UK College of Design, College of Fine Arts art installation pays tribute to campus landscape
The University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts and University of Kentucky College of Design have joined forces to unveil “Falling Color.” Installed in the Gray Design Building’s Maker Yard, “Falling Color” is a vibrant homage to the concealed creek running underfoot and the historical layers of Lexington that lie beneath the surface.
Inspired by the landscape and the historical context of the area, students collaborated on a piece that channels the flow of the creek through colorful, translucent materials suspended at heights of 10 to 25 feet, creating a dynamic, floating canopy. Knitted pillows and swinging elements invite viewers to pause, reflect and engage with the installation’s immersive atmosphere.
Materials for “Falling Color” include brightly colored vinyl strips, wool and cotton yarn donated by Kent State University and Ralph Lauren and recycled textile waste from UK Recycling. These materials come together to capture and diffuse light, meant to reflect on the unseen layers of history and nature below the graveled space.
School of Art and Visual Arts Associate Professor Crystal Gregory and Professor Doreen Maloney along with School of Interiors Assistant Professor Jennifer Meakins oversaw the project’s creation and installation. The project involved students in a cinematography studio course, a soft sculpture studio course, an undergraduate interiors elective and a core interiors graduate course.
“The design of the final piece emerged from a series of group pitches and workshops,” Meakins said. “Each group initially presented an idea, and over time, we worked together to merge them into a single cohesive installation. The traces of each initial idea flow through the piece.”
Gregory said she hoped this transdisciplinary project would provide students a glimpse at the real-world interactions that they may experience between the two fields in their professional careers.
“It was eye-opening for everyone involved,” Gregory said. “We all got to see how different creative processes work and see the beauty of how those differences can come together to produce a cohesive piece, which is something many of these students will encounter when collaborating professionally one day.”
Members of the campus community can view and interact with the installation from 1-2:30 p.m. Nov. 21 in the Gray Design Building’s Maker Yard. “Falling Color” will be on display until Nov. 22.
