Emily Emmett:

Loose Leaf: A sculpture that creates calming and laid back space outside using fabric and sheets of paper assorted in a line. When paired with the wind the sheets work together to create the calming sound of pages flipping, which in many ways signifies the sound of learning and education.

Installed on the green outside the Cambridge Public Library and high school,  this project brings the theme of learning and reading into the outside world and surrounding nature. Loose Leaf works to create a soothing and immersing experience for its users while making sure not to disrupt the quiet spaces of the classroom or the library. This sculpture uses the calming sounds of pages flipping by hanging weighted sheets of fabric and paper. When the wind blows the sheets will come together to create a soft but resonant sound. The idea behind this is to reinforce the importance of reading and knowledge and creating a bridge between learning and the outside world. Anyone can enjoy Loose Leaf, from students from the high school to people reading at the library to any passerby that feels so inspired. The goal is to create an inclusive space that promotes reading and working outdoors and creates an appeal to the general public.

Ethan Donaldson

Loose Leaves is a wind-activated sound sculpture that brings a piece of the library experience outdoors. The goal of the sculpture is to draw a contrast between the subjects taught in classrooms and the outside world to encourage students to reflect more on their own between the two.

Many adolescents aren’t motivated to do well in school. They fail to make the connection between the real world and their academic performance. Loose Leaves seeks to inspire students to ponder what happens between their personal life and the shared education system.  Loose Leaves is a set of hanging curtains that when hung together form a book. To recreate the soothing sound of pages flipping, each curtain made of fabric and paper swings back and forth brushing up against each other.  The inspiration for this project came about by recognizing the progress made in education since 1854 when the Boston Public Library, the first free library in the U.S, opened. Library content has come a long way since then, and in recognition of STEM and other new methods of learning, the sculpture embodies the idea that any environment can be a learning one. In contrast, being an individual comes with a tailored perspective on the whole of the world. A passerby open to speculation might be inspired by this piece and one who’s more wired to hard logic will notice its formal book-like qualities. Both, however, will undeniably recognize the universal sound.