News

“Wood Pile,” an installation constructed by 2006 Cleveland Institute of Art sculpture grad Mark A. Reigelman II, was selected and recognized in the tenth annual Americans for the Arts 2010 Year in Review as one of the year’s best public art works in the United States.

Published by the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts, this list reflects the most exemplary, innovative permanent or temporary public art works created or debuted in 2009. Just 40 projects were selected from a record 390 submissions by public art programs and artists nationwide. Other notable awardees this year include Peter Shelton, Maya Lin, and Norie Sato and Bill Will.

Commissioned by the Cleveland Museum of Art for its 2009 Summer Solstice Celebration, “Wood Pile” was made of 18,720 recyclable pool noodles, each measuring 12 inches in length and roughly 4 inches in diameter, creating a sculpture stretching over 470 linear feet. The massive sculpture paid tribute to ancient Midsummer-related traditions.

Reigelman’s professional projects range from public art and interior design to ceramics, jewelry, and product design. His public installations include works for the City of Cleveland, Brooklyn Borough Hall, and the 2009 and 2010 Cleveland Museum of Art Summer Solstice (for which “Wood Pile” was created). Reigelman also sells his signature pieces, such as sculptural silverware, NY snow globes, and task lights, in boutiques across the globe – from New York to Paris to Hong Kong.

For more information, view the Year in Review list, learn about CIA’s sculpture program.