Monthly Archives: conceptual Design
The Roadrunner public art statue located outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico

3 Nifty Trends We’re Seeing in Public Art

The world is facing a huge shift in interest towards works of public art. Cities are erecting monuments that engage their community and attract people from all walks of life to catch a glimpse of the work. It’s become so popular that many city planners and landscape architects are making it a point to add sculpture pieces and other art attractions to their projects. There are many exciting trends we’re seeing around the world and we wanted to highlight a few below.

At EG Structural, we believe art brings people together. A well-designed piece can bring out what is truly unique about your city and generate a lot of interest from enthusiasts from out of town. The trends that we are seeing are just a fraction of the cool projects that are out there. 

Constructing Public Art With Recycled Materials

Being eco-friendly is not an idea limited to large corporations, energy grids, and electric vehicles; it’s also popping up in the art world. In fact, many artists are using repurposed materials to construct city landmarks that make one’s community truly stand out.

This type of public art can be extremely beneficial for cities looking to become greener. Constructing a landmark using recycled materials and/or other environmentally-friendly materials can act as the exclamation point towards your cause. Additionally, eco-friendly sculpture pieces are an incredible way to attract long-distance travelers. 

For example, there’s a giant roadrunner sculpture outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico constructed entirely of thrown-out items like shoes, cell phones, bike parts, and other materials. Located beside a rest stop area, it’s become a landmark for travelers to take a break and take photos with the 20 feet tall sculpture.

Public Art Creates Public Participation

Public art plays an invaluable role in community building by expressing and supporting a sense of culture and identity. One aspect of creating art for public spaces is how artists are enabling residents to have an active role in the design and construction stages to be more reflective of the community at large. 

Artists allow for varied participation, including public engagement in planning, selection, creation, installation, maintenance, and collective appreciation. Doing so results in a shared experience of creation and interaction that creates community cohesion and amplifies the sense of ownership towards a particular sculpture piece. Another reason public participation is becoming a vital part of the public art process is budgeting. With many municipality budgets spread thin, it’s good to gauge how supportive your community is of public art programs and investments.

Preserve the Past Through Public Art Installations

Another trend we’re seeing public artists get involved in is preserving relics of a community’s past. History is an important part of city identity and culture, so many are looking for ways to beautify landmarks of their past. 

One example of this is the City of Bellingham, WA, and its pulp and tissue mill. According to Darby Cowles, Senior Planner with Planning and Community Development, “Throughout the waterfront planning process, community members and other stakeholders have expressed an interest in retaining relevant or representative structures and artifacts to authentically represent the industrial character of the site and help tell the story of the historic pulp and tissue mills, which operated there.”

As a result, the city set a budget of $130,000 from the city’s Percent for Arts Program to construct an “acid ball.” The Acid Ball was part of the former Georgia Pacific pulp and tissue mill operations, which stopped operations in 2007. The ball was used as a relief system to maintain constant pressure while wood chips are cooked in sulfurous acid. Today, it’s been repurposed as a public art landmark to highlight the town’s industrial roots.

EG Structural Creates Custom Sculpture Pieces That Resonate

At EG Structural we have a passion for creating projects that inspire. For over 25 years, Eric Garcia has provided strong conceptual design to develop timeless public art projects that embody the spirit of our clients. Whether they’re a corporate entity or a municipality, we see what makes them special and design a sculpture that highlights their exceptionality. 


Contact EG Structural today to learn how we can brighten your organization with public art.

The Expansion sculpture pieces in New York City

Famous Modern Sculpture Pieces That Enrich Their Community

Whether you’re interested in art or not, it’s hard to ignore its effects on your community. It provides a high level of engagement for residents and tourists alike, not to mention it’s a powerful beautifying tool for public spaces. That is why many municipalities are partnering with artists to create sculpture pieces that resonate with people and enrich their local economy. 

At EG Structural, we believe art brings people together. A well-designed piece can bring out what is truly unique about your city and generate a lot of interest from enthusiasts from out of town. Don’t believe us? Read our article below and learn which sculpture pieces are enriching their community. 

