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| Robyn Love |
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Everyday Courage
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Completion Date:
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2003
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Medium:
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Steel Boxes and Found Objects
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Dimensions:
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n/a
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Location:
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High School of Law Enforcement and Public Safety
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Address:
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116-25 Guy Brewer Boulevard, Queens
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Architect:
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Polshek Partnership Architects
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Sponsor Agency:
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Department of Education
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Design Agency:
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School Construction Authority
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Everyday
Courage
is Robyn Love's ambitious installation in Queen's High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety. Love's project consists of 300 steel boxes filled with photos and other ephemera that relate to the maintenance of public safety. Collected from various sources including law enforcement and public safety agencies, these boxes include memorabilia and photographs of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., and local heroes. By emphasizing the importance of acts by grassroots activists and renowned public servants, students are constantly reminded of the deeds of inspiring individuals. Students and faculty can view the items inside the boxes through a glass panel, encouraging them to physically and metaphorically take a closer look at the world around them. Love devoted 70 boxes specifically to the September 11th, 2001 tragedy, which impacted public service communities dramatically. All boxes can be found in the lobby areas of the school's five floors, serving as a constant reminder of the potential public servants have to change the world.
About the Artist...
Robyn Love is an artist living in Queens, NY, who is best known for her large scale, hand-knit or crocheted site-specific art works. Her work frequently includes a participatory element from the community housing the project. Love has exhibited in museums and galleries in New York City and New England, including the Bronx Museum of Art, the Queens Museum of Art, the Newport Art Museum, and Art in General. She has been the recipient of awards from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Queens Council on the Arts, as well as private foundations.
Artist Quote...
Everyday Courage
is based on the concept of a Wall of 1000 Buddhas like those found in temples in South and Southeast Asia. The wall contains literally 1000 images of Buddha, often arranged in a grid pattern. It is an illustration of the idea that 1000 Buddhas will live among us during our eon. Likewise, I have arranged objects and photographs related to law enforcement, public safety, and community service in a grid pattern throughout the lobbies of the high school to encourage students considering careers in law enforcement and public safety to contemplate the many ways one can be of service to others. Whether at eye level, or 20 feet in the air, or down near your feet, all the items offer a proposition about the meaning of heroism and a life lived for the public good. -- Love, 2003
