Chur Chur

Location: Reno, NV
Client: City of Reno
Collaborating architect: Mandy Palasik
Fabricator: Magnum Companies
Installer and onsite welder: Tutto Ferro

Inspired by a workshop with art-class students from the local O'Brien Middle School, the sculpture has two components: branches and birds. The weathering steel branches allude to the area’s sagebrush and grasses, while the seven birds (that move in the wind) evoke flying geese formations that one can see in the area of the North Valleys Regional Park.  The shape and color of the birds was inspired by the Mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides), which is the state bird of Nevada that makes a “chur chur” sound. The birds also reference the racing planes that once flew from the nearby Stead Airport. The sculpture is intended to express a sense of aspiration, freedom, nature, and community. The sculpture's form changes depending on the viewers' position, as they drive or walk around the traffic circle.