Bubble

Every patch on a community quilt tells a unique story. Woven together, the resulting anthology reveals a diversity of perspectives as well as the common threads that bind neighbors. “Bubble” is cast in this spirit, piecing together moments of Bentonville’s culture and urban fabric into something new. With polygonal frames inspired by vernacular Ozark rock masonry as well as the geometry of the surrounding park-scape, and a fin structure akin to the skylights of the Moshie Safdie’s nearby Crystal Bridges Museum, “Bubble” takes on the texture of its environment, while its bolted panel construction nods to the iconic precedent set by Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye dome. A playful and cheerful object when observed from a distance, “Bubble’s” gateways invite the public into a patchwork world of color that frames the surrounding context in a novel light while simultaneously offering a place to take a seat and meet with friends old and new. 

Bubble was completed in 2024 with the support of OZ Arts NWA and is located at Lawrence Plaza, Bentonville, Arkansas.