Coatings World - January 2011

Blue Sky and Cloud Design Weather
Competition in Tnemec Company’s 2010
Tank of the Year Voting

The City of Newton has the distinction of being home to the Blue Sky Sculpture recognized as one of the “ 8 Won- ders of Kansas Art,” as well as a national award-winning potable water tower that was voted Tnemec’s 2010 Water Tank of the Year. Both the sculpture and artwork for the water tank were created by Kansas artist and designer Phil Epp, who is known for his rural landscapes with expansive skyscapes.

“Both the water tower’s exterior design and the sculpture
share the artist’s signature white clouds set against a bright blue
sky,” said Doug Hansen, director, Tnemec water tank market.
“When you’re standing at the sculpture, the water tower is
clearly visible. The arched surfaces of the sculpture and the cur-
vature of the tank mural viewed against the surrounding sky cre-
ate an interesting aesthetic effect that definitely impressed our
Tank of the Year judges.”
The 500,000-gallon pedestal tank replaced a standpipe that
was constructed in 1905, according to Tnemec coating consult-
ant Rick Penner. “Working with Epp, the city negotiated a per-
manent reproduction of his nearby signature sculpture for use
on the water tank,” Penner said. “After an approximate scaled
model of the new tank was used to lay out the artwork, Epp
and the project engineer matched Tnemec colors to recreate the
artist’s original desired effect. To further enhance the unique-
ness of the tank’s image, the city installed lighting at the base of
the tower.”
The new tank was assembled and coated on the ground and
lifted by crane onto its pedestal. The tank’s interior and exterior
coating systems consisted of a prime coat of Series 91-H2O
Hydro-Zinc, a zinc-rich urethane. The interior then received
two coats of Series N140F Pota-Pox Plus, a polyamidoamine
epoxy. The exterior steel received a roller-applied intermediate
coat of Series 73 Endura-Shield, an acrylic polyurethane, fol-
lowed by a finish coat of Series 700 HydroFlon, an advanced
fluoropolymer topcoat that offers outstanding long-term gloss
and color retention.

“The cloud as icon and open sky as subject is universal,” said Phil Epp, the artist and designer whose creation won Tnemec’s 2010 Tank of the Year competition. “A clear, crisp, contemporary depiction of this imagery is my attempt to provoke inspiration and interpretation. The cloud in motion seemed an honest motif for a water tower, declaring its content and justifying its purpose.”