As you now make your way along East 9th Street (also known as Rock and Roll Boulevard), there are a series of interactive permanent outdoor installations known as the Rock Boxes, that extend the brand experience of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum into downtown Cleveland. Working in partnership with LAND studio and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and designed by artist Mark Reigelman II, CEI was responsible for engineering, fabricating, and installing the Rock Box project.
The artist’s vision consisted of fabricating a series of ten stand-alone Rock Boxes, the tallest of which rises to 14’. These act as both honorary sculptures and functional speakers that project sound riffs from the Rock Hall’s 300+ inductees throughout the day, bringing the excitement of Rock and Roll music into major pedestrian corridors. The black textured powder coated aluminum that makes up much of the speakers exterior and engraved nameplates recognizing the musicians is a surface well-known for being stable against weathering. The colorful speakers’ centers are also a powder coated aluminum, custom colored to Mark’s specification. From concept to finished product and beyond these custom fabricated speakers take on an inviting personality all their own through the application of texture, color treatments, and projected sound.
Cities are becoming canvases for creative expression in the hands of a new generation of artists, photographers, and architects. Today, public art is becoming increasingly interactive and integrated into local cityscapes. With the political and social aspects of our lives undergoing change, public art invites people to stop, think and possibly participate.
– Photos: Courtesy of the artist, Mark Reigelman II