The ConNectar
Artwork Chris Bartlett and Kaylin Broussard
The ConNectar is a massive, 3-ton, sculpture stretching 40 feet across the Atlanta BeltLine trail. Suspended in animation are five kinds of pollinators casting shadows over walkers, joggers, and cyclists who pass underneath. The artwork captures the flight paths of pollinators (bees, butterflies, bats, wasps, and hummingbirds) which are made of acrylic panels in translucent primary colors and interact with the sun to project colorful shapes onto the trail.
The scale and movement of the sculpture inspire trail users to explore the landscape around them. The pollinators depend upon native plants and trees, like those found on the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum. The ConNectar emerges from a meadow filled with grasses and wildflowers planted by Trees Atlanta and represents the intimate connection between plants and our pollinators.
The sculpture was designed by local artists Kaylin Broussard and Chris Bartlett, who also oversaw the complex fabrication and installation of the work. I organized a subcommittee that selected the pair’s proposal for The ConNectar, which was chosen from submittals received by my request for art proposals in January 2020. Seven artists nationwide submitted proposals, with the winning artist being awarded the commission. The artwork is part of the permanent collection of the Art on the BeltLine exhibition.
My roles involved:
Writing the Request for Proposals (RFP)
Coordinating the artist selection committee
Managing the RFP process
Project administration
Artist and partner coordination
Installation logistics
*All work was performed while employed at Trees Atlanta
Artists Chris Bartlett Website and Kaylin Broussard Website