New Sculpture Unveiled In Downtown Summit

SUMMIT, NJ — A new sculpture was unveiled at the Summit Promenade Fountain on Thursday.

The beloved downtown landmark has existed in Summit for 50 years, and to mark this anniversary, Summit Public Art — in collaboration with Summit Downtown Inc. and the City of Summit — has installed an original work of art designed specifically for the fountain.

"'Pleiades,' by world-renowned artist Ray King, is a dynamic sculpture that both enhances the fountain's overall appearance while maintaining the architectural integrity of the existing structure," Summit Public Art said in a statement. "Made of shatterproof dichroic glass panels suspended above the fountain’s basin, 'Pleiades' reflects and projects an ever-changing variety of light and color during the day and at night when illuminated, adding vibrancy to the fountain that will keep it alive and fresh for years to come."

King has four decades of experience creating large site-specific public artworks, according to Summit Public Art.

Major permanent installations of his work have been commissioned throughout the United States, Europe and Asia and can be found in numerous universities, municipalities, corporations, and private collections — and now in Summit.

Fountain Committee Co-Chairs Estelle Fournier and Vivian Furman Rubin, who first proposed the project, headed the committee that selected the artist, oversaw every step of the installation and helped to raise the funds necessary to bring this extraordinary work of art to Summit.

Summit Public Art would also acknowledged contributions from City Engineer Aaron Schrager, Superintendent of Public Works Michael Caputo, Foreman Pat Priore, Warren Wolfe and the Department of Public Works "without whose cooperation and expertise the transformation of the fountain would not have been possible."

In addition to being the 50th anniversary of the fountain, this year also marks the 20th anniversary of Summit Public Art — a volunteer-run, donor-funded, city-based organization that has installed more than 80 works of temporary art and several permanent artworks throughout Summit since it was founded in 2002.

To learn more about Summit Public Art, visit their website at www.summitpublicart.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @summitpublicart.