Merit Award
Flight of the Creative Spirit: Robert Crawford
Client
State of Alaska Public Arts Program
Location
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Eielson AFB, Alaska
Design Firm
Koryn Rolstad Studios
Design Team
Koryn Rolstad (Principal in Charge), Megan Adcock, Luci Goodman
Fabricator
Bannerworks, Inc., Ross Technologies, Reliance Manufacturing, Vision International, Pro Lab, Inc.
Photographer
Brian Allen
The design team transformed an elementary school's common area into an educational and inspirational tribute to the school's namesake, Major Robert Crawford. With the long dark winters, the design had to be especially bright and uplifting. It needed to tell the story of a significant historical figure with a creative force equal to Crawford's accomplishments, yet be easy to clean, child friendly and durable. To achieve this, the project was interactive with the student body, and incorporates their drawings of "flying creatures of nature."
Jury Comment
The jury applauded the ability of the designers to transform a utilitarian common space in an elementary school into an educational setting that inspires children and serves as a focus of the community. Working with a very modest budget, the designers produced a display honoring Major Robert Crawford that was fresh and invigorating. It incorporated artifacts from Crawford's life, artwork from the current students of the school and three dimensional elements - such as a simple extension of the display onto the ceiling of the space - in a way that resulted in a rich and stimulating display. Given the restraints of setting and budget, the jury found this to be a marvelously successful, fully integrated design.