Public Art Tour Series - Reston Town Center by Public Art Reston

PUBLIC

ART

TOUR

SERIES

RESTON TOWN CENTER

PUBLIC ART RESTON PUBLIC ART TOUR SERIES Welcome to the second guide in the Public Art Tour Series developed by Public Art Reston. This series provides an opportunity to take a self-guided walking tour of public art in specific areas of Reston while drawing attention to the rich collection of public artworks in the community. The first guide in the series focused on the public art at Lake Anne Village Center, the historic heart of Reston, built in the 1960s. This second guide will take you on an art walk through Reston Town Center (RTC) where you will experience the diverse range of works that enhance its public spaces. The intent of the series is also to raise awareness about the role of Public Art Reston in commissioning and documenting public art in the community. The commitment to enhancing the experience of public spaces is key to the mission of the organization. Public art has been a part of Reston since it was first integrated into the design of Lake Anne Village Center, and the benefit of art in daily life is referenced in the seven founding principles for Reston outlined by its founder, Robert E. Simon Jr. Public Art Reston is a non-profit that was founded in 2007 to build on this precept and to create a sustainable commitment to public art in this uniquely planned community. Through the efforts and vision of engaged community stakeholders the Public Art Master Plan for Reston was created in 2008, and over the past decade this document has guided the work of Public Art Reston as well as the installation of thirteen temporary and fifteen permanent artworks. Many of these artworks are included on this tour. With the arrival of Metrorail and new developments over the coming years, we expect that many more temporary and permanent public artworks will be commissioned throughout RTC and Reston. Project Director — Anne Delaney Research and texts — Phoebe Avery Photography — Charlotte Geary Photography Design – Abigail Fundling Public Art Reston seeks to inspire an ongoing commitment to public art and create a new generation of artworks in Reston. Public Art Reston is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Public Art Reston invites you to enjoy RTC as both an open-air art gallery and a unique Reston experience that promotes the value of art in daily life. We hope you will enjoy discovering and learning about the public art at RTC.

Anne Delaney Executive Director Public Art Reston

INTRODUCTION

ARTWORKS Mercury Fountain / Saint Clair Cemin 5 – 6 Fidelity of Form / Dennis Heimbach 7 – 8 Basket of Flowers / Stephen Robin 9 Iris / Daniel Goldstein 10 Vascular Form III / Foon Sham 11 – 12 Wakan / Richard Lew 13 – 14 Midtown Community Mural / Dana Ann Scheurer 15 – 16 Trolls / Mary LaRue Wells 17 – 18 Mutual Understanding/Mutual Respect / m.l. duffy 19 – 20 Untitled / David S. Holland 21 Book of Love / Anne Nagy 22 Nokomis / Danny Lane 23 – 24 Orb & Weathervane / RTKL, Inc. of Baltimore 25 – 26 Reston Rondo / Mary Ann Mears 27 – 28 Biographies 29 – 30 Map 31 – 32

