The City of Pittsburgh and PennDOT announced Monday they had selected two local artists to enhance the replacement for the Fern Hollow Bridge.
Carin Mincemoyer and John Peña are both experienced artists with backgrounds in public art and integrating artwork into the kind of natural setting that will surround the new bridge, which crosses a portion of Frick Park.
“Both artists will deliver public art that captures the spirit of Pittsburgh while remaining sensitive to the intimate setting of Frick Park and the surrounding natural area,” said a statement from the office of Mayor Ed Gainey.
The 50-year-old Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed suddenly in January. Emergency declarations by Gainey and Gov. Tom Wolf allowed construction of a replacement to begin immediately. But that left essentially no time for the sort of public input on the design that would normally accompany a project of this scope. And when the design was released, some residents expressed concerns about its functionality, environmental impact and even its utilitarian look.
Contributions from Mincemoyer and Peña won’t fundamentally alter the bridge’s design. But the artistic enhancements will provide a chance for community input on the artwork itself. The city is accepting comments online here. The civic-design process for the art will be curated by the Office for Public Art.
Peña, whose public art is featured in Hazelwood and Larimer, will provide works to improve pedestrian and cyclist experiences on the bridge.
Mincemoyer, known nationally for integrating the natural world into her work, will design art for the trail below the bridge in Frick Park. She has pieces at the Kennedy Center and Pittsburgh International Airport. Her giant “dandelion” sculptures populate the sidewalk in front of the South Side’s Brew House, and her light sculptures “Diamond Diamonds” help illuminate Market Square.
