With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
580 Main Street, Hartford
- Alfred D. Burr Mall & 'Stegosaurus'
- Alexander Calder
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Commissioned by the trustees of the Alfred Burr Mall, Stegasaurus (1973) is made of 45 thin steel plates bolted together.
- Dan Kiley
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Kiley designed the plaza where Stegosaurus sits; it was completed in 1973.
- Description of Significance/Historical Narrative
- The Alfred E. Burr Memorial Mall, formerly a one block street, was transformed into a public plaza in the mid-twentieth century. It sits between the Morgan Memorial block of the Wadsworth Atheneum to the north and the Municipal Building to the south. The original design was by landscape architect Daniel Urban Kiley. The 1973 stabile 'Stegosaurus' by Alexander Calder is the centerpiece of the paved central plaza flanked on the east and west ends with landscaping and shade trees. 'Stegosaurus' rises 50 ft high and is painted a bright orange-red. It is one of a few examples of Calder's large scale works on permanent public view, and has become one of the iconic symbols of Hartford.
- Date of Construction
- 1973
- Historic Designation(s)