The latest piece from Vision 2030 Public Art ties together the calm of nature and the creativity of artwork with a scenic view of Lake Lanier.
Hammock Hollow sits just off of the walking path at Laurel Park. The large, aqua blue geometrically-shaped structure features three brightly colored permanent hammocks and several hooks for members of the public to attach their own hammocks. An aqua blue post close by offers additional hooks to allow as many hammocks as possible to join with the others.
Allyson Everett, a member of the Vision 2030 Public Art Steering Committee, said the piece is a manifestation of her idea to have an unique piece of artwork.
“I had the idea of an interactive piece, something people could enjoy, all ages could enjoy,” said Everett. “I think anytime you go to a community or you travel, you encounter a piece of public art and how the public interacts with it is always really fascinating to me, so I really wanted to work toward creating something for our community, especially with all of the parks and the lake.”
Everett said that from the beginning, her desire was to use recycled material for the piece. The actual hammocks are made from recycled sail cloths, which were provided from a company in California.
Everett said that the design of the piece reflects its location by the lake. The geometric shape and color of the structure resemble waves, while the seats made from sail cloths pay homage to boats that navigate Lake Lanier’s waters.
The location of the piece is a result of a collaboration between Vision 2030 and Hall County Parks and Leisure. The latter was the recipient of funds from Vision 2030’s first annual Block Party in 2018, which were used to build Hammock Hollow.
Becky Ruffner, who is the Public Relations and Marketing Specialist for Hall County Parks and Leisure and also serves on the Vision 2030 committee with Everett, said that it was important for the piece to go in a spot where it would be seen.
“When we really started thinking big about this piece, we knew that we needed a space where it would be large enough to fit, where there would be room around it in a park that the public would see,” said Ruffner. “Laurel Park is one of our most-visited parks, so we knew that it would be a piece that would see a lot of public interaction.”
Ruffner said that the piece has been well-received by the public and that it’s not uncommon to see the community putting it to use.
“You can come out here on any afternoon, even during the week, and if it’s a pretty day, you will see people in the hammocks and enjoying the hammocks…they realize this is like an adult or older child playground,” said Ruffner.
Hall County Parks and Leisure crews handled installation of the piece, which Everett said was really important in order to ensure safety and stability of the structure. She added that Hammock Hollow is a perfect example of collaboration between the two entities.
“The physical space could not have been better for this exact piece because it’s along a walking path, you can see it from the lake so you can kind of see the bright colors of the seats…it really is just the ideal collaboration between the two,” said Everett. “I think it really sets the stage for how we could really work at any park again with Vision 2030 Public Art.”
Although Hammock Hollow has been in place since July of last year, Vision 2030 Public Art will host an official ribbon cutting for the piece at their Art in the Park event on May 7. This event will take place of the annual Block Party fundraiser, which has been postponed until 2022.
Art in the Park will feature live music, food trucks and a Vision 2030 pop-up tent where local artwork will be on sale for less than $100. The event will take place at Laurel Park beginning at 6 p.m. and is free to the public.
