Sculpture Created in Westborough Storefront Celebrates Rider's Life

Michael Alfano spent three months sculpting a bicyclist and his bike in a Westborough Shopping Center storefront.

The 6 1/2 foot clay sculpture, which is being cast in bronze, "was commissioned by the Miles for Matt Foundation and celebrates the life of Matt Scarpati, who at 19, was killed by a drunk driver while he rode on a bike path to Jones Beach on Long Island," says Alfano, a Hopkinton resident.

"Through the foundation’s efforts, guardrails were installed along the path to help protect those using it. The foundation’s mission is student development through education, athletics, and medical research," Alfano says.

Alfano began creating the sculpture in mid-April in the shopping center space near Game Stop and Subway and finished it earlier this month. He drove it to the foundry on July 15.

"Currently the sculpture is at the New England Services foundry in Chelsea, MA where a mold of the clay creation is being made. Then it will cast be in bronze using the lost wax method," Alfano says.

"Over the next few months, I’ll work with the foundry to finish the bronze, and will transport it to New York in the fall. We’ll install the sculpture on a specially chosen base at the bike path, celebrate its arrival with a dedication, and then for dozens to thousands of years, countless people will experience it, and be impacted by it."

This interview was conducted by e-mail.

Westborough Patch

What was working in the Westborough space like? Did shopping center visitors stop by, curious?

Michael Alfano

Sculpting in the window of the Westborough space was a wonderful experience. The floor to ceiling windows let in a lot of natural light, large mirrors from several angles allowed me to view the sculpture from multiple perspectives at once, and there was ample space to step back to see the sculpture from a distance.

Quite a few shopping center visitors stopped by to see the sculpture in progress; people from all walks of life – students from elementary school to college, several art teachers, artists, a local priest on his early morning walks, a fellow student from 20 years ago and many more. The continuous interaction with the public made the creation of the sculpture an artwork in itself. 

I would like to thank Ed Turner of the Art and Frame Emporium as well as the owners of the building for presenting my artwork and that of other local artists in the storefronts of the Westborough Shopping Center.

Westborough Patch

How did the sculpture evolve as you created it? Are there any special touches you hadn't anticipated adding?

Michael Alfano

The evolution of the sculpture was amazing to see, growing from an empty wood platform to a recognizable figure that speaks to the viewers. That development was on public view throughout its creation and I was able to document the process from start to finish in a series of photographs.

Most of the design decisions were made at the maquette stage – before starting the full-scale sculpture, I make one or more small versions to work out the composition, pose, etc. It’s also at that stage where I have to determine what will work for the space and be physically stable. At the very beginning, I define many details such as exactly what style bike shoes. Once the life size sculpture has taken shape, I adjust the pose as needed, to convey the mood with subtle shifts of the shoulders or head. One of the last things I worked on was his face, and the emotion he conveys, even waiting until then to decide if he’d have his helmet on his head or resting in his hand.

Westborough Patch

What do you hope the sculpture elicits from audiences?

Michael Alfano

The sculpture is meaningful on several levels. In its eventual placement at the start of a bike path, it welcomes riders and other users to the trail.  The piece tells a tale with a past, present and future - of a young man anxious to be off, pausing, turning around, waiting for us, and inviting us all to join him in the adventure ahead. It also celebrates Matt Scarpati’s life, his exuberance, and love of cycling. There is also the aspect of speaking to the crime of drunk driving, the tragedy it can cause, and the intention that an increased awareness will reduce incidents of impaired driving in the future.

Westborough Patch

How does the sculpture compare, in meaning, to your other work?

Michael Alfano

Like my other public art figures, it aims to draw in those passing by to engage them in something that bears further consideration. There’s depth to the story and I aim to have the viewer relate to not only what’s there at that moment, but to the history and to imagine what might be.