CCCA has supported a variety of public art projects throughout the County. The Musician and the Muses is one of CCCA’s most recognizable and iconic public art projects. The Musician is a life-size sculpture of a male figure constructed of baling wire. He is playing an acoustic guitar adorned with mosaic tiles. Nearby, the female figure of The Muse, also constructed with baling wire, arches backwards with her arms extended toward the sky with whimsical accents among her hair and feet. She embodies a sense of grace and vitality, representing the performing arts in our community.
The installation also includes two decorative benches with iron designs representing the performing and visual arts. A large mosaic piece incorporates a tree design to represent growth of the arts. The mosaic includes the poem The Invitation, which represents possibility and inclusion, as well as a nod to the importance of the literary arts.
Lead Artist for The Musician and the Muses was Danielle Darling, who designed and made the wire sculptures and designed the ironwork for the benches. The benches were constructed by Matt Tamuty (ironwork) and Jake Jacobs (wood elements). The mosaics were created by Susan Belton, and the poem was created by Harry Burnett. Matt Ghrist oversaw production of the installation, and Damien Dowdall also helped with execution of the installation.