Photos & Story by Marianne Salza
Chelsea Black Community and the City of Chelsea held an opening reception for the light-based installation, “Held in Tension,” by experimental designer and artist, Caleb Hawkins, on February 4 at Chelsea City Hall as a kickoff event in celebration of Black History Month.
“This is highlighting Black History Month. In Chelsea, it’s something that happens every day. We are working on a black heritage trail. It’s going to be a permanent fixture in Chelsea,” said City Manager Fidel Maltez, who commended Hawkins for his attention to detail and coordination efforts. “It was him visualizing the space and making it something we can all experience. This kind of hard work is meaningful. It’s something that you can touch and interact with.”
Conceptual art piece, “Held in Tension,” is a large-scale, self-standing structure, designed with an elevated, above-head light. Composed of rope, and stretched, reflective surfaces that line a civic corridor, “Held in Tension” is immersive and provides freedom of movement.
“This idea that space is constantly around us and that there are layers of things that mediate our own experiences of space and that the community we are around is constantly changing continues to inspire me,” explained Hawkins, who has a background in architecture and is fascinated by technology. “Designing the piece in this hallway was really exciting. It’s not what you might expect. Art can occupy space and become part of the environment.”
“Held in Tension,” with its stretched, reflective planes, explores Black history as embedded within civic spaces, even when unacknowledged.
Delia Harrington, Manager of Arts and Culture for the City of Chelsea, encourages passersby to walk through the public art piece, her first project in her new position, which she began in late December 2025.
“Look at it. Walk through it. Look up. Look Down. See how the light changes when your body moves past it. See and observe how the light changes along the top. You can even touch it gently,” emphasized Harrington. “This is a special kind of art. There has never been artwork in Chelsea City Hall like this before. Chelsea deserves to have the full breath of arts and culture.”