'The Answer is Yes' Interactive Public Art and Sound Sculpture, City of Burbank
A beloved park in the City of Burbank, California, close to the glamour of major Hollywood film studios, has been given a public artwork facelift with a mural and interactive sound sculptures, including musical instruments from Percussion Play.
“The Answer is Yes" mural and interactive sound sculptures now boldly enliven the entrance to the popular Verdugo park and aquatic center and were designed by artist Dina Fisher. Dina is a creative professional with over 20 years of experience and has a rare multidisciplined blend of graphic design, content creation, and art programming skills.
Commissioned by the City of Burbank, California, last year, there was an open call for artists to submit their work. Dina answered this call and thought about all the possibilities, but she knew it had to include music!
Dina says, “I’ve been a musician all of my life, and I’ve often used music in my artwork. When I do installations, they are interactive and regularly include a sound component”. A playground is nearby, so including music seemed like a perfect fit for the visiting children.
Dina headed to Google to find outdoor musical instruments and came across Percussion Play. She felt it had one of the best websites to navigate and find information about each instrument.
Dina says, “Working with Percussion Play was a delight. Their customer service was excellent at helping me find exactly what I was looking for. I knew I wanted a round spinning percussion instrument, but I couldn't find what I had in mind. Kate at Percussion Play developed the idea for a rain wheel, and a new instrument was born!”
The Rain Wheel - now named Cyclone - is now a product offered by Percussion Play. Dina also selected the Tubular Bells however, to match the vibrant mural serving as a backdrop to the instruments, she chose to have them powder coated in jazzy colors and patterns. They were sent to a specialist in the United States before being installed in the park.
The instruments and mural are themed toward diversity. Represented in the mural is Burbank’s Sister City’s Youth Programme, and all 4 Sister Cities are depicted in the artwork. As a permanent art installation, it animates the park's primary passageway and appeals to all ages, inviting the public to discover, interact, and engage by sparking curiosity and creativity on site.
Public art invites community participation and interaction with public spaces.