Sculpture Pieces Can Engage Viewers and Magnify What’s Great About Your City

Since its installation in 2006, Anish Kappor’s 110-ton reflective sculpture, Cloud Gate, has become an icon in downtown Chicago. While it’s hard to say exactly how many people visit Cloud Gate a year; Millennium Park, where it’s located, sees an estimated 25 million visitors annually. One of those reasons is Cloud Gate and how it entices visitors to engage with it.

Sculpture pieces are meant to test our perspective and how we see the world around us. Cloud Gate does just that by highlighting the beauty of the cityscape surrounding it while distorting and magnifying it to the delight of those in its proximity. While the piece is still relatively new, it’s right up there with the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Center, and Wrigley Field as a true Chicago icon. 

Sculpture Pieces That Electrify People’s Imaginations

Another sculpture that is exciting to people is Paige Bradley’s Expansion sculpture. Found in Manhattan, Bradley sculpted a woman meditating, then shattered and transformed it with bronze and electricity to create a glowing bursting effect. Since its installation, it’s become a much-beloved piece that brings several different meanings from people who admire it. According to Women’n Art, some people see a woman bleeding light, while others see a woman transcending and turning into light with her inner power. However you interpret it, it’s a perfect example of how sculpture pieces capture a community’s imagination. 

Sculpture Pieces Can Advocate for a Better Future

Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd created his sculpture, Non-Violence, also known as The Knotted Gun, after the assassination of John Lennon. It is an oversized Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver with its muzzle tied in a knot. It’s meant to symbolize an end to gun violence and enrich the consciousness of humanity by advocating for peace. 

Reuterswärd’s sculpture is an excellent example of how art can have a powerful message that resonates for years to come. Since being erected at the United Nations in 1988, it’s become a symbol for social change through violence-prevention education programs. Not to mention it’s been used in various media to advocate for a peaceful future. Its simple design and admirable message are something that resonates with everyone around the world. 

EG Structural Creates Large Scale Art That Resonates

At EG Structural we have a passion for creating projects that inspire. We create timeless public art projects that embody the spirit of our clients and their community. Whether they’re a corporate entity or a municipality, we see what makes them special and design an open-air sculpture piece that highlights their exceptionality. 

If your organization is looking for a private commission sculpture piece, contact EG Structural today and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible!

A custom fabrication professional is welding pieces of metal

What is Custom Fabrication?

Metal fabrication is a broad term that encompasses the entire process of building anything from raw metal materials. This means everything from cutting and shaping to the final assembly. But, to create a piece that meets your structural needs, you need custom fabrication services to truly make it your own. 

EG Structural is looking to change how people perceive public art by creating incredible art installations and brand identities that excite the public. However, our mission would amount to nothing without the strong expertise of the custom fabrication professionals we partner with. Read our blog post below to learn what exactly they do and how they play an important role in the public art community. 

What Do Custom Fabrication Professionals Do?

Metal fabrication contractors use manual tools alongside machinery to create metal objects or structures by bending, cutting, and assembling various metal materials. They work very closely with their clients on what they are looking for and determining the best course of action in how to achieve their vision.  When working on our projects, custom fabrication experts will examine our conceptual designs and strategically figure out what needs to be done to craft its shape and scale. 

What Can You Create with Custom Fabrication?

We’re not exaggerating when saying that they can pretty much create anything. Whether you’re looking to build beautiful railings for your staircase or construction equipment parts for your project, they are proficient at the job. They’ll be able to stretch metal materials to meet the dimensions of your project. Additionally, they can use sectional metals such as I-beams, Z shapes, hollow structural sections, and bars and rods for each unique project. 

8 Steps in the Custom Fabrication Process

According to Reinke & Schomann, Inc., the average metal fabrication expert will encompass some or all of the following steps in their project.

  1. Cutting
  2. Forming
  3. Welding
  4. Machining
  5. Punching
  6. Shearing
  7. Stamping
  8. Casting

The process may seem strenuous, but it’s a very important process that ensures your structure takes shape. Without the expertise of fabrication professionals and their 8 step process, our works such as our Mesa Del Sol and Tulsa Route 66 signs would not be possible.

