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The artist explains how he hung friendship bracelets at Caesars Superdome

The artist explains how he hung friendship bracelets at Caesars Superdome

1 minute, 39 seconds Read

NEW ORLEANS – Taylor Swift is receiving an overwhelming reception at Caesars Superdome ahead of her sold-out three nights of the Eras Tour there.

Four friendship bracelets measuring 140 feet long and reading “Taylor Swift The Eras Tour” hang outside the arena. Each letter is a circle seven feet in diameter.

“Last month I was contacted by the marketing director at the Superdome,” says Shawn Kolodny, a contemporary artist and sculptor who designed the jewelry that adorns the arena. “I built 3D models. We drew everything and came up with sizes and scales that would fit the side of the stadium. The Superdome turned it over to Taylor's team to make sure everything was approved, to make sure the colors were right, to make sure everything was right. “Everything was good, and then it went into manufacturing and production.”

The giant inflatables were shipped by plane from overseas and were delivered to the stadium on Wednesday. Through trial and error, Kolodny and the staff attached the bracelets to the walls by Thursday.

“I’ve never strapped anything to the side of a stadium,” he says. “So there were some learning curves.”

After the large inflatables were attached, staff attached air blowers to the edges of the bracelets to ensure they remained taut. Kolodny, 53, attended the more than three-hour show on Friday evening with his fiancé Jules Dudko. But he wants to get to the Superdome early to watch fans interact with the bead art.

“That’s the fun part for us,” he says, “watching people take photos and doing it for fun, the Instagram moment and the selfies and things like that. We like that part.”

Swift has three shows in New Orleans on Friday, Saturday and Sunday before heading to Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver. The tour ends on December 8th.

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