Rita Shimelfarb | Public Art

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Public Art

Chute Middle School, Evanston, IL

Four stained glass panels, 34"w x 60" each, fitted into steel cage support frames and installed in front of the existing windows in the interior courtyard above main entrance of Chute Middle School.

Thematically the piece reflects four seasons, with each season represented by a distinct color scheme and marked by its own decorative tree branch rendering. Stylistically it was designed as a homage to Frank Lloyd Wright per school's artistic direction.

School's student involvement was a key piece of this project. Students learned about properties of warm glass, stained glass design strategies and the craft of making a stained glass panel in the classroom. They also had a direct hands-on experience of cutting glass, manipulating and fusing glass tiles for the project as well as stained glass panel assembly. 24 color tiles incorporated into the panels were designed and fabricated by students under my guidance.

Traditional stained glass construction, fused and painted multi-layered glass. Installed in summer of 2017.

Ronald McDonald House near Cadence-CDH Campus, DuPage, IL

Two sectional art glass panels installed above vestibule benches at the new Ronald McDonald House Riverside Haven building. Each panel consists of 5 overlaying glass sections and measures 74"x21". The panels are backlit by built-in recessed lighting.

The piece was designed to reflect the child-centric nature of the building. The main focus and purpose of each Ronald McDonald House is to serve as a home away from home for children who are undergoing medical treatments and to offer affordable housing to the families for the duration of the treatment. I felt that it was crucial to reflect and express the importance of a child and the vibrancy of a carefree childhood as a central theme in the glass design, while infusing the space with extra energy through glass color and affirming the visitor’s feeling that children are at the center of this facility’s operation and function.

Sectional art glass construction, fused and painted multi-layered glass. Installed in winter of 2015.