TAMPA, Fla. --- The city of Tampa is in the midst of building a brand-new park in Channelside on Madison Street. In the center of the park, there will be a 51-foot arched bench consisting of thousands of pieces of hand-blown glass.
The artist responsible for this unique creation is Susan Gott, also known as Susan Gott Glass.
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She is bringing to life a collage of sand and sea through shiny, tiny pieces of glass.
“It’s one giant puzzle, I walk around here for hours moving parts and pieces back and forth,” said Gott.
The glass will eventually be glued down and encased in terrazzo.
“It really enhances the project completely, it really is that identifier when you get into a park it tells you what it’s all about,” said Robin Nigh, manager for the Arts and Cultural Affairs Department.
Gott said it’s important the bench represents Tampa’s culture.
“From the mermaid scales, to the star fish, to the spiral shells, to the Gasparilla beads, I’m thinking about every object and its placement, how it will flow,” said Gott.
Every piece is hand-blown at Gott’s studio. The bench is scheduled to be unveiled during the park opening in the beginning of 2020.
“I feel like I’m leaving a piece of myself behind and I hope that people will enjoy this for generations to come,” said Gott.
