ABERDEEN, S.D.(Press Release) – A new type of public art launched in the Hub City in October with the appearance of art wraps on utility and traffic control boxes. The first one debuted on a utility box on the NSU campus. The work is titled Prairie Thunder by Lora Schaunaman, originally a transparent watercolor created in 2015. It is sponsored by Northern State University. The second two wraps were installed on traffic control signal boxes at 6th Avenue & South Main Street and 6th Avenue & South State Street, respectively. The 6th & Main piece is Progression by Tia Swiontek (2022, sponsored by the Chamber through the Healthy Hometown Award) and the 6th & State piece is OOK1 by Christy Brubaker (2021, sponsored by the Aberdeen Area Arts Council). The fourth and fifth wraps will be applied next spring once the temperature moderates. The fourth one will be Red Eyed Eclipse (2022, sponsored by the Aberdeen Area Arts Council) by youth Aden Knowlton and the fifth, Guardian of the Forest (2012, sponsored by the Chamber through the Healthy Hometown Award), by Lora Schaunaman. The location for the fifth will be at 3rd Avenue Southwest and South 2nd Street. A location for the fourth is to be determined.
A QR Code has been created for these pieces and all outdoor public art in the community. The code goes to a page on the Aberdeen Area Arts Council’s website which will contain information about the work, the artists and any sponsoring person or business.
The Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce’s Enhance Aberdeen Committee, Aberdeen Area Arts Council and Northern State University worked collaboratively to bring the project to fruition with cooperation from the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the City of Aberdeen and Northwestern Energy. The group would like to continue to add pieces around town and will be looking for donations from individuals and businesses to finance the projects.
For more information, contact Lisa at the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce at 605-225-2860 or lisa@aberdeen-chamber.com