Tom Luckey Explained
Thomas Walker Luckey (January 6, 1940 – August 19, 2012) was an American architect and sculptor, best known for inventing abstract playgrounds called Luckey Climbers.[3] Luckey also created furniture, merry-go-rounds, and interiors.
Life and career
After graduating from the Yale School of Architecture in the late 1960s, Luckey began remodeling friends' houses and doing experimental projects, including one described as transforming:
In addition to interiors and furniture, he also designed merry-go-rounds; one, inspired by square dances, moves riders from one seat to another as they go around.[2]
A mutual friend introduced Luckey to Agnes Gund, who insisted he contact the Boston Children's Museum.[2] After he persuaded officials to let him build his first Luckey Climber, the structure turned out to be one of the museum's most popular exhibits, and has now been replaced with a new version.
In 2005, Luckey fell out of a second-story bathroom window and landed on his head. He fractured his cervical vertebra and was paralyzed from the neck down.
Luckey died on August 19, 2012, at Yale–New Haven Hospital due to complications from pneumonia. He was 72.[4] [5]
Luckey Climbers
Luckey Climbers are multi-story climbing structures crossed with mazes and jungle gyms. In appearance, they have been compared to "a Calder mobile fashioned from Monet's lily pads". They have been installed in locations across North America that include:
| Venue | Location |
|---|
| Boston Children's Museum | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Children's Museum of Pittsburgh[6] | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Young at Art Museum[7] | Davie, Florida |
Papalote museo del niño[8]
(Papalote Children's Museum) | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Children's Discovery Museum[9] | Normal, Illinois |
| Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| Westfield Fox Valley[10] | Aurora, Illinois |
| Chicago, Illinois |
| Bloomington, Indiana |
| Long Island Children's Museum | Garden City, New York |
| Children's Museum at Holyoke | Holyoke, Massachusetts |
| Memphis, Tennessee |
| The Commons[11] | Columbus, Indiana |
| Children's Museum of Alamance County | Graham, North Carolina |
| Los Angeles, California |
| Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum | Reno, Nevada |
| Children's Museum of South Dakota | Brookings, South Dakota |
| Providence, Rhode Island |
| Delaware Children's Museum[12] | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Children's Museum of the Upstate | Greenville, South Carolina |
| Houston, Texas |
| The Magic House | Kirkwood, Missouri |
| Pasadena, California |
| Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Christ Community Church[13] | St. Charles, Illinois | |
Luckey (documentary)
Filmmaker Laura Longsworth made a 2008 documentary, Luckey. The film appeared at a number of festivals, including SxSW[14] and the Independent Film Festival of Boston,[15] and garnered the Special Jury Award for Artistic Portrait at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival[16] and Best Documentary Feature at the Indie Memphis Film Festival.[17] The film has also been shown on the Sundance Channel.[18]
External links
Notes and References
- News: Tom Luckey: Not your traditional architect; Climbing new heights. https://web.archive.org/web/20150329065037/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-12597310.html. dead. 29 March 2015. New Haven Register. Robert. Varley. 31 May 2006. 6 June 2012.
- News: Art Come Alive: Imaginative Works Of Tom Luckey Aren't Complete Until Inhabited By Humans. https://web.archive.org/web/20151127224024/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-169131072.html. dead. 27 November 2015. . Jesse. Leavenworth. 26 September 2007. 6 June 2012.
- News: Jermanok. Stephen. Ready. Set. Climb. The Boston Globe. 18 March 2007. 6 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20140610170919/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8699261.html . dead . 10 June 2014 .
- Web site: Thomas W. Luckey, architect/sculptor of inventive recreation environments for children; service at Yale Sept.8. Cory. Christopher T.. September 7, 2012. The Shoreline Times. May 10, 2013.
- Web site: Thomas W. Luckey. September 5, 2012. The Martha's Vineyard Times. May 10, 2013.
- News: The climber links earth, sky for kids. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 17 November 1989. 6 June 2012. Bob. Hoover.
- News: Young at Art expands. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. 18 August 2011. Dina. Weinstein. 6 June 2012.
- News: DePalma . Anthony . In Mexico City, A State-of-the-Art Children's Museum . . 18 November 2003 . 6 June 2012 . – with sound and light system by Remo Saraceni.
- News: Ford . Mary Ann . The New Discovery Kids test out museum set to open Saturday . . 25 November 2004 . 6 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095218/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11664286.html . dead . 4 March 2016.
- News: A New Twist. https://archive.today/20130126162402/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-0EB771E554F2703D.html. dead. 26 January 2013. Naperville Sun. 8 April 1999. 6 June 2012.
- News: Rebuilding of Columbus' Commons Nears Finish. WIBC (FM). 25 December 2010. Eric. Berman. 9 June 2012.
- News: Delaware Children's Museum expected to open on schedule. USA Today. 31 January 2010. Betsy. Price. 9 June 2012.
- News: Christ Community opens interactive kids playground. https://archive.today/20130125033035/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-114A8CA1D614EC70.html. dead. 25 January 2013. The Beacon News. 28 June 2006. Michael J.. Murschel. 9 June 2012.
- Web site: Emerging Visions: Introducing Luckey. sxsw.com. jim. 12 March 2009. 6 June 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131228173837/http://sxsw.com/node/1296. 28 December 2013.
- News: Luckey filmmaker Laura Longsworth. 6 June 2012. 31 March 2009. Sam. Baltrusis. Loaded Gun Boston.
- Web site: Luckey by Laura Longsworth. Fanlight Productions. 18 June 2012.
- News: Indie Memphis Film Fest: Award Winners/Encore Screenings . Memphis Flyer. 11 October 2009. Chris. Herrington. 6 June 2012.
- Web site: Luckey. Sundance Channel listings. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111223132948/http://www.sundancechannel.com/films/500532701/. 2011-12-23.