How to Choose a Fabricator

Choosing the right custom fabrication shop that will meet your project needs is probably the most important decision you can make. It can affect every aspect of projects like the manufacturing rate, production quality, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, it can even affect when the project will be completed. Some things to consider when bringing on a fabricator includes:

  • Experience: Just like with any job you need done, you want an experienced team working on your project. This will ensure you’re getting quality work that meets your standards.
  • Industries served: It’s also helpful to pick a custom fabrication team that is used to working in your industry or on projects of your scale. Some shops will specialize in one or two types of fabrication, while others may work with a wide variety of businesses.
  • Resources: Many fabrication shops use a variety of materials and tools to build incredible structures. When searching for the right team for your project, you may consider what materials, machinery, and tools they have on hand to get the job done.
  • Stock materials: Another important aspect to consider when choosing your fabrication shop is if they already have or can form the specific metal to your project needs. If they have a metal supplier, you may consider looking into them as well to check into their reputation.

EG Structural Works With Many Incredible Custom Fabrication Experts

EG Structural is fortunate to have partnered with several wonderful individuals to design public art that highlights their unique communities. We combine intense research, strong conceptual design, custom fabrication, and engineering expertise to develop landmarks that inspire engagement. We help build an identity that exhibits what it means to be a part of a community. 

Contact us today to learn about our expertise and how we can help boost your identity.

A structural engineering professional working on a design for a piece of public art

Structural Engineering: The Secret Weapon of a Public Artist

Structural engineering is an important field in constructing large structures of many types. Many people probably associate these professionals with simply designing solutions for architectural purposes. While they do help in that area, they play a very important role in constructing public art. 

For over 25 years, EG Structural has been reimagining how communities engage with public art. We take pride in highlighting the best of one’s community through functional large-scale art installations. However, none of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of our structural engineering partners. Read our blog post below and learn more about their role in public art and why you need them after conceptual design. 

What is Structural Engineering?

Structural engineers are experts in civil engineering that address the impact of physical force on force-resisting elements. They identify and measure numerical quantities to evaluate how different structural elements will respond to different forces. This is achieved through a lengthy process of analysis and design. 

They are directly responsible for designing structures that withstand all types of pressure and force. Everything from bridges and buildings to public art and other large-scale structures. They will apply what they found in their analysis to ensure each structure is safe and stable. They’re essential to many large-scale projects.

A structural engineering professional’s responsibilities may include:  

  • Calculating the pressure and stress that a building may encounter
  • Researching and evaluating the hazards in an area 
  • Creating and testing models using computer software
  • Evaluating older buildings for structural integrity
  • Recommending repairs, additions and other changes for existing structures
  • Constructing and testing models for safety
  • Monitoring construction of new structures
  • Meeting with contractors to ensure structures are built properly
  • Developing construction budgets
  • Evaluating materials for new construction projects
  • Collaborating with architects and other engineers on building design and construction
  • Making sure structures meet the appropriate building codes, legal regulations, health, and safety requirements

How Does Structural Engineering Work with Public Art?

Just like with other types of structures they work on, public art calls for a lot of considerations. Where will it be installed? How large will it be? What material is it made of? The possibilities are endless, and engineers are qualified to meet the needs of public art. Resulting in an amazing sculpture piece that resonates with the community. 

They must also have a creative mindset going into public art projects. According to Sanja Buncic, a structural engineer based in London, UK; they need to be creative and adaptable to ensure that we’re able to bring the artistic vision to life. Additionally, she mentions that “working on these types of projects is rewarding because they are dynamic and engaging. Also, because these pieces are inspiring, they really serve to pull the best out of the people who work on them as well as the people who view the finished piece.”

EG Structural is Proud to Partner with Incredible Structural Engineering Experts

A design means nothing without the help of structural engineers. They are an incredible asset to the public artist and must secure the longevity and integrity of the structure. Whenever we work on a large-scale art project, we look to them for their knowledge and experience.

EG Structural is fortunate to have partnered with several wonderful individuals to design public art that highlights their unique communities. We combine intense research, strong conceptual design, custom fabrication, and engineering expertise to develop landmarks that inspire engagement. We help build an identity that exhibits what it means to be a part of a community. 


