Seven Rock Boxes, a public art project featuring giant amplifiers along East 9
th Street, are almost ready to rock downtown Cleveland and connect visitors to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Commissioned in the fall of 2014 by
Destination Cleveland and the Rock Hall as a way to promote our town's rock 'n' roll soul and the museum that embodies it, the $500,000 project was designed by Sheffield native and
Cleveland Institute of Art graduate
Mark Reigelman for
LAND studio. Reigelman's been the creative force behind a host of notable area projects such as the "
Wrap" planters that dot downtown and "
Cold Front" along the West 76th Street underpass.
“They were looking for a way to further the connection to downtown because the Rock Hall is a bit isolated being on the [North Coast] Harbor,” explains LAND studio project manager Sarah Siebert. “Destination Cleveland wanted a connective impact for folks downtown. The seven Rock Boxes – all located along E. 9
th Street – will create a “bread crumb effect,” says Siebert, leading to the Rock Hall.
Locations include Progressive Field on Bolivar; Medical Mutual on Prospect; The RTA HealthLine stop median at Euclid; Rockwell Park; One Cleveland Center at St. Clair; the RTA North Coast Rapid station; and the Rock Hall.
The boxes will sound off in unison about two or three times a day, playing 30- to 90-second sound clips from a list of two selections from each of the Rock Hall inductees. “We want it to have a similar effect as church bells,” says Siebert. “Over time, folks will see a pattern.”
LAND studio is still testing the decibel level of the boxes. “We want to make sure they’re heard, but not be overwhelming,” Siebert promises, adding that the songs will have universal appeal. “Folks can relate to it, regardless of age, generation or time.”
While an exact date for the installation’s completion has yet to be determined, Siebert expects the Rock Boxes to be complete by the end of June, in time for the Republican National Convention in July.