The Stone Arch Bridge, overlooking St. Anthony Falls and connecting the east and west banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis’s historic milling district, is a primary site of Northern Spark.
University of Minnesota graduate Robin Schwartzman came up with the concept to light the bridge with a short text by Theodor Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss). THINK AND WONDER, WONDER AND THINK has become the 2012 festival theme and Robin will create the phrase in large, illuminated letters that will hang between the spans of the bridge on both sides. Visible for miles, the project will be mounted a week before Northern Spark’s nuit blanche as a clarion call to think and wonder — not only about the upcoming event but about the art of the world around us. As one participant in Northern Spark in 2011 wrote:
“Art is everywhere. The night of Northern Spark transforms your consciousness. Yes, you read the brochure and move from installation to installation, but you’re also always on the lookout for what might be new or different. Suddenly, everything becomes art: the lights under the 35W bridge; couples stealing a kiss under an archway; even spaces that you had never previously considered as anything other than no man’s land. The next morning, the sensation continues, and your senses are heightened for hours.”
Robin Schwartzman is the CNC Router Technician and an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Minnesota. She was Northern Spark’s Volunteer Coordinator in 2011. She received her MFA from the University of Minnesota and her BFA from Syracuse University. She grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, where she spent her summers working at a local amusement park; seduced by the bright lights and moving colors, she has continued to work at carnivals and theme parks during the past ten years. Her experiences in these whimsical environments provide a basis for her sculptures, installations, and puppetry.