A bright red, moving, 14-foot-tall sculpture is the first art installation in the newly expanded Riverside Park in Haverhill.
Art in the Park advocates Team Haverhill and Creative Haverhill, said purchase of the sculpture was made possible by a state earmark secured by Rep. Andy X. Vargas. The work, “A Divvied Dadaism Emoted,” was created by Newbury artist Waldo Evan Jespersen. It is described as “a dynamic exploration of balance and movement, which felt particularly appropriate to install in a public park that houses a myriad of balance and movement activities, from baseball, to pickleball, outdoor recreation and more.”
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to share Jespersen’s work with the Haverhill community and to add a whole new element to the Riverside Park experience through the installation of public art,” said Creative Haverhill Director Erin Padilla.
Art in the Park is an ongoing collaborative effort by Team Haverhill, Creative Haverhill and SJ Art Consulting. Part of the project will include future work with the Haverhill High School Art Department.
As WHAV reported when the park was formally dedicated last September, an additional $30,000 donation came from the Pentucket Bank Charitable Foundation along with grants from the Haverhill Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council, Massachusetts Federation of Garden Clubs, Haverhill Garden Club and Haverhill’s Brightside. Students of Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School also made handicapped accessible raised planting beds for the Edible Avenue last year. Nunan Florist & Greenhouses will be contributing shrubs, bushes and plants this spring.