Contact us today to learn about our expertise and how we can help boost your identity.

Eric Garcia, EG Structural Founder and Artist with his tulsa route 66 sign piece sculpture artists

Inspirations: How Life and Sculpture Artists Inspire EG Structural

The foundation of every large-scale art project is the desire to tell a story. Much like public art itself, sculpture artists have a unique story of their own. Eric Garcia, EG Structural’s founder, and artist, has a strong passion for the arts and elevates every private commission piece to the next level. But, where did the passion begin and what is driving him today?

EG Structural constructs public art installations that invoke a response. We capture the unique qualities of a community and memorialize them through fine art. Read our blog post below to learn about Eric’s journey and what led him to start EG.

It Started in New Mexico…

Eric Garcia was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico surrounded by beauty. From the mountains and foliage that encompass the town to the incredible amount of art; there was always something that caught his eye.  There’s a reason why artists like Andrew Dansburg, Randall Davey, Will Shuster, and most famously, Georgia O’Keefe; called Santa Fe home. The city as we know it owes its identity to the creative minds that helped shape its community and continue to influence the artistic passions of its residents. 

Naturally, Eric’s passion for art started with a love for the craft and how it empowers an emotional response from its viewer. He started as a fine artist who focused on painting and sketching but turned his attention to sculpting after seeing/meeting a variety of Santa Fe sculpture artists. Shortly after he started designing small-scale pieces that incorporated bronze and plaster. 

Allan Houser Demanded Attention Through Minimalist Designs

One of the many sculpture artists that inspired Eric was Allan Houser, an acclaimed sculptor whose work is featured in museums, private, and corporate collections around the world. He is one of the most renowned Native American and Modernist sculptors of the 20th century.

Eric explained, “I am amazed to this day about how simple his sculpture pieces were, and how they still hold a powerful message in their design. He took minimalistic styling to a whole new level and it just really resonated with me,” he continues, “he was a huge part of why I got into sculpting.”

Michael Naranjo Doesn’t Just Create Art, He Creates an Experience

Another sculpture artist that has influenced Eric tremendously is the Native American sculptor, Michael Naranjo. Raised in Taos, New Mexico; Michael was surrounded by art and was drawn to it naturally through his mother. He would eventually lose his sight during combat in the Vietnam War, but it did not stop his love for creating art. 

Naranjo once said, “Being blind makes the pace of life slower; you can’t walk fast or grab things quickly. Life is more gentle and soft and the change brought my creative energies out.” This mindset is not only seen in his sculpture pieces but it is also felt. Viewers are strongly encouraged to interact with his art by closing their eyes and simply feeling it as if they were in Naranjo’s shoes.  

Virgil Ortiz: A Childhood Friend and Impressive Inspiration  

Virgil Ortiz is a jack of all trades. A sculptor, a potter, fine artist, and fashion designer; but to Eric, he’s a good friend. Virgil’s style is heavily influenced by traditional Native American patterns and aesthetics while incorporating intricate freeform designs that make his work truly stand out. 

“When you see one of Virgil’s pieces, you instantly know it’s one of his. His style is truly unique and he has such a way of bringing his thoughts and ideas to life with abstract designs.” Eric explains further, “it’s something as an artist we strive for and I am so proud to see Virgil achieve what he has.” 

EG Structural Are Creative Sculpture Artists That Empower Communities

For over 25 years, EG Structural has been on a mission to create private commission work that evokes a response from community members. Whether we’re developing creative wayfinding designs or large-scale sculpture pieces, we always look for ways to shine a light on our clients’ identities. Contact us today to learn how we can highlight your unique background.

Custom Art Fabrications in front of the Seattle skyline

Make a Statement For Your Brand with Custom Art Fabrications

Everybody wants their business to stand out in their community. It should be the talk of the town; a hub that people gravitate towards because of how unique it is. One way that this can be achieved is by introducing custom art fabrications into your business. Art has the power to communicate and resonate with the public, and by investing in exceptional pieces, your business will surely stand out.

At EG Structural, we believe art brings people together. A well-designed piece can bring out what is truly unique about your property and boost awareness of your brand. Read our article below and learn how public art can enrich your brand equity.

