Project Overview
Meander | Beale Street Landing
As the centerpiece of the Beale Street Landing development on the Mississippi River, this wind-powered kinetic sculpture is a fitting homage to the majesty of this great American waterway. Meander by Evan Lewis is a spectacular 45ft tall wind-powered kinetic sculpture of stainless steel and concrete, comprised of two serpentine towers raised on sculptural cast concrete columns. The graceful towers are topped by large slowly rotating arms featuring precisely balanced “spinners” at each end.
“It was vitally important to ensure a marriage of the architect’s overall aesthetic/plan for the park with the form and placement of the public sculpture that would serve as the entrance focal point.”
The design of this public art site was defined by the intersection of two important axes. The first axis was that of Beale Street, a major east/west thoroughfare at the perimeter of Beale Street Landing. The second axis was the main/central axis of the park itself. A monumental public sculpture was to be located at this intersection, marking the primary access point to the Beale Street Landing and serving as the focal point of the park entrance. As one approaches the site from Beale Street, the sculpture (Meander) appears as a gate or portal to the park. However, upon arrival at the sculpture, the work creates its own 3-dimensional space for further contemplation of its dynamic/kinetic elements and the surrounding river views and vistas.
A concerted effort was made to create a work of art that fits into the larger scheme of the site's design and development. It was vitally important to ensure a marriage of the architect's overall aesthetic/plan for the park with the form and placement of the public sculpture that would serve as the entrance focal point. An extensive review of the architect's plans and ongoing dialogue throughout the project allowed for a fruitful collaboration from the outset. The sculpture was also designed with the collaboration and oversight of structural engineers regarding details of wind load and positioning the piece appropriately at the site. Lastly, the creation of this work of art was not possible without the successful collaboration with extremely skilled and talented concrete casting specialists in the fabrication of the massive sculptural columns at the base of Meander.
About the Artist
Evan Lewis
Evan Lewis was born in New York, NY, and grew up in Santa Barbara, California. He received his BFA in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1989 and has been living and working in Chicago, IL with his business EVAN LEWIS INC./FURNITURE ever since.
Evan Lewis has been an active artist and sculptor since 1978. Lewis’s interest in kinetic wind-powered art has led him to work primarily in metal, mostly in stainless steel and aluminum. Equally important to his work is the incorporation of sound, which is produced through delicate wind-powered percussive components. In 1988, Lewis was commissioned to create his first large-scale wind/sound sculpture for Expo 88 in Brisbane, Australia. Since the creation of that important first public sculpture, numerous commissions have followed including site-specific works for universities, municipal institutions, and private collections. In 1995, several of Lewis’ sculptures were commissioned by Warner Bros. Entertainment for the major motion picture Twister. A changing selection of commissioned works is featured on this website and a comprehensive portfolio is available for review upon further inquiry.
