Indianapolis, IN (May 14, 2019) — Tens of thousands of shoppers and visitors from skywalk-connected hotels and the Indianapolis Convention Center make their way through downtown’s Circle Centre Mall each year. Now as they enjoy a meal at the Circle Center Dining Pavilion, a peek up from their food, phones or companions will reveal a unique, colorful and vibrant view thanks to a new and expansive work of art appearing to float through the area’s airspace.
“Kawaakari: River of Light” is a suspended sculpture eloquently weaving its way among the pillars and high ceilings of the dining pavilion. Part of the mall’s ongoing multi-million-dollar renovation and created by internationally renowned Indiana-based artist Arlon Bayliss, the piece is made of stainless steel tubing and more than 12,000 colored lenses that make for thousands of vibrant reflections throughout the space.
But the artist’s Indiana ties aren’t the only Hoosier connections to the piece. Indianapolis-based Associated Controls + Design, a division of CM Buck & Associates, was presented the challenge of installing the 400-foot-long sculpture in its permanent home inside the Circle Centre Dining Pavilion. The artwork was inspired by Indiana’s twisting and turning rivers and was shaped by bo-mar Industries, an Indianapolis custom metal fabricator and frequent collaborator with Bayliss on public art pieces.
“We aim to deliver our work as preassembled as possible to make the installation process relatively easy,” bo-mar president Bob Buchanan said. “But no matter what we were able to do with this piece, installing it high above the dining pavilion was going to be an interesting undertaking. We’ve partnered with the Associated Controls + Design and CM Buck teams before and they always find brilliant solutions for helping elevate our projects to another level.”
Associated Controls + Design site manager John Jarabek led a talented team of riggers tasked with the operation of securing the sculpture safely in place high above the pavilion. Their work has ensured that future visitors to downtown Indianapolis and Circle Centre Mall will be able to enjoy the artwork and the soft colorful glows of the natural light reflections it provides for years to come.
“Having a hand in a project like this where you know the work will be enjoyed daily by countless downtown visitors is incredibly rewarding for us,” Jarabek said. “It’s an honor to be trusted with suspending and securing Arlon Bayliss’ work of art, and every time we partner with bo-mar Industries their projects push us to discover innovative solutions for functional performance. Safely suspending this beautifully massive, twisting and curving sculpture high above the mall’s dining area was no small feat, but it was a fun challenge we’re proud to have accomplished.”
Circle Centre Mall is the latest in a long line of local landmarks to receive behind-the-scenes support from Associated Controls + Design and CM Buck & Associates. The companies have left their mark on the city and throughout the Midwest with work serving functional and aesthetic purposes at the Indianapolis Power & Light building, Riley Hospital for Children, the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, Indiana University, Purdue University, Anderson University, DePauw University and many more.
For more information or to schedule media availability with Associated Controls + Design or CM Buck & Associates, contact Kylee Kendall at (317) 519-3790 or kylee@thecaway.com.
About Associated Controls + Design
Founded in 1999, Associated Controls + Design is a full-service theatrical dealer and architecture entertainment systems integrator. Their experts aid with design and provide installation and support services for lighting, dimming, rigging and drapery systems for theaters, churches, schools, museums and more. For more information, visit acdtheatrical.com.
About CM Buck & Associates
Since 1941, CM Buck and Associates has provided power, lighting and OEM solutions to support manufacturers, innovators and more with services spanning the spectrum from concept to implementation and maintenance. Their experts work at the forefront of technology and behind the scenes with many of the Midwest’s largest projects and manufacturers.
