December 2022 Update from Summit Public Art

DECEMBER 2022

Summit Public Art

The Year in Review

Make no Mistake. Art matters.

—SPA Co-founder Ed McGlynn

"The beautiful thing about public art," says Vivian Furman Rubin, one of our long-serving board members, "is that you don't have to go out and find it. It finds you." This was true when Janet Whitman and Ed McGlynn founded Summit Public Art two decades ago and it was certainly true this year as we celebrated our twentieth season of bringing art to public spaces throughout Summit.

No matter where you happened to find yourself downtown this year, chances are you encountered something that turned your head—be it the striking mural of clouds and sky (Donna Conklin-King's Cave Painting) that greets commuters outside the train station on the Village Green; or the six otherworldly visitors (Emil Alzamora's Time Travelers) who caused more than a few double-takes from the moment they arrived here last summer; or the every-changing array of light and color projected by the futuristic glass sculpture (Ray King's Pleiades) at the newly transformed Promenade Fountain. These were just a few of the highlights from a season that reminded us once again how fortunate we are to live in a town that values public art!

In addition to installing seven new public artworks downtown, SPA officially kicked off its 20th-anniversary season in June with its second annual Illumination Night that featured a colorful site-specific installation (Ronen Gamil's Between Flagships) celebrating the diversity of our Summit community. More than a hundred people joined us for free guided tours of all the new art installations around town then gathered on the Green for a festive evening of art, music, and video (and lots of bubbles).

Over the summer, we launched our new YouTube channel—SPA TV, a collection of videos showcasing the wide range of public artworks throughout town, and celebrated the premiere of "The Wonderful World of Public Art," a behind-the-scenes documentary about SPA. Produced by HTTV, this short film featured interviews with some of our SPA board members and really got to heart of who we are and what we do here at Summit Public Art.

In September, we came together for our annual Evening in the City of Art fundraiser in the courtyard at City Hall. The celebration featured an official proclamation by Mayor Nora Radest honoring SPA's 20th anniversary, a surprise musical Happening by members of the Continuo Arts Foundation, a dazzling exhibit of illuminated sculptures by Ray King, and a lively performance by Primadonna and her All Stars Band, who kept the crowd dancing well into the night. We set our hopes high this year and—thanks to you—we reached our goal!

A week later, we gathered again to unveil Pleiades, a major new permanent art installation at the Promenade Fountain. The culmination of a years-long collaboration between the City of Summit, Summit Downtown, Inc., and Summit Public Art, this dynamic sculpture by acclaimed artist Ray King has already greatly enhanced the appearance of this beloved local landmark, adding vibrancy to the fountain that will keep it alive and fresh for years to come.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our SPA board members who volunteered their time and effort to keep us moving forward. Thank you to Co-Chairs Ellen de Havilland and Brian Carpenter, Treasurer Lauren Holt, Art Selection Co-Chairs Cheryl Barr and Vicki Lederman, Governance and Education Chair Sarah Walko, Gala Co-Chairs Vivian Furman Rubin and Leslie Herman, Fountain Co-Chairs Estelle Fournier and Vivian Furman Rubin, Illumination Night Co-Chair Deepa Whipple, Council Representative Marjorie Fox, School Representative Jill Joseph, and Sheila Srere for all of your hard work! Thanks also to bookkeeper Katie Williams and to outgoing Co-Chair Shally Saini, who provided valuable help with development and community outreach during her tenure with SPA.

Thanks also to Mayor Nora Radest, Michael Rogers, Aaron Schrager, Rosemary Licatese, Amy Cairns, Michael Caputo, Jin Blades, Pat Priore, Warren Wolfe, and the Public Works Department of the City of Summit for their continued and invaluable support.

We would also like say a special thanks to outgoing and long-serving board members Marie Cohen, Debi Schwarzmann, and Estelle Fournier. Over the years, Marie and Debi served SPA in a variety of roles, including as Co-Chairs and as chairs of both the Art Selection and Gala fundraiser committees, during which time they not only steered us through the difficult years of the pandemic but helped make SPA one of the top public art programs in the state. Estelle, too, served SPA in almost every capacity, as Co-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and, most notably, in Art Selection, where her expertise in contemporary art helped bring so many memorable artworks to Summit. Thanks to you all for your many years of service to Summit Public Art—you will definitely be missed!

