“Inspired by the prairies and the railroad culture of historic Missouri, we want to create a magical space on the roof that is rooted in the materiality of those two quintessentially Kansas City elements, but with a logic all its own.” ~Janet Zweig The sculpture is a perforated, transparent boxcar and the landscaping consists of prairie grass that will cover the active green roof area of the park. The boxcar will be on rails that trail off into the prairie a few feet away from it on either side. From the artist`s proposal: “Conceptually, the piece is about our contemporary condition of longing—the longing to be someplace else, both spatially and temporally. We have nostalgia for an imaginary past, and sometimes we long to leave home. Urbanites long to be in the suburbs; suburbanites long to be in the city. Urbanites and suburbanites long to be in the wild; people in tall office buildings may wish they were outdoors. People without jobs might be wondering what it would be like to work in one of the tall buildings that surround the roof. We hope the artwork can form a reality that is strikingly different than either the city or the suburbs, a strange escape from both time and place. “ Prairie Logic is primarily intended to be a place of contemplation and reflection—as viewed from adjacent buildings and as experienced on site. The boxcar will have operable doors that will usually be locked to prevent entry but perhaps occasionally the doors can be opened and the space within can be used as a proscenium stage. The site includes a small gravel-paved area adjacent to the sculpture where a small “audience” for art or educational events can gather. The artist team for this one percent for art project was selected through a national competition by a panel comprising stakeholders, citizens, City staff, and arts professionals. As required by the City`s one percent for art ordinance, one percent of the parking garage project`s construction budget was set aside for artwork.