Custom Art Fabrications Act as a Form of Communication

Artistic communication is essential in today’s diverse world because people are more conscious of design elements. Additionally, they’re more conscious about who they decide to shop or use service from. Public art installations are an excellent way for businesses to communicate with their customers by highlighting what makes their business unique. 

If you’ve ever taken a long road trip and stopped at a Sinclair gas station, you might have noticed a giant green dinosaur planted in front of the building. It’s obviously another way to highlight the brand’s logo, but it’s also become a beloved sight for travelers. It’s not uncommon for people to stop at a Sinclair station, fuel up on gas and take a picture in front of the green prehistoric statue. It creates a unique experience that can only be made at the gas station chain.

Custom Art Fabrications Help Make Brand Activations Extra Special

In today’s competitive business environment, standing out means creating unique experiences for guests. One way this can be accomplished is through brand activations. Brand activations refer to the process of making your brand known to people by increasing awareness and engagement through a number of marketing functions. One of those functions includes in-store promotions and events.

One way you can make a statement for your brand is by incorporating cool sculpture pieces or large-scale art into your event. Additionally, you can use it to create an overall aesthetic, unique to your business alone. Custom art can give you the power to make your event and business memorable to guests and solidify their return for future purchases.

Public Art Installations Spread The Word… Digitally!

Say what you will about social media, its impact on marketing businesses have been instrumental. Why? Because it allows you to engage with your audience and allows them to share their thoughts about you with their followers. Additionally, when you incorporate a well-designed piece of art into your business, it has a good chance of going viral. Resulting in an increase in brand awareness and more people interested in seeing the work in person. 

Art and social media go hand-in-hand, so combining the two can have a tremendous effect on your business. Look at our Roswell, New Mexico Welcome Signs. Since installing these signs, tourists have made it a point to stop and engage with them. If you jump on social media, you’ll see travelers take selfies in front of the signage and continue to journey through the town. The sign creates a fun, interactive way to bring people into the community while highlighting the town’s unique identity. 

Enhance Your Brand with EG Structural’s Custom Art Fabrication

At EG Structural we have a passion for creating projects that inspire. For over 25 years, Eric Garcia has provided strong conceptual design to develop timeless public art projects that embody the spirit of our clients. Whether they’re a corporate entity or a municipality, we see what makes them special and design a sculpture that highlights their exceptionality. 
If your organization is looking for a private commission sculpture piece, contact EG Structural today and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible!

A custom fabrication professional welding a large-scale art piece

Custom Fabrication and the Design of Public Art Installations

Picture if you will an artist concepting a piece of large-scale art inside a cluttered office space. It’s beautifully intricate and will make a great addition to any public space to attract onlookers. There’s one problem. How would you bring this Godzilla-sized masterpiece to life? The answer is custom fabrication professionals. 

For over 25 years, EG Structural has been reimagining how communities engage with public art. We take pride in highlighting the best of one’s community through functional large-scale art installations. However, none of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of the custom fabrication experts we partner with on our projects. They’re the unsung heroes and this article is meant to help you understand why they’re so vital in public art. 

Fabrication Engineers Answer the Age-Old Artistic Question, “How Will We Do This?”

“How will we do this?” This question haunts every public artist after concepting an exciting idea. Fortunately, there’s usually an answer in the form of a custom fabrication professional. 

When you partner with fabrication engineers you’re provided with the support and knowledge needed to effectively bring your idea to life. They’re simply paramount in the installation process as they’ll know how to situate your large-scale art securely and accurately with respect to the concept. 

Custom Fabrication Meets Innovations

Just like with any structural build, you’re bound to face some challenges. Fabrication engineers are experts in solving the smallest obstacles to canyon-sized challenges. They’re knowledgeable in the best techniques to identify, solve, and maintain solutions to ensure art projects go off without a hitch. Additionally, they’re just as creative as the artist themselves by coming up with solutions that bring the artist’s concept to life. 

One of the ways they’re able to achieve this is by using the latest technology. It’s not uncommon for custom fabrication professionals to use computer graphics, computer-aided engineering software, and geometry and object modeling to develop curve, surface, and object representations. These tools come in handy when figuring out the stability and reality of a public art build. Moreover, they’re used to identify problem areas and determine the best course of action to solve them. 

