Forward Janesville - TheReport - Third Quarter 2020

Drumroll please… The Blain Gilber tson Family Heritage Bridge ar tist installation has been revealed and it is fabulous ! BY LAURA BARTEN The Blain Gilberston Family Heritage Bridge has a big job. It will be a centerpiece of the downtown Janesville redevelopment that elegantly connects east and west. Its design should encapsulate the spirit of the city, both past and present. A functional work of art, its goal is to inspire residents and visitors alike, fostering wonder and encouraging foot traffic. To accomplish these lofty goals, ARISENow, the group responsible for overseeing the downtown redevelopment, engaged art consultant CODAworx and invited an extensive pool of artists to submit their ideas for consideration. The results were remarkable. But in the end, one proposal shone bright. Artist DeeDee Morrison, of Greenville, South Carolina, understood the project’s mission with a clarity that impressed the selection committee. "I was immediately drawn to the history of Janesville and the level of civic commitment to reinvest and rebuild with hope and vision. Like so many other communities across America, Janesville has struggled to regain its economic footing and find a path toward a future as robust as its past. Resilience boldly reimagines the landscape of possibility to experience and understand the history of the city and celebrate a new vision for the Rock River and the downtown district,” said Morrison.“Arise Janesville and the Forward Foundation are investing in public art that will become the catalyst to bridge the community together and forge a new existence for its future. It has been a tremendous honor to have been selected as the artist to work on helping realize this dream." Indeed, resilience is at the heart of Janesville and the design.The installation will feature a towering center sculpture called Resilience that resembles a mighty tree growing up from the river, stretching skyward and arcing gracefully over the bridge.The larger Bridgescape includes artfully designed tables and chairs at the center 8 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is not art. - Leonardo da Vinci -