Glass Houses Installed Around Hoboken By Brooklyn Artist. Here's Why.

HOBOKEN, NJ — An artist whose striking stained glass sculptures have gained notice near the Brooklyn Bridge and elsewhere has brought his colorful creations to Hoboken.

Four small glass "houses," made with different colored shapes, were installed earlier this month at Church Square Park in central Hoboken, at Sinatra Park on the waterfront, and at Monroe Street Plaza.

Brooklyn-based artist Tom Fruin is behind the sculptures. His recent pieces mimic nearby industrial structures such as water towers and wind turbines, and he's displayed them in places from Nebraska to Turkey.

He calls this structure on the waterfront Hi5 TaxiCab House:

During the storm last Thursday, the house at Sinatra Park was flooded, but it survived. Fruin posted on Instagram, "Rough night for Hi5 House in Hoboken! Flood photo by @garyhershorn UPDATE: the sculpture is unscathed and the lights will be functioning again tonight. Thanks @mellowhustle!!"

Fruin said when he installed the houses in Church Square Park he got "A bunch of cute kids with insightful questions during today's install!"

Fruin said this week, "I love to get my work out in the world to reach the broadest audience. Hoboken has so many parks, plazas and vistas that it really is a perfect setting for art. The 'house' as a subject is informed by our personal experiences so hopefully everyone has their own unique experience with the art."

Fruin graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara. A bio says, "Fruin most commonly uses steel and highly colored plexiglass to create monumental sculptures referencing local building structures. He describes his drive to make art that is publicly accessible, as well as sustainable, by working with reclaimed materials and alternative energy."

Roxanne Earley, executive director of the Hoboken Business Alliance, said bringing the work to Hoboken was an effort to "activate outdoor public spaces during the winter months, and to keep 'spectacular' art in focus throughout the year"

Earley said, “We hope Home In Hoboken excites the community, and that residents and visitors alike enjoy the beautiful artwork as they wind their way across our city from light rail to waterfront, and everywhere in between.”

The four sculptures are collectively being called “Home in Hoboken" and include the Hi-5 House, Street Ministry at Monroe Center Plaza, and two "Icon Camp Houses" at Church Square Park. The work, installed by Holiday Collective, will be on display through March 15.

Fruin added that Hoboken’s walkable community has the “cultural offerings you'd expect in this urban and engaged family-friendly community." He also cited “the best views which afford the most amazing backdrops for the artworks.”

Directions From The Train Terminal

To see the mini-houses in Hoboken, walk six blocks directly north from the Hoboken train station, along the waterfront, and come to a stop at Sinatra Park. Then, to see the two Church Square Park houses, head west for six blocks along Fifth Street to Church Square Park. Finally, to see the art at 770 Monroe St., head another six blocks west and walk north for two more blocks.

See more of his Fruin's work here.