Where’s the Water Fountain?Photo/Text by Donna Malloy
One of three sculptures recently installed in the Cleveland Street District, stainless steel and bronze sculpture titled “In Harmony-Earth, Water, Wind and Fire,” by artist Hanna Jubran, is located on the median between Garden Ave. and East Ave. In an ironic twist of fate, the sculpture recently installed in the median in front of Station Square in downtown Cleveland Street District is called “In Harmony-Earth, Water, Wind, Fire” by sculpture Hanna Jubran. What many business owners along Cleveland Street still want to know is; what happened to the water fountain that was proposed for this site? The water fountain was “a preliminary architectural sketch” according to Betsy Clement, Public Information Specialist for the city of Clearwater. The water fountain was never approved by the city. But that didn’t stop local developer Station Square from displaying a water fountain in the median in its pre- construction advertising material. What was installed by the city was a platform for displaying sculptures, along with four large, round “bollards for traffic control” according to Clement. The small radius that encompasses this center display makes it difficult for emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks, to navigate the tight circle and the fire trucks must run over the curb in order to drive on Cleveland Street. But let’s talk about the sculptures. Jubran’s “In Harmony” combines stainless steel and bronze cast elements which are sanded to “represent and evoke a feeling of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind” according to the artist. The cast bronze sections were created by directly cutting “into a block of sand. Layers were cut to produce the open lattice patterns. The latticework represents the crystallization of nature’s elements and minerals” states Jubran. Jubran also states that her “work addresses the concept of time, movement, balance and space. Each sculpture occupies and creates its own reality, influenced by its immediate surroundings.” The second sculpture, Sorcerer’s Gate, by artist Bruce White, is 15-feet by 10-feet arch of purple gloss and provides an interesting contrast to Cleveland Street’s older brick buildings. “During the day, sunlight is captured within and ‘bounces’ around to make the sculpture shimmer from the sun’s movement as it reflects on the different angles,” according to White. The third sculpture, entitled “Shanti,” (Peace), by artist Claudia Jane Klein, “is part of a group of abstract figurative sculptures that emulate humans striving to another plane of existence as achieved through the disciplines of sports, yoga, dance and meditation.” The spiraling energy circles are “a recurrent theme” in most of Klein’s work; that give her “the openness and illusions that satisfy my mind.” Klein quotes Sir Winston Churchill when she describes her life as an artist: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm.” The three sculptures now on display are part of the Clearwater Public Art and Design Program. This art exhibit, entitled “Sculpture360,” encompassing Cleveland Street District’s four-block strip, will be an ongoing outdoor gallery from now until the end of July 2009, at which time they will be replaced with new sculptures.
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