Reston Town Center (RTC) is a world-class and historically significant urban environment within a suburban setting whose conception presaged the current trend toward walkable, mixed-use development. Since it officially opened in October 1990, the tree-lined streets, open plaza and green spaces of RTC have been home to a growing collection of public art, including more than a dozen permanently sited works by notable contemporary artists from both public and private commissions. RTC has also been the backdrop for a number of significant temporary art installations. These include the 2009 exhibition gap, comprising three sculptures by Maryland-based artist Mike Shaffer, and the 2015 site-specific work Bird in the Hand by renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty, installed in Reston Town Square Park and presented by Public Art Reston and Greater Reston Art Center. The idea for a town center or “downtown” was envisioned by Robert E. Simon Jr. in 1961 when he purchased 6,750 acres in rural Virginia to develop the planned community of Reston. Decades passed, however, before Mobil Land Development Corporation (MLDC) actively engaged architects and planners in a competition to propose designs for a high-density, mixed-use environment based on an urban model. This was a visionary idea for RTC that was counter to the popularity of malls, then in their heyday. The first phase of planning for the initial 80-acre urban core of RTC that would later be incorporated into the larger 460-acre district anticipated two key developments: the “tech boom” that brought major development along the Dulles corridor and the current trend to create urban-style, mixed-use developments in suburban settings. The Baltimore-based architectural and planning firm RKTL won the competition with a design incorporating a grand plaza within a generous downtown concept, arranged along a dense grid of streets lined with retail shops and public spaces that invite pedestrian traffic. In the post-WWII era, RTC was the first intentionally planned, mixed-use integrated downtown center. During the planning process, Simon testified at meetings to endorse the site. For him, RTC exemplified his credo that “density is community,” facilitated through thoughtful development. RTC planners were also committed to another key principle articulated by Simon: “That beauty – structural and natural – is a necessity to the good life and should be fostered.” The site includes a public plaza, an open pavilion, an art gallery, green setbacks and natural and recreational areas to inspire the communal spirit Simon valued. Like the artworks integrated into the structural fabric of Lake Anne Village Center, public art has played a key role 4 at RTC by creating a sense of place, offering moments for contemplation, and providing an imaginative means of community engagement.

The tour begins at the Mercury Fountain, the work of Brazilianborn sculptor and renowned artist, Saint Clair Cemin. It was the first work of public art to be installed at RTC. Unveiled at its opening, this fountain quickly became a local landmark. MLDC sought a design that would connect the plaza to its architectural backdrop as well as provide a communal attraction that Mercury Fountain animates the space. This commission also connects the site (1990) to Lake Anne and to the Washington Plaza Fountain designed by James Rossant. Mercury Fountain is likewise intended Saint Clair Cemin to inspire the imagination, something that Simon foresaw for amenities that engage the community and improve their White Carrara Marble and experiences in public spaces. Interviewed for the documentary Bronze film, Fun, Beauty, Fantasy: Reston’s Public Art, Cemin describes the initial surprise and delight he also envisioned for the public Owner: Reston Urban Core when first encountering Mercury Fountain. Association Already a well-established artist when Cemin submitted his Map #1 winning design, this would be the first of many large-scale public sculptures subsequently commissioned from him throughout the world. Designed on a grand, theatrical scale, PHOTOGRAPHY © the marble was quarried and sculpted by master craftsmen in CHARLOTTE GEARY Italy to the particular specifications of the artist. The base is formed of a large bowl supporting a helix that twists upward, joining the foot of the bronze figure of Mercury. Twelve bronze aquatic creatures encircle this spiral. Their curving horn-like forms direct the water spray outward and down into the pool in the plaza below. For Cemin, the past can inform the present. Indeed, we see the ancient Roman god Mercury with his customary attributes – staff, winged sandals and winged cap – as the messenger god of commerce, ready to spring into action. A fitting symbol for a business district, but there is something a bit odd about this figure.

Precariously perched on one foot, Mercury swings his right arm upward and his left arm down in an effort to restore his equilibrium. According to Cemin, this reflects the uncertain economic times of the late 1980s. The message is subtle, and yet akin to the quiet classicism adapted to the modern clean lines of the surrounding buildings. Cemin describes the piece as a post-modern work, fully in keeping with the architectural style of the site. Both were a reaction to the overtly abstract and non-referential forms of mid-20th-century modernism, and both seek to connect to the past without succumbing to sentimentality. For Cemin, it was important that the public be able to relate to this work while also adhering to his artistic vision for the piece. The RTC planners were also attracted to the whimsical, modern twist that he brought to his design.

Fidelity of Form (c. 2005)

Wisconsin artist Dennis Heimbach is a consummate craftsman. He employs stainless steel to create abstract works that often twist and turn back on themselves. Here in Fidelity of Form, he bends his material into curving, soaring shapes that might conjure up a scarf about to blow away in the wind or the hood ornament on a speeding sports car.

