The best public art instillations not only point out the problems in a community, but also address them. Through evincing practicality, humor, and making a statement, University of Utah Senior art student, Nemo Miller, built a cry closet.
This cry closet was designed during finals week last April (2018) and placed in one of the most popular study spots on campus. It is a plain enough looking door from the outside, but the inside is decorated with nice gray wall paper, a plush floor, and stuffed animals.
Of course, one of the great successes of this project was its humor. As students head into finals it often seems as if the only emotion anyone is able to have is stress. By creating a real-life cry closet, this student provided a laugh and a quick sigh of relief to those who saw it.
The closet was not ultimately used for much crying, but it was used as a place for students to take pictures and laugh with their friends. That may have been an even greater success.
FNAR 264-401 Art / Design / Digital Culture 