Photo Credits: Lauren Anzevino
Sculptures by World Class Artist Tom Fruin Will be on Display Until March 15
HOBOKEN, NJ – Just weeks after unveiling perhaps the largest piece of public art in Hoboken’s history, residents and visitors to the Mile Square City are once again being invited to immerse themselves in some outdoor culture with the recent installation of four sculptures by renowned artist Tom Fruin.
According to Roxanne Earley, Executive Director of the Hoboken Business Alliance, bringing Fruin’s work to Hoboken is just one more effort to activate outdoor public spaces during the winter months, and to keep “spectacular” art in focus throughout the year.
“Hoboken is a city that welcomes diversity in our people, businesses, and even art. The Hoboken Business Alliance is thrilled to be able to offer these incredible works for public viewing,” Earley said. “We hope Home In Hoboken excites the community, and that residents and visitors alike enjoy the beautiful artwork as they wind their way across our City from light rail to waterfront, and everywhere in between.”
The four sculptures are collectively being called “Home in Hoboken” for this exhibition, and include the Hi-5 House at Sinatra Park Amphitheatre; Street Ministry at Monroe Center Plaza, and two Icon Camp Houses at Church Square Park. The work, installed by Holiday Collective, is temporary and will be on display through March 15th.
Fruin’s work has been displayed across New York City and internationally, including in Argentina and Germany. The pieces he has brought to Hoboken are tributes to architectural icons across the globe and, through his use of scavenged, reclaimed, and recycled materials, pay homage to efforts to build a more sustainable future.
“I love to reach the most diverse audience possible, and Hoboken is the perfect setting for a very diverse group of people going about their days,” Fruin said, adding that Hoboken’s walkable community with many public parks and plazas, and all of the “cultural offerings you’d expect in this urban and engaged family-friendly community” make Hoboken the ideal spot for public art. Fruin also extolled the virtues of it having “the best views which affords the most amazing backdrops for the artworks!”
“I hope this work inspires conversation and introspection into themes of home and family and a greater appreciation of the surrounding community,” Fruin concluded.
Earley added that public art creates dialogue and encourages members of the community to reach out to the Business Alliance on Instagram with suggestions for programming related to the temporary installation.
Already the works are creating buzz around Hoboken, with residents and business owners eager to share their experiences with the iconic works and visitors ready to head into town.
Quoting Thomas Merton, a well-known monk, writer, poet, social activist, and more who said that “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time,” Thorston Meier took to Instagram to say, “Finally our cities are catching on that art is important, needs to be on display and that young artists need a chance and a platform.”
“I love it!” he said of Fruin’s work. “I love his art and how he captures the light and its different moods.
Debbie Kamilaris, also a Hoboken resident, shared that “Tom Fruin’s work brings light to Hoboken during the winter darkness.”
“I was pleasantly surprised to see the installation outside the Monroe Center since I had wanted to visit the Brooklyn installation years ago and never made it,” Kamilaris said before adding that her toddler also loves the art, and they used the time together to name all of the colors and playing “house.”
“I love experiencing art through the eyes of a child.”
Thanking the Hoboken Business Alliance for helping to bring them to Hoboken, as well as for their continued partnership with the City, Mayor Ravi Bhalla said that “these wonderful sculptures are the latest way Hoboken’s public spaces are being beautified by public art, adding another visual quality of life benefit for our residents.”
ABOUT HOBOKEN BUSINESS ALLIANCE
The Hoboken Business Alliance (HBA), a Special Improvement District created by the Office of the Mayor and City Council, is committed to supporting the local Hoboken community. The HBA was formed to improve the district’s area and stimulate business in Hoboken. The HBA is here to ensure a safe, accessible, and prosperous business district that attracts residents and visitors to shop, eat, play, and stay in Hoboken. Visit www.hobokenbusinessalliance.com for more information.
ABOUT HOLIDAY COLLECTIVE
Holiday Collective is a New York City-based design firm bringing cheer and holiday magic to the public and commercial sector. The company’s imaginative installations delight guests, tenants, residents, and consumers of some of the east coast’s finest municipal plazas, hospitality locations, shopping destinations, and commercial and residential properties. Holiday Collective’s full-service team delivers unique, hand-crafted installations from concept to reality inclusive of design, build, installation, removal, and program management. For more information visit http://holidaycollective.co/
