Gizmo fabricated these elaborate metal light fixtures for the outdoor walking area.
Artists: Blessing Hancock with poets Moheb Soliman, Sagirah Shahid, Junauda Petrus and R. Vincent Moniz, Jr. (Nu’Eta)
Category: Sculpture fabrication
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Date: November 2018
Breathing new life into the Nicollet Mall artist Blessing Hancock celebrates light, art and the four seasons in the downtown Minneapolis area with 12 lanterns that change color at night. Each lantern, which is four foot in diameter, has a poem written by a local artist.
“Nicollet Lanterns celebrates the voices and perspectives of Minneapolis poets Moheb Soliman, Sagirah Shahid, Junauda Petrus and R. Vincent Moniz, Jr. (Nu’Eta). Each poet wrote three poems, and when Prince passed away unexpectedly in April 2016, all four were moved to memorialize him in one of their contributions. Look for these lines:
…Saw his Purple Majesty perform at Paisley Park three times as his symbol shined across night sky I let possibility wash over me… – Moniz, Jr. (Nu’Eta)
I got nothing but love or purple joy that felt like anointed rain riding this crowded bus… – Shahid
…Lavender cloud sky opened and divine poet warriors became ancestor… – Petrus
…The whole state helped write this part for you Princes & your 1,000 backup dancers… – Soliman
The lines of poetry run horizontally around the globes, but looking from different angles as you walk past, the text recombines into evocative word-clouds. New word connections will emerge every time you see the work – and the poems come alive through your personal observation and interpretation.”
Photo: Regina M. Flanagan and Kurt Moses and Art Landscape Design LLC
