USU welcomes ‘A Restless Spell’ art installation
Patrick Dougherty’s Art Installation was finally completed this Friday. Dougherty has been constructing the piece with the help of volunteers since Sept. 4. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the artist.
At the ceremony Patrick Dougherty revealed the name of the piece. It shall be known as “A Restless Spell.”
Over a hundred volunteers from students and the community helped over the course of the last three weeks. Andrew McAllister, Caine College of the Arts staff member, worked with Dougherty on the project. He helped unload a semi truck full of sticks from New York and then weaved together a window section.
“The sticks aren’t hard to bend, but they aren’t too easy. It was a bit of a shoulder workout,” McAllister said. “Twigs bend and they strengthen the more you add to it. It was very enjoyable to work with.”
The installation, located near the library, is in a highly trafficked area. Many students have walked past the construction daily.
Larissa Washburn, a theater education major, said “I walk past it a lot of times after class on my way home. I’ve enjoyed seeing the progress over the last two weeks. I like how it is both open and has little rooms.”
“A Restless Spell” is composed of several rooms with windows and different openings. People are encouraged to walk through it and touch it too. The kids at Edith Bowen Elementary School were exploring it earlier on Friday along with the college students. Kenya Thompson, a theater education major, was excited for this opportunity.
“I think it went up really fast because of how involved the community was. I didn’t expect it to be so big. You can really interact with the piece by walking through it and touching it,” Thompson said.
This installation is the first of its kind to be installed in Utah. Brigham Young University will be the next school to receive a Dougherty piece. “A Restless Spell” will stand on campus for the next two years as a symbol of community and arts.
—shelby.black@aggiemail.usu.edu
@shelbsterblack