Long awaited Tower installed at Waterloo and East 156th Street
Almost a year after fifty local residents converged on the Arts Collinwood Gallery to discuss a plan to build a Tower to be a 'flexible framework for changing public art displays", a "stage for ‘guerrilla art’ such as concerts, poetry readings and plays" as well as a a highly visible marker of the new Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District, Moritz Metal and Wood installed the Tower last week. It is a collaboration of artist, Christopher Diehl, and Moritz Wood & Metal fabricator and artist, Mike Moritz.
The placemaking and public art armature Tower was conceived as part of the Waterloo Streetscape Plan working with the Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative of NOACA. The initiative was spearheaded collectively through the efforts of the community with Northeast Shores Development. Continued streetscape improvements are planned for the district. Construction is expected to commence in 2012 for the total plan which includes final programming of the area surrounding the Tower. This planning phase will be conducted together with Osborn Engineering, Knight & Stolar, Inc., Planning Consultants & Landscape Architects and The City of Cleveland Department of Construction and Engineering.
The Tower was done in partnership with The City of Cleveland with support from Councilman Michael D. Polensek, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and the community through the efforts of Arts Collinwood and Northeast Shores.
Chris Diehl, artist from dielio inc, provided some history regarding the philosophy behind the creation of the Tower concept. “The large area of asphalt intersection at E. 156th and Waterloo streets was created in order to turn street trolleys around. The trolleys served this vibrant working class neighborhood and they, in turn, served the Collinwood rail- yards. Visitors also poured onto Waterloo in order to spend the day at the Euclid Beach Park Amusement park just north off of Lake Shore Blvd. After the trolley service ended, the amusement park closed and I-90 cut the Waterloo neighborhood off from the railyards. This intersection became a large and ungainly place for cars and trucks to pass through and a hazard for the unwary pedestrian.”
“The Waterloo placemaking Tower stakes a flag, of sorts, into reclaiming that area as a new civic heart for this reawakening district now reprogrammed for the visual and entertainment arts. The tower will act as the centerpiece of the new pedestrian-friendly plaza next to Arts Collinwood Gallery and the Café at Arts Collinwood. As such, the raw stainless steel structure will become a site for temporary public art installations and live music performances. Like the neighborhood around it, it becomes the container to house and display the incredible talent and gifts of the Waterloo community.
Sarah Gyorki, Executive Director at Arts Collinwood stated, “The Waterloo Public Art Selection Committee has been established to review artist submittals that will be solicited following the course of each season throughout the year. Congratulations to Mike Moritz and to Chris Diehl for the work that they have done. Now that the tower's in place, Robin Van Lear will collaborate with another artist after a site visit. As soon as we have the proposals in, we'll get started on the reviewing process, and soon the first display of public art will fill the frame. Stay tuned."