Shade sculptures unveiled across Phoenix

With the temperatures on the rise, the ¡Sombra! Experiments in Shade project is unveiling their shade sculptures in parks around the city of Phoenix.

Six sculptures were installed and shared with the community in the last two months. This month, there are three more sculptures that will be unveiled. The project will culminate in a “Celebration of Shade Festival” in September to recognize all of the creative solutions to the Phoenix heat.

To share more on the ¡Sombra! Experiments in Shade project, Carrie Brown, the Deputy Director of Arts and Culture for the City of Phoenix, and David Hondula, the Director of the City of Phoenix’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, joined “Arizona Horizon.”

In some cases, Hondula said, “we see more than a 20 Fahrenheit difference between the surface temperature under the structure and in the surrounding area. If we think about what that might look like, an even hotter time of the day, that could be the difference between burn and no burn.”

“We hear it from residents all the time,” Hondula said. “A desire for more, more shade on our sidewalks, more shade in our parks. And we think we can deliver that shade in a beautiful way that takes advantage of the great local artists and talent we have here. It will create a more enriching experience for everyone.”

The project was made possible by Bloomberg Philanthropies.