City Installs Public Artwork, “Spiraling Serenity” on Peirce Island

In March 2024 the City of Portsmouth Public Art Review Committee (PARC) established the request for proposals (RFP) criteria for a public work of art, funded by the City’s percent-for-art ordinance, to be placed near the new Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility. The percent-for-art ordinance stipulates that all new City facilities include provisions for public art, with the maximum allocation capped by City Council action at $150,000.

The RFP for the Peirce Island commissioned work was informed by input from three public information sessions which provided ideas for relevant themes. PARC then identified a relatively flat and open location on Peirce Island that is easily accessible from the parking lot and is visible from many locations. 

PARC established a limit of $140,000 for the commission, which allows $10,000 to be left in the Public Art trust for future maintenance. With the assistance of the City’s procurement office, an RFP was distributed to a list of local, state, national and international artists and arts organizations. The City’s procurement office received 22 responses from artists/arts groups. Four finalists were chosen and interviewed by the selection committee which was comprised of members of PARC and three additional members: Leah Woods, UNH Associate Professor of Art and Art History; Corin Hallowell, City’s Parks and Greenery Foreman; and Anika Kerls, Portsmouth High School recent graduate.

PARC Chair Chris Dwyer commented, “The Committee was impressed with the responses to the solicitation in terms of the quality and innovativeness of the bidders’ proposals which were wide-ranging in concept, themes, designs, and materials. However, the decision to select the proposal from DiBari Associates of Miami and Vito DiBari’s design was unanimous. Public art is ultimately an expression of a city’s values and its vibrancy. ‘Spiraling Serenity’ is a welcoming visual embrace of our environment and inviting every member of the community to continue to engage with our landscape – and with our public art.” 

PARC said the selection of the DiBari proposal was based on the following aspects of the art installation they proposed: 

• Its organic response to/respect for the natural environment of Peirce Island
• Its likely appeal to children and adults and potential for interaction
• Its pleasing aesthetics based on the Fibonacci sequence and spiral leaf form
• The ease of maintenance and durability of the design that will be located in a harsh environment
• The professionalism and depth of technical experience of the team
• The team’s extensive track record of unique, place-based artwork
• The team’s responsiveness to adapting to the site

A stone dust path will connect the artwork from existing paths while following the curve of its more than 20-foot spiral leaf form, making it accessible to wheelchair users and others with mobility challenges. 

DiBari Associates completed the fabrication of the steel sculpture and its powder-coat and protective finishes in Texas and then shipped the work by flatbed truck to Portsmouth. As the sculpture traveled overland, the installation crew began site preparation under the supervision of the City’s Department of Public Works and Parks and Greenery Department Foreman Corin Hallowell. The installation process is expected to be completed July 29 with a celebration event with sculptor Vito DiBari being planned by PARC for the fall.

CAPTION: Detail of the new public artwork, "Spiraling Serenity" by Vito DiBari, installed on Peirce Island. The art work is powder-coated painted steel.  22’ long and 11’ high (at the highest point) by sculptor Victo DiBari, principal of DiBari Associates, Miami FL.