Though we are well out of spring, a new bunch of flowers has bloomed in Clarendon.
A new sculpture entitled “Floral Sky” was installed Saturday at the corner of Clarendon Blvd and N. Edgewood Street at Market Common Clarendon.
Artist Michael Kalish from Los Angeles was chosen from around 75 submissions to create the sculpture, according to Jason Yanushonis, manager of investments for property owner Regency Centers. The sculpture was designed, fabricated, built in and shipped from LA before installation began on Thursday, Sept. 17.
The installation was commissioned and funded by Regency Centers in collaboration with the Arlington Cultural Affairs division for the county, Yanushonis said.
Jim Byers, Marketing Director for Arlington Arts, describes the installation as “a multi-dimensional sculpture of larger-than-life blooms native to Virginia sprouting up from the ground.”
“Floral Sky is a vibrant and whimsical addition to the public plaza and streetscape at Market Common Clarendon,” Byers wrote in an email. “In our busy worlds where we are often looking at our phones, it encourages passerby to stop and look up. ”
Planning for the art installation began in 2018 as part of the redevelopment of Market Common Clarendon.
“We wanted to do something really extraordinary here. We decided to work with Arlington to come up with something collaboratively that kind of expressed what we felt about the area of the neighborhood, and especially our project,” Yanushonis said.