Custom Fabrication Engineers Enhance The Artist’s Vision

According to The New York Times, “fabricating is a bit like producing a record; you are trying to enhance the artist’s vision, which is sometimes meticulously conceived and other times inchoate”. We’re artists, we don’t conceive our pieces with what materials we’ll use or how we’ll install them in mind. At least, not entirely. This is often an afterthought that isn’t considered until after conceptualization. 

The artist will work with the fabrication engineer in developing a strategy and brainstorm ways to bring the art to life. This involves determining the overall look and feel of the sculpture piece by figuring out what materials should be used to construct the piece. Some materials EG Structural has used in its large-scale art includes:

  • Foam
  • Acrylics
  • Plaster
  • Steel
  • LED lighting
  • And much more

EG Structural Is Proud To Partner With Incredible Fabricators

A design means nothing without the help of custom fabrication engineers. They’re an incredible asset to the public artist and must secure the longevity and integrity of the structure. Whenever we work on a large-scale art project, we look to them for their knowledge and experience.
EG Structural is fortunate to have partnered with several wonderful individuals to design public art that highlights their unique communities. We combine intense research, strong conceptual design, custom fabrication, and engineering expertise to develop landmarks that inspire engagement. We help build an identity that exhibits what it means to be a part of a community. Contact us today to learn about our expertise and how we can help boost your identity.

An Open-Air Sculpture of a head covered in Ivy at the Hakone Open air Musuem

What Open-Air Sculpture Pieces Can Do For Your Community

Public art installations have long been recognized as an asset for communities. However, because many of its benefits are intangible, its priority is often overlooked. Yet, several communities around the world that prioritize open-air sculpture pieces see increased levels of community engagement and social unity. 

For over 25 years, EG Structural’s founder and artist, Eric Garcia, has worked with a number of communities to develop sculpture pieces that identify their unique identities. We believe art is a powerful tool and when it’s created by the right hands, it can elevate your city’s wellbeing. Read our blog post below and learn what open-air sculptures and other public art installations can do for your town. 

Open-Air Sculpture Pieces Promotes Social Cohesion

A study conducted by Knight Foundation in 2012 highlights how important public art is in community socialization. They surveyed approximately 43,000 people in various cities, and found “social offerings, openness and welcome-ness” and “aesthetics of a place — its art, parks and green spaces” ranked higher than education, safety, and local economy as a driver for their loyalty to their towns. 

It is up to the city planner and recreation department to bind its resources, facilities, and settings to create spaces that inspire social openness. One way they’re achieving this is by combining their beautification projects with public art installations. In that Knight Foundation study, the organization found Philadelphia residents, in particular, ranked viewing public art as the second most popular activity. Ahead of hiking, jogging, biking, and other recreational activities. 

Sculpture Pieces Can Drive Tourism

One of the biggest things communities benefit from when installing open-air sculptures and other public art pieces is its ability to draw in tourists. Take Cloud Gate, or The Bean, in Chicago. Everyday people flock to Millennium Park to see this enormous reflective monument and engage with the piece. According to Stone Fox Chicago, 12 million tourists visit the bean each year and it generates a lot of revenue for the city and the surrounding businesses. 

Though, Chicago is a major city and attracts out of towners regardless of the public art they install. Smaller towns and cities that install their sculpture pieces attract people from all over as well. For example, our Roswell, New Mexico Welcome Signs have enticed passersby with inviting designs that highlight the town’s fun history of the paranormal.  As seen from the people who plaster their stickers from all over the world, the structures promote a high level of engagement. Additionally, it’s become a hot spot for travelers to take photos and share them across their social media profiles, spreading their brand even further.

Open-Air Sculpture Pieces Can Involve The Entire Community

One of the things we learned from our Roswell Welcome Signs was how important it is to gauge how the residents feel about your public art. While tourists will enjoy the signage, they won’t have to look at them every day. So it was important for us to hold town meetings and get feedback from residents before fabrication and installation. Fortunately, they loved the signage and we moved forward with the concepts. 

