on a pro-bono basis , lining up contractors , insurance , and departmental reviews to keep the project moving along . The team ultimately sought and discovered a number of alternative funding mechanisms for artists in Boston — ones that provide creative projects with cash in hand . Tidraphone was awarded funds for its environmental design by Feast Mass , a dinner party where people present creative communityengaged ideas and attendees vote on which get funded .
Insurance and legal issues
Though our final site is located on public land ( which opened up the opportunity to procure additional city funding ), the city could not provide an insurance policy for our project . Worse , our team is not permitted to use grant funds to pay for insurance , so we had to pay out-of-pocket for our policy for the three-year duration of the project . Furthermore , since the city does not provide legal protection for artists , the team had to pay out-of-pocket to incorporate to protect our personal assets .
Love at third site
Our team made connections with wonderful community partners and supporters of the arts , including the Boston Children ’ s Museum and the Intercontinental Hotel , two of our potential project sites . In response to changing community dynamics , fabrication , and site requirements , our project site was re-located twice during the course of our design process . On reflection , we realized that we have become hyper-nimble and adaptable to the constraints of each new site , and that it served us well to not become too attached to any one site or design concept . Each new site , and each new requirement demanded fresh creativity and attention to new details . None of our iterative solutions to the Tidraphone design are the “ best ” design or a perfect design . With the selection of our final site ( we hope ) on the Congress Street Bridge , the team jokes that we had found “ love at third site .”
The future
As of August 2015 , Tidraphone LLC is moving towards installation on Fort Point Channel . A bonded contractor has been booked for installation , and fabrication is underway . At the same time , the team is finalizing bureaucratic tasks including permitting , insurance , and contracts . If all goes as planned with regulatory , documentation , and final approvals , the piece should be installed and open to the public this fall ( and we ’ ll get reimbursed for the materials and our fabricator ’ s efforts ). We look forward to producing events with our community partners , and finally getting the chance to see and hear people play Tidraphone . And we hope that we can pay forward what we ’ ve learned about designing and fabricating public art in Boston to start a conversation that helps other up-and-coming , outside-the-mainstream artists .
Project progress can be followed at our website ( www . tidraphone . us ) and @ tidraphone on Twitter .
Alyson Fletcher is a transportation planner with Nelson \ Nygaard . Dual masters in City & Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture , Cornell University ; B . A . in Art & Art History from William & Mary . Dana Busch is an interactive designer with expertise in human-centered design , management , and prototyping for cross-disciplinary projects . BFA . in New Media Design from Rochester Institute of Technology . Conor MacDonald is a community builder and membership manager with the Boston Society of Architects / AIA . Conor studied business and finance at Lehigh University , minor in architectural history . Katarzyna Balug is a public artist with the Department of Play . She has an MUP from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a BA in studio art from USC .
Siqi Zhu is an urban designer and planner with Utile . MUP from the Harvard Graduate School of Design . Emily Goldsmith is a designer , educator and engineer with the Innovation Institute . Emily holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering , University of Massachusetts Dartmouth . Joseph Wight is a professional metalworker , machinist , and fabricator , and is an instructor at the Artisans Asylum . Joseph apprenticed with Paul Matisse , working to restore the Charlestown Bells installation . Noah Vawter is a sound artist , musical instrument designer and found-object musician , educator . Noah has a PhD from MIT .
The original Tidraphone concept was developed by Kate , Dana , Alyson , Conor and Siqi . Emily , Joseph , and Noah were brought on for expertise as the project moved from grant awards to reality .
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