Chicago sculptor to create piece for library: "An aluminum and stainless steel mobile that utilizes the unpredictability of the wind will grace Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Morris Library upon completion of the expansion/renovation project.
The wind-driven piece by Chicago sculptor Evan Lewis will hang in the vestibule of the library's north entrance. A rotating exterior piece will turn the interior mobile based on wind direction and velocity.
Funding for the project is from the long-standing Illinois Capital Development Board's Arts-in-Architecture program. The state sets aside one-half of one percent of any construction budget on CDB-built facilities to buy art for buildings by artists who live in the state.
The outside piece is 24 feet in diameter when stretched out, and will weigh about 300 pounds. The inside piece is 36 feet high, and will move in a cylinder that has a diameter of 16 feet, Lewis said. The piece will be about 12 feet off the ground, and weigh about 500 pounds. Rotors and two exterior secondary arms will connect the two pieces."
