Tucked inside a tree stump at a playground in Clove Lakes Park on Staten Island, New York, sits one of the most quietly magical public artworks you'll ever encounter (if you're paying attention). A Bird Named Goldilocks is a miniature bronze sculpture by Staten Island artist Anne Marie McDonnell, installed in 1995. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary stump. Look closer, and a tiny world reveals itself: a small bird has wandered into a scene straight out of a fairy tale...a little table, a little meal, the unmistakable echo of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It's whimsical. It's intimate. It's the size of a daydream.
This tiny sculpture reminded me of some huge public art pieces that spark imagination and play. Scale makes an impact, small or large!
Spoonbridge and Cherry in Minneapolis by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen
This sculpture turns a familiar household utensil into an iconic, whimsical fountain centerpiece. The scale makes people young and old wonder who it belongs to and how big the sundae the giant cherry came from! (Walker Art Center)
Impulse in Montreal by CS Design and Lateral Office
This series features giant interactive seesaws that emit light and sound when ridden. As you can see in the image, people of all ages enjoy them. They encourage spontaneity and play for everyone. (Dezeen)
Imagination Playground by David Rockwell
This project uses loose, giant foam blocks that let children physically construct their own environments. Imagination Playground is a breakthrough playspace conceived and designed by Rockwell Group to encourage child-directed, free play in an interactive, immersive environment. Developed pro bono after years of collaborative playground study with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Imagination Playground has grown from a single project in lower Manhattan to two permanent locations and a global initiative, underscoring the firm’s commitment to improving quality of life for communities around the world. (Rockwell Group)
Say
McDonnell's work was designed to spark imaginative play in children using the playground where it sits. But here's what I love most about it: it doesn't announce itself. There's no grand pedestal, no placard at eye level, no spotlight. It waits. It invites the curious. The ones who slow down, who look twice, who still believe a tree stump might hold a secret.
Why might a community choose public art pieces that encourage interaction?
What does it mean to make art that rewards attention?
What does it say about us when we place wonder inside everyday spaces?
How does scale affect interpretation and imagination?
Do
Try a miniature observation walk. Pick a familiar place like your backyard, a neighborhood park, or a sidewalk you walk every day. Move through it slowly, looking for the smallest things. A crack in the pavement that looks like a river. A shadow shaped like a bird. A moss patch that could be a tiny forest.
Notice what you've been walking past. Then, if you're feeling creative: make something small and leave it somewhere. A tiny drawing tucked into a library book. A smooth stone painted with a single flower, left on a bench. A folded paper bird on a windowsill. You don't need a grant or a gallery. You just need to believe someone else will slow down enough to find it.
I took this picture from a neighbor's stoop during COVID. {Yes, I did take one.) Magic is for everyone!!
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About the Artist: Ann Marie McDonnell
McDonnell created A Bird Named Goldilocks in 1994 while she was an artist-in-residence at Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island. She was selected through a panel competition sponsored by the Cultural Coalition of Staten Island, proving that community investment in public art can bring something genuinely unexpected into the world. (nycgovparks)
Ann Marie is a long-time arts educator for both children and adults. She has worked with prestigious organizations including the Staten Island Museum, the Noble Maritime Collection, the Staten Island Children’s Museum, Art School, Artlab, and Alice Austen House Museum. Ann Marie received her BFA from Stony Brook University and an MFA from Brooklyn College.
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