And, of course, a very big THANK YOU to all of our supporters and to the many generous donors who have kept us going these past two decades. As a 100% volunteer-run, donor-funded nonprofit, we rely entirely on the generosity of friends and neighbors just like YOU to provide the public art and community projects that you, your families, and visitors to our town enjoy each day. We know that the last few years have been especially challenging for all of us, which is why we greatly appreciate any contribution you might be able to provide.

If you would like to help us continue to enrich and inspire our community through public art, please click on the button below:

Thank You for Your Support!

If you have already given, we thank you for your support! To those who would like to help, any contribution you can make will help us continue to bring exceptional art to our wonderful city and home—no donation is too small!

Best holiday wishes to you all and may we all remember the many things we have to be grateful for as we head into the new year!

Above: Donna Conklin King's Cave Painting on the Summit Village Green; a visitor poses with two of Emil Alzamora's Time Travelers near the Summit Promenade; a group of tour-goers stops to discuss Paul Santoleri's mural The Watcher at Lyric Pocket Park; SPA's Evening the City of Art fundraiser at City Hall; Mayor Nora Radest cuts the ribbon at the official unveiling of Ray King's sculpture Pleiades at the Promenade Fountain; SPA board members Marie Cohen, Debi Schwarzmann, Vivian Furman, Rubin, and Estelle Fournier with Ray King.

A Look Back

Above: (clockwise from top left): Emil Alzamora's Time Travelers; Donna Conklin King's Cave Painting; Ray King's Pleiades; Nancy Cohen's Your Water, My Sky, Ronen Gamil's Between Flagships; Ray King's Star and Spheres.

Artist Emil Alzamora on the Summit Promenade to install two of his Time Travelers.

Artist Nancy Cohen oversees the installation of her work Your Water, My Sky on the Village Green.

Artist Ronen Gamil installing his work Between Flagships on the Village Green.

Artist Carlos Mendoza discusses his installation Palm Tree Series #3 during an art walk at Summit City Hall.

Artist Donna Conklin King discusses her installation Cave Painting at SPA's "Illumination Night."

A public art supporter tries on a pair of wings at Kelsey Montague's interactive mural What Lifts You.

A tour-goer stops to admire a couple of Emil Alzamora's Time Travelers at Kaus Way.

Students pay a visit to Willie Cole's Woman in Heels sculpture on the Village Green as part of the CATLA21 program at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey.

SPA Co-Chair Ellen de Havilland, Sofiya Whipple, Kareena Whipple, and SPA Board members Vicki Lederman, Leslie Herman, Deepa Whipple, and Sarah Walko greet guests at "An Evening in the City of Art" at Summit City Hall.

SPA's "An Evening in the City of Art."

SPA Board members Deepa Whipple, Vivian Furman Rubin, Estelle Fournier, Sarah Walko, and Brian Carpenter join artist Ray King (center) at SPA's Gala.

Mayor Nora Radest delivers an official proclamation declaring Sept. 17th "Summit Public Art Day." (From left: Gala Co-Chair Leslie Herman, Mayor Nora Radest, SPA Co-Chair Ellen de Havilland, and Gala Co-Chair Vivian Furman Rubin)

Artist Ray King joins Mayor Nora Radest for the official ribbon cutting at the unveiling of Pleiades at the Summit Promenade Fountain.

Representatives from Summit Public Art, Summit Downtown, Inc., and the City of Summit celebrate the culmination of a years-long collaboration to transform the Promenade Fountain.

Ray King explains the inspiration behind his sculpture Pleiades during the unveiling ceremony at the Promenade Fountain.

Take the Tour!

Head downtown and take a self-guided tour of all the new and exciting public art on display here in Summit!

This season offers several must-see works by a host of internationally-acclaimed artists. And, as always, our open-air gallery remains free and open to families and art lovers of all ages. Just bring along this handy guide and come see for yourself why Summit has earned a reputation for being one of New Jersey’s premier destinations for world-class public art!

To download the full guide to our 2022-23 season,

simply click here:

Start Your Tour Here!

Have You Seen It?

To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re excited to announce the launch of Summit Public Art’s new YouTube channel—SPA TV, a collection of videos showcasing the wide range of public artworks on display throughout town. In addition to a series of music-video shorts devoted to each work, you’ll also find new video retrospectives on SPA’s 20 year history as well as HTTV’s recent documentary “The Wonderful World of Public Art,” which offers an illuminating behind-the-scenes look at Summit Public Art.