“It presents a different view depending on the way you look at it,” said Richard Peterson III, the artist who designed the metal framework for the piece. “It even depends on the time of day you see it, if the sun is shining through it or at night with lighting.”
The stained glass work was created by Paul Phelps of Oakbrook Esser Studio in Oconomowoc.
“I did the frame and gave it to the studio and then I didn’t see it for a month and a half until it was complete,” Peterson said, eyeing his creation in its final home. “It is a one-of-kind piece.”
Lynn Delzer, who along with her husband, Eric, donated to the public art fund, said she was pleased with the result.
“Art is an important part of my life and I think there is a culturally important aspect to public art,” she said. “With art in public places, more people can enjoy it and experience it and learn to appreciate it.”
“People may not make it their business to visit an art galley or an art museum, so public art is important,” said Julie Stockinger, recently appointed to the city’s public art committee. “It’s also important for the city to embrace public art because it makes the city feel warmer.”
When 7-year-old Anna Lichtie was asked her opinion of the art surrounding her at the transit center, she said “it’s nice and pretty.”
“I like all the colors,” she said. “It brings out the room.”
| Waukesha Freeman (Conley) - August 2007 |
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