Heimbach began exploring the artistic possibilities of metal as a young man. In 1963, he won first prize for a futuristic model car he entered into the Fisher Body Stainless Steel Craftsman’s Guild competition sponsored by General Motors. Inspired by this success, he went on to apprentice Owner: Reston Urban Core with a jewelry designer, which led him to pursue his lifeAssociation long interest in sculpture and the realization of largerscale works, including this lyrical piece. Map #2 Fidelity of Form celebrates the reflective quality of metal through the highly polished surface that Heimbach PHOTOGRAPHY © achieves in this work. He desires a “flawless” finish CHARLOTTE GEARY that removes all traces of the welding process, allowing the facets of the attenuated forms to catch the light and emphasize the sense of upward motion. The sculptor also invites closer viewing. In an interior opening, he creates an irregular stairway of inter-connected geometric shapes – some with textured surfaces – that add a decorative element to the work and recall his earlier career in fine jewelry. Dennis Heimbach

The sculpture was first displayed at the 2006 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. Through a joint purchase by Kettler and the Reston Town Center Association, it was installed at Reston Town Square Park in 2007.

Basket of Flowers (2014) Stephen Robin Cast Aluminum Owner: Boston Properties Map #3 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

Philadelphia-based artist Stephen Robin has gained broad critical success over the past four decades for his figurative sculptures produced in a variety of media, including wood, stone and the cast aluminum used here. Robin is best known for his simplified, natural forms such as the 1987 Garden Series of cast cement flowers and fruit that the artist continues to reproduce from the original molds and from which the design for Basket of Flowers originated. The subject is also inspired by an interest in historical, architectural design – specifically the applied decorative elements characteristic of the grand BeauxArts style made popular in Paris and the U. S. during the second half of the 19th-century. Washington’s Union Station is a stellar example of this style. Basket of Flowers is a riff on the ornamental floral elements found on such facades. However, Robin brings them to street level and makes them a freestanding display worthy of individual distinction. Raised on stone bases, the structured, triangular shape of the baskets barely contain the tall, compact floral arrangements. Individual blooms such as tulips, daisies, roses and calla lilies are represented in the burnished bouquet. Like a Renaissance still life, flowers from different seasons coalesce here in their prime, eternally vibrant and welcoming with their cheerful countenances.

Growing up near New York City, the San Francisco-based sculptor Daniel Goldstein was inspired by its cultural richness and spent his early years simply creating things. This ultimately led him to studying art in London where he learned about assembling three-dimensional forms in metal from Anthony Caro, one of the foremost abstract sculptors of the 20th-century. Goldstein is recognized for a significant body of work – including woodcuts, collages and sculptures – that have been exhibited and collected by major public and private institutions across the United States. Iris was a gift of Sallie Mae to RTC in 2008 and installed there to enhance daily interactions with both the natural and built environment. Iris is the perfect counterpoint to Fidelity of Form by Dennis Heimbach, situated across the square. Made of the same gleaming stainless steel, it can also be appreciated from multiple angles, and changes shape as the viewer moves around it. However, unlike Heimbach, Goldstein activates the surface of the sculpture with burnished strokes that draw attention to the hand of the artist. Rising nine feet from its base, the eye is led upward toward the graceful, interlocking shapes. Indeed, the curving forms imply movement despite their fixed arrangement. Goldstein is known for his public commissions of flowing, kinetic laser-cut metal mobiles, making this stationary work relatively unique in his sculptural oeuvre. Nevertheless, the dynamic forms activate the space around them and mirror the beauty of the natural world this work gracefully emulates.

