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Project Details

Fabric 1

Trapeze
Producer/Manufacturer: Dazian
Primary Use: framed 'river' structure

Fabric 2

Stretch Tulle
Producer/Manufacturer: Showtex
Primary Use: 'wings' that anchor the river to the shore/ building

Engineer Name 1
Jonathan Crowe

Engineer Company 1
Transformit

Design Name
Cynthia Thompson

Design Company
Cynthia Thompson Installation Art

Fabrication Name
Denise Laverriere, Beth Austin, Jeff Payeur, Connor Pirruccello-McClellan

Fabrication Company
Transformit

Subcontractor Name
James Laplante (animation), Michael Reidy (lighting)

Subcontractor Company
Sputnik Animation, Michael Reidy Lighting Design

Graphics Name
Matt Rawdon

Graphics Company
Transformit

Installation Name
Connor Pirruccello-McClellan

Installation Company
Transformit

Please describe the project specifications

From the artist, Cynthia Thompson, M.F.A.

Always the River overview
I was invited to propose a permanent sculpture installation for the entry atrium of the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee.
After doing initial research about the area and its history, I focused on the Cumberland River, because of both its great historical importance and its present-day challenges and opportunities.
Always the River places the Cumberland River in the entry atrium, where it is suspended from the ceiling, but artistically tied by the painted wings to both shores, a heavenly river, floating in the cosmos.
The surface of Always the River is painted with twenty-four unique ‘cosmic helpers’, each of which is paired with a local endangered species.
The cosmic helpers are activated by a programmed animation and lighting show.
These activations invite further shows to be created, for both entertainment and education.

Goals
I wanted to make an exciting sculpture that captures the energy of Clarksville and the Cumberland River. That means people are not just glancing at the installation as they pass by, but become fully engaged because of its compelling presence and its relevance to present-day concerns and tastes.
I insisted that this sculpture be well and excitingly lit.
Unlike a bronze sculpture, which can survive over many decades but can’t adapt to new circumstances, I wanted a sculpture that will be renewed and refreshed over its lifetime, kept relevant by the community’s participation.

Process
Long before I was invited to make Always the River, I had been working with cosmic helpers: in my life, in sketches and in previous works.
After I was invited to make a proposal, I traveled to Clarksville to investigate, and quickly decided to focus on the river.
Initial sketches were followed by a scale model, which I used both to develop my ideas, and to present them.
Budget and production milestones were followed by several months of detailed research and acclimatization to the area. I explored the entire Cumberland River, from its mouth at the Ohio to its source in eastern Kentucky, and investigated the Red River and Dunbar Cave as well.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency kindly provided a list of the most endangered species in the area. There are more than two thousand local endangered species!
Discussions with my lighting and animation team helped to develop a realistic technology shopping list and an achievable artistic vision.
The sculpture’s frame was drawn in 3d, built, assembled and ‘skinned’ in my company’s shop, where I set about painting it with the river’s elements, and with twenty-four unique cosmic helpers, each of which I paired with one of the most endangered local species.
Partial dry run installations were made in Maine, with separate lighting and projection rehearsals, but a large fraction of both the lighting and animation programs were done on site, during installation.
Always the River is complete (according to the contract with Montgomery County) but may be renewed by the community for many years to come, as a focus for environmental efforts related to the river, for school field trips, or for efforts yet to be imagined.

About my medium
Fabric, held in tension, has been my chosen medium for forty years.
In this project, the central ‘river’ uses a dramatically curved aluminum frame to support the fabric and give it shape. The river is precisely located by frameless ‘wings’ which are also attached to the building.
For the first time, I have painted the sculpture’s fabric, both river and wings, with paint that stretches.
My ‘Cosmic Helpers’ live on the fabric, and are also activated by a program using a motorized ‘mirror head’ to project animations all over the room.
The whole sculpture is bathed in a dramatic theatrical light show. No one could pass by without noticing.

Key to the photos
1 The installation at night, lit with white light
2 The cosmic helpers, each paired with a local endangered species- shellfish, bats, birds, flowers, snakes, salamanders, fishes
3 A daytime view, with the cosmic helpers
4 A still video outtake, showing a cosmic helper 'in action' on the ceiling
5 A shot taken at dusk during the programming of the animation. Note the ladder, and the mirror-head projector nearby, which activates each cosmic helper, sending it around the room
6 A view of the theatrical light show that accompanies the animation. Always the River is best seen at night, but the animation/ light show is effective even in full daylight

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