Additionally, residents can be a part of the construction and maintenance process for the structure. According to Snyder & Associates, citizens and organizations who volunteer to help in these areas minimize the overall cost for the city. Moreover, it gives locals the ability to feel like they’re a part of the community, and down the line feel proud they’re a part of this public art piece.

EG Structural is Passionate About Public Art and How it Resonates

At EG Structural we have a passion for creating projects that inspire. We create timeless public art projects that embody the spirit of our clients and their community. Whether they’re a corporate entity or a municipality, we see what makes them special and design an open-air sculpture piece that highlights their exceptionality. 

If your organization is looking for a private commission sculpture piece, contact EG Structural today and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible!

EG Structural's large-scale art welcome sign for Roswell, New Mexico

The Process of Large-Scale Art Private Commissions

Creating large-scale art pieces is a rewarding experience. Not just for us artists, but for those who commission us for their projects. Whether it’s for your commercial property or a municipal space, private art commissions empower the areas they occupy. 

EG Structural was founded on the principle of creating functional public art installations that evoke a response. We work with you to identify your unique brand identity and ways to bring it to life through large-scale sculpture pieces. Read our article below and learn how we achieve this.

Planning

Just like with any art piece, planning ensures the project goes off without a hitch. It is during this stage that we identify key components of your brand and what exactly you are looking for in your large-scale art commission. 

We conduct extensive research into your brand; looking into your history, location, local amenities, and other unique characteristics of your community. Once we compile these details, we hand them off to our artist and founder, Eric Garcia to work his magic.

It’s not uncommon for us to have a concept already in mind for certain projects. But to truly connect with your brand, we use our research to help us add elements associated with your community. 

For instance, Roswell, New Mexico is more than just a UFO town. When we were commissioned to create welcome signs for this community we wanted to incorporate elements that symbolize their community (with a UFO twist!). As a result, we came up with three themes for the signs: the 1947 UFO crash, a flying saucer, and the town’s agricultural roots. 

During the planning phase of this project, we heavily encouraged public feedback. We met with city officials and held several town meetings to give residents the chance to voice their opinions on our designs. Through this, we were able to identify elements that evoke a response, not only from tourists but residents. 

Implementing Large-Scale Art 

The most strenuous stage of large-scale art is the installation process. This involves many elements to bring the project to life. Including:

  • Coordinating production
  • Getting the site ready for installation 
  • Transporting the large-scale art piece
  • Efficiently installing the piece on the site

EG Structural works with several professionals in identifying these key components for a successful installation. Additionally, we work closely with city officials on setting up the location for the sculpture piece, this involves soil testing, permitting, zoning, and identifying public and private land. Also, we work with structural engineers to develop solutions that help the structure withstand the area’s weather and other harsh conditions. 

The Tulsa Route 66 project challenged us in a number of ways due to its large scale. We had to account for Oklahoma’s range of severe weather conditions and what it means for a project of its size. Additionally, being at the center of a round-about, the monument had to be installed with drivers’ safety in mind. The structure is also in the landing direction of the Tulsa airport. So, we worked with city officials and federal aviation guidelines to ensure the installation’s lighting would not impact the planes overhead.

Ensure Your Large-Scale Art Stands the Test of Time

While we use materials that are capable of maintaining the structural integrity of your sculpture, it will need routine maintenance. This ensures your sculpture piece will stand the test of time and visitors can engage with it for years to come. According to Artwork Archive, a typical maintenance plan includes:

  • Estimate of any upfront costs of conservation
  • Discuss ways to keep the art safe from the public
  • Create a plan and timeline for routine maintenance and conservation (repainting, etc.)
  • Identify how to maintain the large-scale art piece and what materials should be used.
  • Allocate a budget for maintenance

EG Structural Turns Brands into Large-Scale Art

At EG Structural we have a passion for creating projects that inspire. For over 25 years, Eric Garcia has provided strong conceptual design to develop timeless public art projects that embody the spirit of our clients. Whether they’re a corporate entity or a municipality, we see what makes them special and design a sculpture that highlights their exceptionality. 

If your organization is looking for a private commission sculpture piece, contact EG Structural today and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible!

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