Decorative ‘Waves’ Dedicated at Wildwoods Convention Center

WILDWOOD — “Waves” swept over the railings of Wildwoods Convention Center, and their creator was present Wed., July 20 to tell about them at an afternoon dedication. Some of those waves are metal others are mosaic, and grace the center’s main entrance.
The sculpture and mosaic arts package, by Tom Nussbaum of Montclair, is installed at the Convention Center entrance. The artist’s artwork was inspired by forms and images found along the Wildwoods’ beaches, boardwalk and amusement piers, along with Doo-Wop architecture and seashore motifs.
After a quick snip of the red ribbon, the artwork was ready for public use and enjoyment. Some youngsters passing by on their way from the beach commented on the novel shapes that adorn the railings and the bronze plaque that Nussbaum knelt by for a photograph.
Titled “Waves,” Nussbaum’s Phase III railing and mosaic arts package for the Convention Center links Wildwoods’ primary event venue with other things for which Five Mile Island is known by its millions of visitors.
“This installation utilizes a variety of images associated with the beach environment, as well as decorative motifs from the local boardwalk and amusement piers, while also incorporating design elements from the Wildwoods’ distinctive Doo-Wop mid-century architecture, including motifs typical of the 1950’s and 60’s,” said Nussbaum. “The artwork reflects the characteristics and spirit of the Wildwoods’ community and the unique location of the Convention Center.”
Nussbaum told the Herald that the silvery waves on the railings take on different colors at various times of the day. Especially near sundown, when the sun’s rays are a richer orange, the stylistic waves seem to come to life.
“For Phase III of the Convention Center’s arts package, we were looking for something to tie in the first two phases and to provide a sense of completion to the exterior of the building,” said John Siciliano, executive director of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement & Devel-opment Authority (GWTIDA). “We noticed that the façade of the Convention Center looked spectacular thanks to the arts packages installed during Phases I and II, and that the areas leading up to the venue needed a boost, so we selected a package that adds a welcoming and visually stimulating feeling to the entrance stairs and ramps.”
“My goal for this project was to create site-specific artwork that transforms the entrance to the Convention Center into a visually welcoming experience,” said New Jersey artist Tom Nussbaum. “The circular motif found throughout the design of the building is also used in the ‘Waves’ design to integrate the artwork with the architecture, and to complement the Convention Center’s neon artwork.
Nussbaum worked on project since 2007, when he met with the N.J. State Council on the Arts and was introduced to the GWTIDA board during the artist selection process for Phase III of the Wildwoods Convention Center’s arts package.
Alisa Cooper representing New Jersey State Council on the Arts noted that the role of the council is to help the public appreciate art in schools and elsewhere in the community. She said the arts have an economic impact on many facets of life, including turism, the eoconomy and youth culture.
Nussbaum developed proposals for the Convention Center entrance artwork, which were submitted, reviewed and approved. After receiving final approval for his “Waves” arts package, Nussbaum began the design and fabrication process.
The first step in the development of the arts package for Nussbaum was to spend time in the Wildwoods to gain inspiration. He then began sketching concepts with pencil and paper, and once the sketches were complete, they were scanned into the computer and refined using vari-ous computer programs. Nussbaum then reached out to his team of fabricators – including steel cutting, welding and installation experts, a concrete cutting specialist, an art mosaic expert, a structural engineer and a graphic designer – to assist in the physical creation of the “Waves” arts package.
Titled “Waves,” Tom Nussbaum’s Phase III railing and mosaic arts package for the Convention Center continues to tie in the Wildwoods’ primary event venue with everything else for which the five mile island is known by its millions of visitors. “This installation utilizes a variety of images associated with the beach environment, as well as decorative motifs from the local boardwalk and amusement piers, while also in-corporating design elements from the Wildwoods’ distinctive Doo-Wop mid-century architecture, including motifs typical of the 1950’s and 60’s,” says Nussbaum. “The artwork reflects the characteristics and spirit of the Wildwoods’ community and the unique location of the Con-vention Center.”
The final arts package created by Nussbaum consists of three distinct aspects – Railings sculptures, Mosaics and a Plaque. Below is a descrip-tion of each:
Railing Sculptures
The individual design elements of the artwork are fully integrated into new railings that are in the form of flowing waves inspired by ocean waves and surf.
All the steel surfaces have an architectural grade finish that reflects the sunlight as it changes throughout the day. As the sun moves across the sky, the cut elements will cast patterned shadows on the adjacent stairs. In the evening the stainless steel sculptures softly reflect the am-bient natural and artificial lighting.
Mosaics
The design of the mosaics works in unison with the railing sculptures to evoke imagery of the beach and ocean. Carrying forward the images from the railing sculptures, the mosaic design reflects the flow of the water on the beach, forming a natural path that leads people to and from the convention center. Made from colored glass in a variety of shades of blue, the mosaics add to the circular blue motifs that are the signature of the Convention Center.
Plaque
This plaque portion of the package includes a round cast bronze plaque with illustrations and text describing the concept of the artwork and showing the sources of the designs. For example, it identifies the Wildwoods architectural design elements in the artwork, and briefly de-scribes the history of Wildwoods architecture. The plaque is on the Boardwalk at the top of the ramp leading to the Wildwoods Convention Center.
The Wildwoods Convention Center’s new railing sculptures and mosaics represent Phase III – the final phase of the venue’s arts package – and are a part of the State of New Jersey’s “Public Building Arts Inclusion Act.” Passed in 1978, the program has led to the commissioning and installation of hundreds of works of art in state-financed construction projects. Up to 1.5% of the construction budget for state facilities is set aside for the purpose of incorporating public art and arts packages to the building. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts works closely with other State agencies, architects and engineers to manage the artist selection process and monitor all projects to completion.
Wildwoods Convention Center officials worked closely with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts to discuss suggestions and review pro-posals for Phase III of the venue’s arts package. In the end, it was decided that Tom Nussbaum’s proposal for artistic railings and mosaics along the exterior ramps and stairs leading to the convention center would be best for Phase III, complementing Phase I of the package – the eight circular portals with neon-lit W’s spanning the Convention Center’s facade designed by Keith Sonnier during the building’s initial construction; and Phase II of the package – the artistic, neon lit tower above the Convention Center’s main entrance designed by Chris Freeman and un-veiled in 2010.
“It was an honor working with such a talented individual like Tom Nussbaum for this project. We couldn’t have asked for a more creative artist to work on the final phase of our venue’s arts package,” said Siciliano. “His work is a refreshingly unique addition to our venue that really provides the finishing touch to our venue’s arts package.”