Splattered with multicolored paints that in some spots took days to dry, the many pieces of a large, handmade flower — each petal the size of a skateboard — are waiting for assembly and public display.

Artist Dave Brooker coordinated the public art project, completed during the Newtown Arts Festival. The helping hands of nearly 400 children and adults all added their dashes of paint to the roughly 14-foot, 34-part artwork, which is now looking for a home.

Glancing at Newtown Cultural Arts Commission member Jennifer Johnston, Mr Brooker told the Parks and Recreation Commission recently that when Ms Johnston had “put me up to creating the public art,” he had thought that the public’s involvement was important. He then took advantage of “traffic” through the arts festival at Fairfield Hills in late September. He now feels a responsibility to those 400-plus children and others who painted the flower, “That they see it.”

His searches for a place to display the artwork pointed him toward the commission.

“Most suggested locations had to do with Parks and Rec,” he said. He brought just one painted petal for the commission members to see. Chairman Ed Marks had asked if the flower would be displayed outside.

“It probably could,” Mr Brooker said.

Ideally, the piece would be wall mounted, he said.

“It’s hard to say where it should go,” Mr Marks said, looking for suggestions. He also said that outside, the piece could be subject to vandalism. Assistant Director of Parks Carl Samuelson also worried that the work could be deface if placed as an attraction outdoors.

As the commissioners considered the possibilities of several locations, Mr Brooker said, “In my dream of dreams I would like to see it placed where they all would see it.”

Mr Marks suggested they soon come up with a list of the top ten possibilities. He also said they were all in favor of displaying Mr Brooker’s art project, and should work toward a location and installation.

Mr Brooker remembers children “throwing paint against the panels on the ground.” Each child took a paint bottle with the instructions: get the paint out of the bottle. Some areas had so much paint that they took days to dry, he said.

From Mr Brooker’s Facebook page on September 25 was the announcement: “With the help of attendees at the Newtown Arts Festival last weekend, I oversaw the creation of this flower … Public art for the public, created collaboratively by the public! A shout out to Jennifer Johnston, Erin Zaffis, Ray Ormsbee and Robert Kaiser for loads of help, as well as others who lent a hand, and everyone who got messy!”

A Member Leaves

Jan Brookes on October 14 announced that the night’s Parks and Recreation Commission meeting would be her last, and to leave was a “sadness to me.” 

Addressing the commissioners, she said, “I really enjoy working with all of you, it’s been just wonderful.” She has been “very grateful to have had this opportunity.” If not for “compelling issues,” she would remain with the recreation commission.

Chairman Ed Marks said, “We’re lucky to have had you for as long as we did.”

Taking a moment to consider her words, Ms Brookes said, “Enjoy is the wrong word.” Her service has been a “feeling of positively moving the town forward.” The experience has been one of satisfaction, she said.