FORT WAYNE – A giant blooming iris sculpture could eventually be the center of a new gathering place at Parkview Field.
Representatives from FAME, a local arts education group, on Monday presented plans for the sculpture to the city parks board. The artwork, named New Bloom, would be placed just inside the Jefferson Boulevard gate in part of the ballpark designated as the Robert E. Meyers Park, the 1.5-acre park directly behind center field.
New Bloom is a 24-foot-high, stainless steel sculpture with free-standing leaves that would change colors with reflected LED programmed light at night, according to artist Dianna Thornhill Miller, of Omni Art Design.
The park was constructed with the plan of including a large piece of artwork and already includes electrical capabilities for the lights and even a sound system to play music during special occasions. The artwork is being privately financed and donated to the city as part of FAME’s 25th anniversary in 2012.
The park board took no action on the proposal, preferring to wait until the final agreements between FAME and the city are complete. While the group hopes to install the sculpture sometime next year, the city plans to give FAME until the end of 2013 to finish the project.
