Field of Histories

Field of Histories offers a destination for exploring the past, present, and future of glass in Toledo through an immersive public art piece that is integrated into the landscape of the Glass City Metropark. Beginning with an in-depth community engagement process, the project reflects many stories of the Glass City as told by individuals who have lived and worked in the city. In a series of community workshops, individuals from Toledo brought objects that they feel are significant to local history and to cultural identity and documented the histories of these objects. Field of Histories includes hundreds of glass orbs that have in their center a laser-engraved image of an object identified by a community member during the workshops. The project links to an online catalogue of personal histories gathered at the workshops. This field of glowing orbs serves as a beacon, visible from across the river, drawing people to the park and to engagement with the histories of manufacturing, culture, and artistry in Toledo.

Bryony Roberts Studio is an art, design, and research practice based in New York. The studio collaborates with community groups to create immersive and interactive environments in the public realm. For over ten years, the studio has been designing site-specific projects that respond to local histories and find expression through experimental material craft. With projects at international sites such as Lincoln Center, the Federal Plaza in Chicago, the Government Quarter in Oslo, and the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, the studio has activated and transformed public spaces through experimental design. The practice has received support from the Graham Foundation, the Getty Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the American Academy in Rome.

Lead Designer: Bryony Roberts
Designer: Tung Nguyen
Fabrication: Versteeg Art Fabrication
Lighting Design: The Seed
Engineering: Silman
Metal Spinning: Toledo Metal Spinning Company