Iris (2006) Daniel Goldstein Stainless Steel Owner: Reston Urban Core Association Map #4 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

Vascular Form III (2007) Foon Sham Pine On loan by artist to Greater Reston Art Center Map #5 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

Born in Macau, China, the critically acclaimed artist Foon Sham immigrated to the United States in 1975. Alongside his teaching career at the University of Maryland – where he has been a professor since 1990 – Sham has created an impressive body of work. Vascular Form III is indicative of his large-scale sculptures and is among works that have been exhibited and collected both nationally and internationally. A master with wood, Sham creates evocative shapes suggestive of vases, baskets and swirling, tornado-like towers. Using a range of exotic and reclaimed woods – and sometimes metal – the sculptor either highlights the rugged, natural beauty of his medium or uses the dimensional lumber to create an even, smooth surface as Sham has done here in Vascular Form III. Vascular Form III is part of a series of twelve works that are in collections across the United States and as far afield as Sydney, Australia. Another example, Vascular Form XI, Spirit, was exhibited on the lawn of the National Building Museum during the 2018 Smithsonian Craft Show for which Sham was named the Asian Influence/American Visionary Artist. Sham is recognized for works that marry an Asian aesthetic with traditional American woodworking techniques. Each sculpture in this series is indeed inspired by distinctive ceramic shapes, but constructed of smooth, individually hewn, reclaimed pine blocks that Sham stacks in concentric rings and secures with the use of screws as fasteners. Some of the works in the series have openings allowing viewers to enter the sculpture. Sham’s vessel forms can taper toward the top or in the case of Vascular Form III spread outward into a broad lip. Sham uses scale here to create a work that interacts well within its architectural setting. At close to twelve-feet high it has a strong structural presence in relationship to the built environment. Sham individually sizes each block to ensure a balanced work. Here the configuration begins with shorter blocks at the base becoming progressively longer toward the top. Vascular Form III refers to a bodily vessel as well as vessels as conveyers and containers of meaning. For Sham, what the viewer brings to the experience of the work is equally as important as the process of making it. Vascular Form III was installed by the artist at the entrance to Greater Reston Art Center following an exhibition of his work in the gallery in 2007. It is on loan from the artist.

A master with wood, Sham creates evocative shapes suggestive of vases, baskets and swirling, tornado-like towers.

Wakan (2007) Richard Lew Indian limestone, copper, and bronze Owner: West Market Community Association Map #6 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

A native Washingtonian, Richard Lew is a prolific artist who experiments with a variety of media. His work has been exhibited and collected in the U.S. and Europe. Tucked into a residential community, Wakan blends in beautifully with the natural setting. It is an imposing piece composed of large blocks of multi-faceted Indian limestone, weighs two tons and rises to nearly ten feet. It is set within a circular bronze base and sheathed on one side by a pounded and patinated copper sheet. A length of copper pipe twists in and around the stones from top to bottom adding an element of energy to the work. The sculpture has been described as a “modern, abstract totem.” Lew drew inspiration for Wakan from his NativeAmerican heritage and the time he spent studying on a Lakota Sioux reservation. The title derives from the Lakota Sioux word meaning “of the Great Spirit” and symbolizes the strength and tenacity of the Sioux people. The totemic quality is also enhanced by the varied, dramatic curves of the stone forms. As you approach the sculpture from the street a distinct human profile emerges, including a protruding brow and a prominent nose. Lew believes in letting the natural form of the stone guide the work. He employs his chisel to enhance – not hide – its inherent qualities. Here he carves shallow horizontal bands along the edges of the stone that balance the vertical orientation while drawing attention to the surface and the beauty of the material. As Lew sees his artistic endeavors as a spiritual journey, it is fitting that the limestone comes from the same quarry used for the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Lew believes in letting the natural form of the stone guide the work. He employs his chisel to enhance – not hide – its inherent qualities.

A Reston resident since 1981, the work of artist Dana Scheurer is a familiar sight around town. Among her community commissions are a 1990 Founder’s Day design to publicize the annual event; an image of the official Reston bird, the Pileated Woodpecker, for the Walker Nature Center; and, most recently, designs for bike racks installed at the Walker Nature Center, a project initiated by Public Art Reston. Scheurer works primarily in watercolor to create images that she then reproduces in giclee prints. Her detailed scenes juxtapose familiar objects in unfamiliar ways, often within architectural settings in a style the artist terms “whimsical surrealism.” Sighting the influence of Pablo Picasso and Fernand Leger, her work recalls the multifaceted compositions of these Cubist masters.

