The Warren Arts and Cultural Commission invites the public to welcome “Celeste” by Chris Plaisted at the newly poured concrete pad adjacent to the East Bay Bike Path on Railroad Avenue. This is the first installment of the Warren Arts and Cultural Commission’s new Rotating Sculpture Program.

“We are very excited to introduce ‘Celeste’ to the community, and are incredibly grateful to the Town for continuing to support the commission’s initiatives,” said Erin DeThomas, chair of the Warren Arts and Cultural Commission. “This could not have been done without Brian Wheeler and his team from DPW. Their expertise and collaboration was crucial in transforming this vision into reality, and we are so appreciative to them for bringing this sculpture site to life.”

The creation of Chris Plaisted of New Milford, Conn., “Celeste” is a 20-foot-high spire created with rebar, steel wires, metal and small solar-powered lights.

“Celeste is a true medley of its surroundings, and the climate that moves around it,” says Plaisted. “Celeste's peak spires into a great cloud, and steel worlds are suspended in the air. The weather and climate will intensify each sculpture's properties; the wind can spin the globes and reflect the surroundings, sunlight or moonlight will shine off the globes, and it will glisten in the rain. All these elements combine to create a more dynamic piece.”

The story behind the name of the sculpture, according to Plaisted, is that Celeste is the middle name of his friends Dave and Diane Liblefield's daughter, Hannah.

“When Dave and Diane lived separately, Dave in the Bahamas and Diane here in Connecticut, each night, they would look up into the celestial sky, making them feel connected even though they were far apart,” he said. “This sculpture is named after their beautiful daughter and the connection that her wonderful parents have with her.”

Following a 20-year career as a graphic designer, Plaisted has been creating public sculptures for almost a decade. His artworks juxtapose the elements of steel, copper, wood, concrete, and other metals with abstract and figurative concepts. He draws inspiration from people, places, bridges, ships, architecture, and various mythological and historical themes.

His work has been exhibited in public settings in 16 different states as far away as Wisconsin and Florida and as close as Massachusetts and Connecticut. Currently, he has another sculpture on display at the New Bedford Seaport Art Walk that opened in July.

The Warren Arts and Cultural Commission designed its new Rotating Sculpture Program to enhance the artistic landscape of our community and to provide a platform for diverse artistic expression in the Town of Warren. The program's goal is to feature a new public sculpture each year, expanding opportunities for public-facing art that provides access to the arts by the wider community.

Plaisted’s work was selected after an open call for sculptural work that was juried by a panel of community and commission members.