commissioned artwork. Recently, they selected the "Top 100 most successful design projects that integrate commissioned art into an interior, architectural, or public space," according to CODA's website.
Voting is open until June 30 at 11:59 p.m. You can vote for Fractal Rain and see other Top 100 winners on CODA's website. Final winners will be announced August 30.
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The sculpture is a creation by local architect and artist Terry Welker, owner of Welker Studio in Kettering. It's made from almost 4.8 miles of stainless steel wire and 3,456 acrylic prisms. The piece hangs from the third floor under a gaping skylight and cascades down into the floors below.
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Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
“We (Dayton) have a love, hate relationship with rain,” Welker said, referring to the Great Dayton Flood of 1913 and to the rain sculpture itself.
In addition, one in every six prisms are colored with shades inspired by Monet’s Water Lillies, a popular work at the Dayton Art Institute. Subtle touches like these all connect the piece to Dayton, Welker said.
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Welker began working on Fractal Rain two years ago, while architectural plans for the new downtown library were still under development— meaning the creation of the art and the space itself coincided with one another.
“I worked to make it so that when a person experiences the work in the space— it would be hard to imagine the space without it,” Welker said.
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People will be able to view the art from many different angles when visiting the library. Viewing the sculpture from the side, underneath, at different points during the day and even throughout different seasons— the incredible amount of prisms and details in the work will allow people to experience Fractal Rain in many ways.
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A sun STUDY was even done to optimize the glistening effect of the work. It’s clear that Welker’s attention to detail hasn’t gone unnoticed.
If honored as the People’s Choice winner, Welker said he would be most proud of our community for enabling the creative process to unfold in one of our most public spaces.
“It’s nice that Dayton gets its little own moment in the sun,” Welker said.
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