Midtown Community Mural (2013) Dana Ann Scheurer Keim paint on concrete Owner: Midtown North Condominium Owners Association

This work is indicative of her unique style. An original Map #7 watercolor, executed as a mural, was commissioned from Scheurer by Midtown North Condominiums for a prime, empty space on the exterior wall of a stairway, PHOTOGRAPHY © which leads up to the interior plaza of the apartment CHARLOTTE GEARY complex. Visible to both pedestrians and passing vehicles, the vibrant mural – executed in a durable and environmentally friendly paint by Bryan King of Artifice Inc. with assistance from the artist – measures a generous twenty by thirty feet and grabs attention with its bold, highly saturated color scheme. Within a precise, structural framework, Scheurer incorporates a collection of architectural silhouettes of the familiar buildings and landmark structures that comprise RTC as well as other fanciful details that reflect Reston. Simon is also memorialized behind the lens of an old-style camera, ready to take your portrait. Through the lens, he spies a street sign that contains the number 6,750, a reference to the number of acres encompassing the original land purchase for Reston.

Her detailed scenes juxtapose familiar objects in unfamiliar ways, often within architectural settings in a style the artist terms “whimsical surrealism.”

Trolls (1990) Mary LaRue Wells Concrete Owner: Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority Map #8 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

Artist Mary LaRue Wells has been devoted to the depiction of whimsical representations of animals and the human figure for over fifty years. Currently practicing art in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wells moved to Reston in 1970. She and her husband David were active members of the community and raised four children in a townhouse in the Charter Oak Community. At the time she created these capricious trolls, she was a long-time resident of Reston and well known to the developers of this site, who were looking for an artist to create a work to be installed on the grounds of the newly constructed affordable housing complex in Reston Town Center. Wells was asked to create a piece for what was originally intended as a utilitarian footbridge, but where the developers of the site saw an opportunity for art. Her cast concrete trolls emerge from underneath the bridge facing each other on either side of its base. They are an unexpected, playful element materializing from within the structural fabric to conjure a scene from a fairy tale. These cast concrete panels were commissioned by Walter Webdale, the former head of the Fairfax County Housing Authority and current president of AHC Housing in Arlington, Virginia. With limited resources for art, Webdale nevertheless wanted the community – and especially the children who would play there – to have an engaging work of art near their homes. To honor his patronage and vision, Wells portrayed Webdale in one of the trolls and used the visage of Jack Herrity, the longtime Fairfax County Supervisor of the 1970s and 80s who died in 2006, for the other. Interestingly, the two men were political opponents in life but are captured here as playful cohorts.

The troll based on Webdale smiles a wide grin as he grabs onto a rope, as if he is ready to swing out over the water while a frog sits below about to snag a fly. The opposite figure memorializing Herrity is just emerging from his murky space with a surprised expression, glancing over his shoulder at a bird with talons outstretched. Both scenes capture the imagination and evoke many possible narratives for the action unfolding before us – and conjure a pair of mischievous spirits for the children who delight in them.

[The] scenes capture the imagination and evoke many possible narratives for the action unfolding before us – and conjure a pair of mischievous spirits for the children who delight in them.

Mutual Understanding/ Mutual Respect (2016) Matthew “m.l.” Duffy, MFA Welded Stainless Steel Owner: County of Fairfax Map #9 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

