CityLine, the 186-acre mixed-use project in Richardson, Texas, has solidified its commitment to the arts by welcoming sculptures by Gordon Huether, Cliff Garten, Timothy Berg and Rebekah Myers collaborative, Joseph Havel and Angela Mia De La Vega.
“During the planning stages of CityLine, KDC’s vision for a live-work-play environment included the installation of sculptures that would provide a vibrant backdrop for this new urban landscape,” said Walt Mountford, executive vice president, KDC. “The resulting art program compliments public spaces and forms a connecting thread throughout the development. We are proud to welcome five unique pieces, by both local and national artists, each of which is unique in character and provides visitors with inspiration, entertainment and joy.”
Aesthetic visionary Gordon Huether was commissioned through Sharon Corgan Leeber of Architectural Arts Company to create artwork that reflects CityLine’s goal of capturing the best of both worlds, the rural and urban landscapes, in one active-lifestyle environment. His resulting installation, Over the Moon, was inspired by the famous ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ nursery rhyme and the iconic Texas longhorn, which connects to the area’s history and traditions. The sculpture’s falciform shape resembles the letter ‘C’, as in CityLine, another connection to the Richardson metropolitan neighborhood.
Huether’s sculpture is approximately 25 feet tall, with the longhorn approximately 7 ½ feet tall, sitting on top of the moon. The internal frame is constructed of aluminum tubing and clad in plexiglass and carved EPS foam. The final finish of the sculpture is a resin coating. The piece sits atop an aluminum base and is illuminated from the exterior as well as from within using LEDs. The sculpture is currently being installed in CityLine Plaza.
“When I was commissioned to create art for CityLine, I wanted to emphasize the local identity and history of the area in a unique way,” said Huether. “By incorporating playful elements like the steer and moon, I believe the piece encompasses the true feel of CityLine: whimsical, an element of surprise and cutting-edge technology.”
American artist Cliff Garten has created Retexo, a bronze sculpture located in a fountain at Four CityLine Plaza. Garten is known for his evocative, site-specific sculptures that integrate within urban space. Over the past twenty years, he has completed more than fifty-five artworks in public spaces throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“Every place has the possibility of creating an atmosphere that welcomes us,” said Garten. “Sculpture defines our interaction and movement by creating energy between things, generating interest in public activity, reframing our private lives and creating a sense of place within public and private realms. Public and private experiences are never distinct, but exchange places throughout the day. Art in public places provides moments for private reflection and shared community.”
To continue KDC’s commitment of adding artwork to the property, CityLine has also installed sculptures by the Timothy Berg and Rebekah Myers collaborative, Dallas-based artist Angela Mia De La Vega, and Joseph Havel’s Endless from The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.
The Timothy Berg and Rebekah Myers collaborative has created a bright green, ceramic rabbit that evokes the varied character of CityLine, acknowledging both the historic native prairie from which it sprang, and the sleek urban environment it has since created. The aerodynamic rabbit form, titled One of a Kind, is in the DART Plaza of CityLine, acknowledging the project’s role as a transportation hub. The Claremont, Calif.-based artists collaborative is known for casting everyday objects in unexpected ways that provoke questions of materiality, surplus and rarity, and the consequences the of 21st century consumer’s desires.
Houston-based sculptor Joseph Havel’s Endless, previously displayed at The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, is now on display near the future Aloft Hotel site, expected to open in 2017. The sculpture is part of a series of work that examines books as vessels, and how they carry culture as both art and history. The 101-inch high sculpture gradually transitions from bronze to translucent resin to give it the appearance of an endless column of books, made from casts of 1980s catalogues from an art auction house.
Dallas sculptor Angela Mia De La Vega has created one of her signature figurative bronze sculptures, Whirlwind, depicting two children playing near Lot A apartments. Located in the pocket park on the east side of N. Plano Road, this life-size sculpture recognizes the joy and spirit of childhood. Known for her ability to exude the human spirit through expressive faces and natural body movement, De La Vega’s greatest inspiration is the curious and ever-changing individuality of her children.
About CityLine
CityLine is a 186-acre transit-oriented development in Richardson, Texas featuring a dense mix of office buildings, apartments, restaurants, entertainment options and open space, with easy access to two major highways and the DART light rail system. CityLine’s current development phase includes more than 30 dining options with Whole Foods Market as the retail anchor, an Aloft hotel, seven office buildings home to State Farm and Raytheon, and a wellness office building anchored by Texas Health Resources and Children’s Medical Center.
At full build-out, CityLine will contain five million square feet of office space, 3,925 multi-family residential units, more than 50 dining and service retail options, two hotels, and two parks with access to regional hike and bike trails. Approximately 30,000 people are expected to live and work at CityLine.