The idea was to create something that would welcome guests to the brand-new Phoenix Convention Center, said Kim Cridler. Working with her husband William Bennie, the pair created “Halo,” a wreath halo that greets thousands of visitors outside of the North Ballroom.
“This was an exciting moment,” Cridler said. “We were given the chance to create something new for this futuristic place that was going to host people coming together, people using Phoenix as a place of discovery
and delight. What we really wanted to think about was the environment and the landscape of the desert and how we could combine those elements to bring forth a message of hope for civilization.”
“Halo” is 32-feet in diameter, hovering above the entrance of the North Ballroom. Forms of agave leaves in two monochromatic shades of powder-coated paint give depth to its overlapping weave, creating a conical ring. It’s a complex design, Cridler said, that references the wreath’s many cultural meanings.
“Wreaths have long been associated with entrances,” Cridler said. “We made this one a corona conviviales, and that part of the wreath denotes good luck or happy fate. The second component is circular, corona funebris, which signifies the circle of life. Like the phoenix of lore, it signifies transformation through regeneration. A wreath seems so simple, but has such rich connotations.”
The work of art was installed and unveiled when the North Building was completed back in 2009. At the time, Cridler and her husband were living out of state, but had ties to Arizona.
“I lived in the Midwest most of my life, and lived in Phoenix in the late nineties and my introduction to the desert was astonishing,” she said. “I was so moved by the structures and smells and textures of the native plants. I wanted all of those elements to come in through ‘Halo’ as well.”
The agave plant is the main feature of the artwork and Cridler said she found beauty in the history of the plant that had fed and housed and clothed humans for centuries.
“I wanted to elevate this overlooked but exquisite lifeform into a touchpoint for the building,” she said.
Working with her husband, Cridler said, made the project all the more sweet.
“He’s an industrial designer, and it’s so fun when we get to work together,” she said. “We have contrasting but complementing skillsets. He’s very analytic, and I’m more into the storytelling and emotional elements.”
Cridler said she was hopeful “Halo” had offered the thousands coming to the Phoenix Convention Center a warm welcome over the years, and maybe a shift in perspective.
“Art can help you reframe and see your world,” Cridler said.
You can find “Halo” at the entrance of the North Ballroom at Monroe Street between 3rd Street and 5th Street.