m.l. Duffy intended to become an architect, but after taking a metal sculpture class at the University of Maryland, he switched his major to fine art. Originally from New York, Duffy has spent most of his life in the Washington, D.C. area. After graduate school in London, he returned to the city to establish his studio where he works on his sculptures while also teaching art at Gonzaga College High School. For the design of his laser cut welded metal sculpture Open Heart (2018), now in the permanent public art collection of Redmond, Oregon, Duffy employed a digital modeling program he learned to use from one of his students. Like Mutual Understanding/Mutual Respect, this work demonstrates his affinity for structural, volumetric forms as well as universal symbols that are easy to relate to. For this site, Duffy chose a symbolic gesture of unity to reflect the history of diversity and community Reston exemplifies. The two hands reaching toward each other in Mutual Understanding/Mutual Respect are also intended to represent the mission of the North County Governmental Center and the Reston Police Station for which it was created. At the unveiling of the sculpture, Duffy explained, “I see the sculpture and think about how things are worked out by citizens participating in government. Police going out on patrol and seeing the sculpture and thinking about helping people in the community.” The monumental scale of the outstretched hands formed of welded bands of stainless steel is offset by the open, woven pattern. The viewer walking between and around the work can appreciate the message and feel the warmth of this welcoming gesture.

Duffy submitted his winning design for this sculpture in a call to artists, which was sponsored by Fairfax County in consultation with Public Art Reston. It was unveiled on June 18, 2016 at the official opening of the North County Governmental Center that houses the office of the county supervisor as well as the Reston Police Station. Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, a long-time supporter of public art, celebrated this recent addition to the cultural fabric of Reston. She remarked that this work not only shows a commitment by the county to public art but also “reflects and celebrates the civic nature of the county offices” for which it was made.

“I see the sculpture and think about how things are worked out by citizens participating in government. Police going out on patrol and seeing the sculpture and thinking about helping people in the community.”

Untitled (1992) David S. Holland Granite Owner: Reston Regional Library

On the left of the stairs to the Reston Public Library is an abstract, carved granite sculpture by Washington, D.C. artist David S. Holland. Commissioned through an open call to artists by the Reston Garden Club to mark the 25th anniversary of Reston, the sculpture is the centerpiece of a small garden designed and maintained by Garden Club members. This black Tennessee granite form welcomes visitors to the library with its pierced circular base that connects to a twisting, soaring pyramidal form. The block from which it is carved is beautifully veined with black and white striations. Here Holland crafts a smooth surface that both reflects and absorbs light.

Map #10 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

To the right of the Reston Public Library entrance is a work by local artist and public school art teacher, Anne Nagy. Sponsored by Public Art Reston in 2008 in conjunction with the Art in the Pages project, commissioned by Fairfax County, Book of Love is among twenty-seven open book sculptures individually decorated and installed at public libraries, schools and businesses throughout the county. These projects are rooted in the success of earlier urban street exhibitions of pre-cast designs, such as the cows installed on Chicago thoroughfares in 1999 and the donkeys and elephants around Washington, D.C. in the 2004 installation Party Animals.

Book of Love (2008) Anne Nagy Painted Resin Owner: Reston Regional Library

Here Nagy chose bright, bold colors that appeal to the Map #11 eye from every angle. In a relaxed, playful style, she designed a pattern of hearts on the interior and exterior pages. She says she “sees hearts everywhere” and that PHOTOGRAPHY © each one reflects an important person in her life. Such CHARLOTTE GEARY potent symbols not only speak to the love books can inspire but also to the personal connections of the artist as well as the larger community’s daily interactions with art, a founding principle of Reston. Additionally, Nagy painted the work in the lobby of Dranesville Elementary School so that her students could see the process from start to finish.

Nokomis (2018) Danny Lane Low Iron glass, stainless steel, stone Owner: Boston Properties Map #12 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

