Artwork

Toledo has a vibrant art scene which is reflected in Glass City Center's original art. The Art in Public Places Committee, chaired by Susan R. Reams, commissioned several projects in and around the convention center. Members from the Arts Commission, Lucas County Commissioners and others reviewed proposals and selected artists to create these art installations for an estimated cost of $1.5 million.

Blue Lupine

“Blue Lupine” has been fabricated with four 32-foot-high curving blue steel poles, referencing flower stems, each with an array of waterjet cut aluminum “petals” suspended from a pattern of stem/arms. The shapes and colors will enliven the site during the day and, with lights, welcome exploration in the evening, supporting the
community, visitors and businesses year-round.

Blue Lupine

Ladder of Light

All four sides of each of the three 45 ft high stairwell columns are wrapped with horizontal light elements. A total of 700 light elements illuminate the columns as well as radiate their light into the stairwell and onto Monroe Street. Each of the light elements is independently programmable which allows for sheer unlimited light sequences.

This scheme guarantees an everchanging visual spectacle to surprise Glass City Center visitors and passerby on Monroe Street.

Ladder of Light

Lucid Glass City

LUCID GLASS CITY is a piece of public art that consists of a backlit 3D image of clouds behind a mirrored glass surface. LUCID functions as an ambient light source, mirror and innovative art installation simultaneously. The piece will place a three dimensional image of billowing clouds and radiating sun rays inside a monumental glass mirror. Viewers can ‘touch’ the illusionary clouds with their reflected image.

Collective Cartography

Collective Cartography is a collaborative reflection of natural spaces throughout Lucas County, between the local community and artist Cable Griffith. Over 700 photographs of Middlegrounds, Swan Creek, Oak Openings, Manhattan Marsh, Wildwood, and Howard Marsh Metroparks. The photographs from participants constructed a digital photo collage of each of the six parks, taking various elements from separate submitted photos. Each of the 6 compositions is based on a selection of up between 20 - 30 photos. These compositions are then pixelated– blending, averaging and uniting the separate details into a unified mosaic that feels anonymous, yet uniquely specific to the original location.

Collective Cartography

Glass City Jazz - A Global Legacy

In addition to being the glass capitol of the world, Toledo is home to dozens of Jazz legends and Glass City Center's Jazz Alley is a lasting tribute to Toledo's legacies of Jazz and Glass. A combination of glass, photographs, memorabilia, painted murals, and portraits honor the clubs and musicians that make Toledo's Jazz history internationally renowned. The piece is located in the Summit Street corridor of the Glass City Center welcoming visitors and enthusiasts.

Glass City Jazz - A Global Legacy

Paraboloid Ribbon

Two collaborative local artists who work in a variety of 3D media created this piece utilizing light and shadow to explore mathematical forms in nature. This repeated form is a hyperbolic paraboloid. The graceful curves are an illusion made entirely of straight lines. The shadows become as important as the sculpture itself, creating a new work entirely.