If a nest is where birds grow and soon learn to fly, a giant nest at the Cleveland Public Library is where kids can learn to read. And maybe they can learn to “fly” in a different way.

That’s the idea behind the 30-foot-wide, 12-foot-high Reading Nest that was completed recently at the Eastman Reading Garden, next to the main downtown library at 325 Superior Ave.

The temporary art installation was designed by New York-based, Cleveland Institute of Art graduate Mark Reigelman. It was created from discarded and reclaimed wood collected from various Cleveland industrial and manufacturing sources.

“Reading Nest ignites a sense of wonder and awe for garden visitors of all ages — it’s like walking into a fairytale,” Reigelman said. “And the library is the perfect place to engage an imaginative audience.”

“The library is thrilled with the new work of art; it creates a magical experience,” said library Director Felton Thomas. “Mark’s inspiration fits perfectly with the library’s vision of community, knowledge, imagination and exploring new avenues of self-expression for all residents of Greater Cleveland.”

The nest is colored in hues of gold, inspired by the legendary Griffin, Reigelman said. The Griffin is called “the king of beasts” and has the rear body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. It is said to have made its nest of pure gold. In fact, a stone Griffin stands guard outside the library entrance.

Reading Nest is the fourth installation of the annual program called See Also, which brings new temporary works of art to the Eastman Reading Garden at the Main Library. See Also was developed as a collaborative effort between the Cleveland Public Library and LAND studio — a nonprofit organization created from the merger of Cleveland Public Art and ParkWorks.

The See Also program is funded through an endowment set up through the late Lockwood Thompson, who was a trustee of the library and an avid art collector. Each year a new theme is chosen and an artist is selected based on representation of that theme. This year, artists were asked to submit proposals interpreting their vision of big ideas in small spaces.

“Reading Nest is a wonderful representation of big ideas — not only in size but also in the enchanted world you are transported to when you walk inside the nest,” says Tiffany Graham, program director of LAND studio. “Reading Nest is an exciting addition to our portfolio of See Also projects.”

Original Article