Danny Lane is one of the premier contemporary sculptors working with glass. Originally from Illinois and a one-time resident of Baltimore, Lane moved to London in 1975 to study modern stained glass and painting. He credits his studies with the British painter Cecil Collins as a seminal experience that has had a lasting influence on his work and artistic philosophy. Lane first gained widespread attention in the 1980s for inventive furniture constructions of steel and molded and stacked glass. He is known for works that push the limits of his medium through the constant experimentation he brings to both his furniture production and the major private and public sculpture commissions he has received over the past three decades. For the lobby of the GM Building in Detroit, Lane created Borealis (2005), two undulating, luminous glass walls formed out of 2,300 industrial window panels turned on their edge. It is considered one of the largest glass sculptures in the world. Nokomis, located in Signature Park, also resulted from such experimentation. The work is achieved through “post-tensioning,” in which a steel rod is threaded through stacked glass, exploiting the strength of the material under compression. Lane used it on a grand scale in Balustrade (1992), a dramatic series of glass columns installed along a stairway in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Nokomis fulfills the goal of the Public Art Master Plan for Reston to encourage the integration of art in new development through voluntary public art proffers. It is the most recent addition to the RTC landscape and situated by Boston Properties within the setback bordering the Signature building. Installed within a specially designed seating area, the graceful, elongated shape is best viewed in the round to appreciate the transformation of the form from every angle. The sea green, transparent glass also serves to animate the space around it when seen through its crystalline surface. The subtle, twisting movement is facilitated by the use of Lane’s signature, individually cut and formed, stacked glass panels anchored by the steel rod that appears to twist within this material. For Lane, the reflective and refractive quality of glass can create both a physical and metaphysical experience for the viewer. This interest in the transformative nature of art is reflected in the title. Lane references the word for “grandmother” or “wise woman” in the languages of the indigenous Algonquin and Powhatan Indians. Nokomis is also integral to the Ojibwe creation myth and memorialized in the Longfellow poem, “The Song of Hiawatha,” and the line, “From the full moon fell Nokomis/fell the beautiful Nokomis.” This is a fitting image for a work that contains an almost ethereal light facilitated by its shape-shifting appearance.

Set on decorative green metal posts, a golden peacock, a dove of peace and a pair of songbirds animate the median at the entrance to the main thoroughfare of RTC. It is easy to imagine them taking flight and landing in the trees and lawns at either side of the entrance to the site. RKTL architects referenced the weathervane, a traditional American embellishment, to accord with the classical elements of the post-modern architecture of the buildings that they designed for the first phase of RTC. Another original sculptural element sits at the southeast corner of Presidents and Market streets. The celestial globe set into the pavement is inscribed with constellations and orbited by their accompanying zodiac signs. Bright blue enamel rings further encircle these heavenly bodies with golden stars and moons set at intervals. The globe was once part of a pair with a terrestrial version sitting across the way. The latter had to be moved due to construction at the site where it was located. It will be reinstalled at a new location at a future date.

Orbs & Weathervanes (1990) RTKL, Inc. of Baltimore Metal, paint, and acrylic gems Owner: Reston Urban Core Association Map #13 PHOTOGRAPHY ÂŠ CHARLOTTE GEARY

Reston Rondo (2014) Mary Ann Mears Painted aluminum (sculpture), bluestone (paving) Owner: Reston Town Center Association Map #14 PHOTOGRAPHY © CHARLOTTE GEARY

Based in Baltimore, Mary Ann Mears has gained critical success with the many public art commissions she has received throughout her decades-long career. Mears is also a committed arts advocate and a strong voice for arts education in Maryland. Her brightly colored metal sculptures enliven public spaces throughout the D.C. metropolitan region as well as nationally and internationally and as far afield as Kawasaki, Japan, where her work Red Bouyant II was a gift from the city of Baltimore to its sister city. Reston Rondo is a fitting place to conclude the RTC sculpture tour. Located in front of the Hyatt Regency Reston in Hyatt Park, its curving, plant-like forms mimic the natural setting while the gleaming taxicab yellow surface is bold enough to stand out from its architectural backdrop. The sculpture is situated in a generous open space that is set back from the road. Integral to the first phase of RTC, this green expanse provides a thoughtful transition from the road into a commercial district. Having previously been home to temporary sculptures, the space was identified as a prime location for a permanently sited public sculpture. Joe Ritchey, the galvanizing force behind the Public Art Master Plan for Reston and founder of Public Art Reston (originally the Initiative for Public Art - Reston), describes the potential of works like Reston Rondo and nearby Mercury Fountain as having a “transformational” effect on a space and those who experience it. Mears mirrored this sentiment when she described the work as a “gateway” to the site.

