FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The Fort Wayne Public Art Commission today selected artist James Lucey to create a light sculpture that will be installed in downtown Fort Wayne. It will replace the artwork in the 77 Steps Alleyway located on the south side of West Berry Street between Harrison and Calhoun streets.
The City released the following:
The artwork will be titled Flow and will be an overhead kinetic light sculpture inspired by Fort Wayne’s rivers, transforming the 77 Steps Alleyway into a flowing corridor of light, movement and community. It will be suspended overhead and created using Kaynemaile, an architectural mesh that mimics traditional chainmail but is exceptionally light and durable. It is made from recyclable polycarbonate and will be embedded with LED lights that will be programmable, allowing it to change with the seasons or various events. The sculpture will include motion sensors so the public can activate light sequences through their movement. The sculpture will also move with the wind as it blows through the alley.
Lucey, the lead artist for Flow, is a designer specializing in interactive light-based sculpture. His work explores the intersection of movement, environment and human engagement, with an emphasis on creating installations that feel alive and responsive. He is affiliated with color+light, an Oakland, California-based collective of artists, designers and engineers that create immersive and unforgettable experiences using state-of-the-art lighting technology. The agency has installed art all over the world, including Oslo, Norway, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Their art has been seen at Coachella and the Super Bowl. More information can be found at https://colorandlight.art.
“Flow is about movement—of water, of people, of ideas,” says Lucey. “We’re honored to work with the Fort Wayne community to transform the 77 Steps Alleyway into a living, ever-changing experience that responds to its environment and the people who pass through it.”
The Public Art Commission 77 Steps Alleyway Selection Committee received applications from over 30 qualified artists during the request for qualification process. The committee chose four applicants to proceed to Phase II, and those four submitted lighted sculpture design proposals. The selection committee made a recommendation to enter into a contract with James Lucey to the Public Art Commission, which voted to in favor of the recommendation at their meeting today.
“James Lucey’s proposal displays a sophisticated application of design principles; his design not only accounts for the site challenges, but also takes advantage of those challenges,” said Alexandra Hall, chair of the selection committee. “This will be a unique sculpture, unlike any other piece in the United States, and it will act as a beacon to draw the public into Downtown Fort Wayne’s art-filled corridors.”
The budget for the sculpture is $100,000 for all materials and fees. Installation is planned for early summer 2026. The project is funded by the Fort Wayne Public Art Commission’s Public Art Giveback Program, a funding instrument providing contributions from certain City-supported eligible redevelopment projects. No property or income taxes are used to support the project.
Installed in 2020, the original 77 Steps light sculpture was intended to be a five-year installation. It was designed by local architecture firm Kelty Tappy Design, Inc., and was a collaborative effort supported by the Knight Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Community Development, Fort Wayne Public Art Commission, Downtown Fort Wayne’s Art This Way Program and Design Collaborative. Fabrication and installation assistance was provided by Northeast Indiana Building Trades, SMART Local 20, Dirig Sheet Metal, PreCon Projects, I.B.E.W. Local 305, Hi-Tech Electric Company, TriTech Mfg., Inc., and FWCS Career Academy Construction Trades.
The City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division works to enhance economic opportunity, build strong neighborhoods and ensure a dynamic framework for growth and development. The Division’s departments include Neighborhood Code Compliance, Neighborhoods, the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services, Redevelopment/Economic Development, and Planning & Policy. For more information, visit CityofFortWayne.in.gov/CD
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