Stories of the Glass City now glow through art

An immersive lighted art installation integrated into the landscape of the Glass City Metropark has been unveiled.

Metroparks Toledo Foundation hosted a private gathering Wednesday to dedicate “Field of Histories,” which is made up of nearly 200 lighted glass orbs on posts. The center of each orb holds a laser-engraved image of an object identified by a community member during public workshops.

“I just had this thought, this picture of people walking a path through these things sprouting from the ground, like long stalks of flowers with these orbs on the top,” said Bryony Roberts, the project’s New York-based artist and visionary.

The project began with an in-depth community engagement process where individuals from Toledo brought objects they feel are significant to themselves and to local history.

“It stood out from the beginning in valuing community engagement, in valuing local history, and really asking someone to sort of do the deep work of spending time with the community and figuring out a project that would reflect a place,” Ms. Roberts said. “And those are rare opportunities, and it was wonderful to be part of this.”

A vision brought to life by a team of designers, fabricators, and engineers, the field of glowing orbs containing images that share stories is now visible even from across the Maumee River.

The project serves to capture and tell stories of the Glass City as told by its residents.

Steven Smith contributed two medals that were earned by his father, Paul J. Smith, who, after graduating from DeVilbiss High School, joined the U.S. Marines and served in the South Pacific, Bougainville of the Solomon Islands, and in an Scout Bomber Douglas Dauntless dive bomber as a gunner.

“He served in the Solomon Islands in ‘43 and ‘44,” Mr. Smith said of his father, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 93.

“He was on the aircraft carrier getting ready to go to Tokyo or Japan, and they dropped the bomb so they didn't have to fly,” he said, recalling one of the stories his father shared with him.

With Memorial Day at hand, unveiling the medals as a part of “Field of Histories” comes at an especially significant time. The art serves as an opportunity for his father’s story to be told for generations to come.

The number of contributions to the art project far exceeded initial expectations.

“We changed the whole layout because there were so many people who participated,” Ms. Roberts said.

Nathan Mattimoe, director of art in public places for the Arts Commission, said while highlighting its history, the collective efforts of the community is also helping to shape Toledo’s future.

“I'm proud of our community,” he said. “I'm proud of the fact that folks want to come together and talk about who we are, who we're going to be, and the fact that it's at this just amazing Glass City Metropark, which is really the future of Toledo.”

Ms. Roberts specializes in creating site-specific, immersive, and interactive environments in public spaces. Her studio has designed projects at international sites such as the Lincoln Center, the Federal Plaza in Chicago, the Government Quarter in Oslo, and the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome.

Now, the Glass City is added to that esteemed list.

“We always have great [art] submissions but it was just obvious that hers was the very best,” said Pat Levy, honorary trustee of the Arts Commission and co-chairman of the public art program. “The concept was complicated, so we had many questions and somehow she made it all happen.”

Other contributions to “Field of Histories” includes a facial sculpture by Allison Hem, a crystal rock from Lance and Marcia Culp, and a plastic Coca Cola bottle made around 1970 from Tom and Betsy Brady, all of whom expressed gratefulness that generations to come will now know their stories.

As a pioneer in plastics engineering, Mr. Brady said, “This wasn't just about glass, this was about what the glass industry created,” adding that the company where he worked, Owens-Illinois, invented the polyethylene terephthalate plastic bottle.

After hearing about the project on the news, Ms. Hem was excited and honored to contribute her sculpture.

“I made it in 1993. I was taught by a local teacher and it was made with local clay,” she said. “It is a sculpture of my face smiling and it’s called Glass City Smiles.”

“I feel so honored. For most of my life as a struggling artist and a single mom, I felt very insignificant,” she said. “All that art and all that clay I was playing in all those years, the stuff I've been trying to pass on to my kids and share with the people that come to my studio, it's going to be here.”

Molly Luetke, member of the Board of Park Commissioners, said she believes the Metroparks and the Arts Commission are what makes the community vibrant and unique. Items like a Toledo High School football championship trophy, a World War II C-ration tin decorated by a German prisoner, a Toledo scale, and Buckeye beer tap handle all tell a collective story about Toledo, she said.

“Every item that is in here — it's anything from a vintage swizzle stick to a Narcan nasal spray bottle — really tells quite a wide range of things about our community, our challenges, our fortune, our memories, and everything in between," Ms. Luetke said.

The Culps want their crystal rock glowing proudly in its orb to symbolize their love and legacy. It holds a personal significance as it was a gift to commemorate their 40th wedding anniversary in 2021.

“Its weight, clarity, and shape incubate our hopes, dreams, and legacy of art, culture, creativity, community, generosity, and volunteerism,” Mrs. Culp said.

“For us, it is a legacy piece to be shared and appreciated by our children and our children's children,” she said. “When they come into the park, they can come over and look at the piece or know they have something representing them as well here.”

“Field of Histories” can be enjoyed during Glass City Metropark hours.

The histories of these objects were documented and broader stories are available at metroparkstoledo.com/fieldofhistories .