Dancing Tower
This public artwork with its colourful glass roof captures the movement of dance as it welcomes people to the Newton Cultural Centre.
Artists: art.site (Claudia Cuesta and Bill Baker)
Location: Newton Cultural Centre (13530 72 Avenue)
Category: Civic collection
Year: 2010
About Dancing Tower
Dancing Tower is a metaphor for the dynamic of dance, and was created to integrate art and architecture. The artwork suggests excitement and passion of individuals and community groups who are using the building to create work and memories for Surrey's cultural legacy.
Located in front of the new home of the Arts Council of Surrey, this unique artwork symbolizes Surrey’s commitment to arts experiences for residents. Made out of raw aluminum pipe and tempered coloured glass panels, Dancing Tower stands 16 feet tall. It’s multi-coloured glass roof playfully animates colours and angles in response to the day and night light. Like many of Surrey’s young dancers who will pass under it on their way to classes in the building, the art work dances.
More on Dancing Tower
About the Artists
Working at their studio in Sechelt, BC, Claudia Cuesta and Bill Baker collaborate on public art projects under the name art.site. They work with the notion that
- viewers’ responses to an urban environment can be altered by art;
- that art impacts our surroundings; and
- our surroundings influence our narrative.
Claudia Cuesta, originally from Colombia, has an MFA from the Slade School of Art, University of London. Bill Baker is an urban and residential designer who studied art history at the Sorbonne, Paris.
While Claudia explores connections between people and the spaces they use or occupy, Bill focuses on how we occupy space and how it is affected by light and time.