The artist is equally mindful of the seamless integration of public art within its setting. Reston Rondo is a sitespecific work that considers the interplay between the sculpture and the urban and natural environment of RTC. Comprised of three curving, evocative forms, the largescale of Reston Rondo attracts attention from passing cars and enlivens the façade of the Hyatt behind it. The work also conjures a giant’s garden or the shoots of Jack’s beanstalk sprouting up from the ground. Indeed, Mears succeeds in capturing the sense of play and whimsy espoused by Robert E. Simon, Jr. and also the role art can play in fostering a sense of place in a community. At its highest point, Reston Rondo rises eighteen feet and allows viewers to walk in and around it to fully experience the expansiveness and enveloping forms of the work. Mears even considered the base as integral to the aesthetic experience of the piece. She designed a double leaf for the bluestone pavement in which it is anchored and that can be enjoyed from above.

Saint Clair Cemin 1951 – Born Cruz Alta, Brazil 1975-1978 – École Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris

Richard Lew 1950 – Born Washington, DC 1972 – B.F.A., University of Maryland, Maryland

Matthew “m.l.” Duffy 1978 – Born Long Island, New York 2001 – B.A. in Sculpture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 2009 – M.F.A., Goldsmiths College, University of London

Mary Ann Mears 1946 – Born Chatham, New Jersey 1968 – B.A., Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts 1971 – M.A. in Creative Arts, New York University 2005 – Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Daniel Goldstien 1950 – Born Scarsdale, New York 1968-1970 – Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 1972 – B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz, California 1974 – M.F.A., Central Saint Martins School of Art, London Dennis Heimbach Born Milwaukee, Wisconsin David S. Holland Biographical information not available Danny Lane 1955 – Born Urbana, Illinois 1975 – 1975 – Apprenticeship with stained-glass artist Patrick Reyntiens in London 1976 – Byam Shaw School of Art, London 1977-78 – Central Saint Martins School of Art, London

Stephen Robin 1944 – Born Washington, DC 1968 – M.F.A, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 1966 – B.F.A., Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Dana Ann Scheurer 1950 – Born Indianapolis, Indiana 1978 – B.A., Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 1979 – M.A., Herron School of Art & Design, Indianapolis, Indiana Foon Sham 1953 – Born Macau, China 1978 – B.F.A, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, California 1981 – M.F.A., Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia Mary LaRue Wells B.F.A., University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Mercury Fountain (1990) by Saint Clair Cemin 11900 Fountain Dr

Fidelity of Form (2005) by Dennis Hembach Reston Town Square Park

Basket of Flowers (2014) by Stephen Robin 12023 Town Square St

4. 9

Market St 2 3

13 14

Reston Pkwy

12 4

Wakan (2007) by Richard Lew Logan Manor Dr / Market St

New Dominion Pkwy

St Francis St

Town Center Pkwy

11 10

Vascular Form III (2007) by Foon Sham St. Francis / Market St

Bowman Towne Dr

Iris (2006) by Daniel Goldstein Reston Town Square Park

Midtown Community Mural (2013) by Dana Ann Scheurer 12025 New Dominion Parkway

Trolls (1990) by Mary LaRue Wells Bowman Towne Ct

Mutual Understanding/Mutual Respect (2016) by m.l. Duffy 1801 Cameron Glen Dr

10.

Untitled (1992) by David S. Holland 11925 Bowman Towne Dr

11.

12.

13.

14.

Book of Love (2008) by Anne Nagy 11925 Bowman Towne Dr Nokomis (2018) by Danny Lane Signature Park / Reston Pkwy Orb & Weathervanes (1990) by RTKL, Inc. of Baltimore Presidents St / Market St Reston Rondo (2014) by Mary Ann Mears Hyatt Park / Presidents St

NOTES

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