Thursday, April 1, was our first night working on Paul Matisse’s Kendall Band sculptures in the Kendall Station T stop. We removed the three instrument handles from the outbound platform — the inbound handles will be removed next.
A few things struck me about the first night of work — it was more fun than I ever imagined it could be. I was also surprised by the reaction of the T riders: people were thanking us and clearly delighted that the instruments were being fixed. Hopefully we can live up to their expectations.
Our first night of work created a lot of interest: we made the first page (above the fold!) of the Tech, MIT’s student news paper. You can see that photo here. There was a reporter and photographer from the Globe, and a reporter from the Cambridge Chronicle. I’ll set up links to those outlets when their material hits the web. The new MBTA general manager Rich Davey showed up to thank the students for their time, and posed for a picture with us after the first handle came down.
Rich Davey, MBTA GM, poses with members of the "Kendall Band Preservation Society" (Photo by Justin Knight)
Now that the first three handles are down the real fun begins: refurbishing them to their original condition. Then we’ll move onto the instruments themselves. Hopefully this project will give the RFL a workout, and get the students a lot of experience with hands-on engineering. I’ll try to post pictures here and there to document our progress.
Alan Regan
/ April 7, 2010I love that you’re fixing the band! Although if I had to tell the truth…
I love the musical chimes. I’m OK with the ellipse, which is very loud but at least has a tone. I really dread the piece of sheet metal. It’s loud and irritating when someone plays it. As a long time Kendall T user, I remember when these things were working well, and I must admit that I’m kind of happy that they’ve been out of order. I wonder if the repairs you’re doing could tone down the loud pieces, for the sake of those of us who have to listen to them every day?
Thanks!
Alan
Dan Smith '66
/ May 9, 2010I am SO pleased by the refurbishment of the “Kendall Band,” (yes, particularly “Pythagoras.”) I’m not sure what relationship Paul Matisse has to MIT, but I have always been delighted by this installation. All too often, public art intended to celebrate a locale comes off as strained and tangential. The average work of “interactive” or “participatory” art is less fun than the average piece of playground equipment.
But with the Kendall Band, I feel that Paul Matisse “got it.” It says something about MIT and about the playful element in science and engineering. I’ll bet that somewhere Pythagoras, Kepler, and Galileo are smiling, too.