KINETIC PROJECTS

BROAD MEADOW - IMAGES # 1 TO 5
THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE AT THE BROAD MEADOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN NEEDHAM, MA ASKED ME TO WORK WITH THEM TO DESIGN THE LARGE MAIN FOYER OF THEIR NEW SCHOOL. THE OLD SCHOOL WAS BEING TORN DOWN AND ON THE SAME SPOT A NEW SCHOOL WAS BEING ERECTED. THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS FOR EVERYONE, STUDENTS AND STAFF, TO CREATE A CERAMIC TILE THAT WOULD BE DISPLAYED AS PART OF A LARGE RELIEF SCULPTURE. AS WE DEVELOPED THE DESIGN FOR THE SPACE, WE DECIDED TO INCLUDE RELIEF LINE DRAWINGS OF THE ANIMALS TAUGHT IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS CURRICULUM. THESE RELIEF LINE DRAWINGS OF ANIMALS WOULD BE IN THE ACTUAL SCALE OF THE REAL ANIMALS. WE ALSO CREATED KINETIC SCULPTURES BASED ON THE FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM WHICH INCLUDES THE PRINCIPALS OF SIMPLE MACHINES. STUDENTS DEVELOPED THE DESIGN AND I CREATED A KINETIC PIECE OF SCULPTURE FROM THEIR IDEAS. THESE SCULPTURES ARE POWERED BY A SOLAR PANEL AND STORAGE BATTERY.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE PROJECT IS THAT THE NEEDHAM SCIENCE CENTER DEVELOPED CURRICULUM RELATED MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS TO USE WHEN TEACHING THE CONCEPTS WITHIN THIS SCULPTURE INSTALLATION.

THIS WHOLE CREATIVE ENDEAVOR WAS DEDICATED TO NOTED INVENTOR, SCIENTIST AND NEEDHAM SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT CHARLES WYKOFF WHO BELIEVED IN THE MYRIAD CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE ARTS AND SCIENCE.

Merrimack High School - IMAGES # 6 TO 9
This sculpture evolved from a relatively small wall piece into a seven foot mirrored pyramid that is sequenced by a computer WHICH controls its interior movements of welded steel school icons, the sequence of strope lights and colored lights, as well as A sound system THAT is designed to be an oracle / jukebox by playing mp3 files thAT students submit of their: poetry, spoken word, student band, student singer/songwriter, or favorite tunes.