Armillary Sphere
Armillary Sphere
Artist and scientist Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “To develop a complete mind, study the science of art, study the art of science, learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” If there is one place an observer would understand Da Vinci’s point, standing below this armillary sculpture would be it. The centerpiece of an independent school’s art and science classroom building, the armillary sculpture inspires contemplation about one’s connection with the planet and universe and underscores the building’s educational purpose. The student ascending the stair below, spiraling upwards and passing through the arcing shadows of the armillary, makes a palpable connection to the earth’s rotation and orbit around the sun.
Although this focal assemblage of elements was part of the original vision of the Evans Center, the capstone of the composition, the aluminum armillary sculpture, was fabricated in the spring of 2018 by local Massachusetts artist Charles Wiemeyer to Windigo’s design. The armillary’s elements are fixed in place and reflect local terrestrial and celestial information such as latitude and longitude, true and magnetic north, and the location of the sun and constellations at Summer solstice. A representation of the constellation Aquila, the Eagle, floats within the rings.
