For nearly three weeks, James and Umut Demirguc Thurman’s driveway looked more like a movie set than a suburban home. Piece by piece, they built a 10-foot-diameter UFO with stainless steel panels and a mirrored dome.
As part of Denton’s Halloween decorations, the UFO installation now sits in Cedar Street Park, located at the intersection of Walnut Street and Cedar Street. The site features the UFO piece alongside other alien-themed decorations and is called Area 940, a nod to Denton’s phone area code.
“We’re just thrilled to live in a city that is so excited about Halloween,” said James Thurman, creator of the installation and a professor of metalsmithing and jewelry at the university. “It’s our favorite holiday […] so now it’s just really great to be able to contribute a public artwork to enhance the whole experience and see so many people enjoying it and taking pictures with it and everything like that.”
James Thurman said the UFO installation was designed according to the images provided by the city, which funded the project. The city requested a classic 1950s flying saucer. The couple created the UFO based on that concept and incorporated some “Star Wars” influences, as they are both fans of the series.
“The first film I ever saw as a child in the theaters was the first ‘Star Wars’ movie,” James Thurman said. “So that really imprinted on me, and has always been a huge inspiration and influence.”
James Thurman stated that the saucer portion of the UFO was constructed from 52 panels, with half on top and half on the bottom. The mirrored dome was made with acrylic.
Inspired by the Millennium Falcon, a starship in the “Star Wars” movie series, the outer rim of the saucer was crafted with vacuum-formed pieces outlined using vintage “Star Wars” toys, jewelry and other materials available in their studio.
The surface of the saucer also includes the same movie elements, with the decorations in the “Star Wars” alphabet, Aurebesh, spelling out “UFO” and “Thurmans.”
Thurman and his wife, Umut Demirguc Thurman, who is also the creator of the UFO installation, are metalsmiths and jewelers who typically work on smaller pieces. Umut Demirguc Thurman said in an email to the North Texas Daily that the UFO installation was the largest project she has ever made, and her favorite part of the final product was the craftsmanship.
“In my metalwork and jewelry, craftsmanship is very important,” Umut Demirguc Thurman said. “I cannot stand poor craftsmanship. We applied the same attention to detail to fabricating this UFO.”
James Thurman said his favorite part of the finished piece is seeing visitors interact with the UFO, from people taking selfies with the mirrored dome to children playing around it.
The Thurmans arrived at Area 940 on Oct. 17 during the “Meet the Artists” event, where they chatted with visitors about their work.
University metalsmithing and jewelry senior Emily Gossett, who is also a student of James Thurman, said she is impressed by the UFO piece and loves the idea of upcycling.
“As an artist, I like being able to reuse things as well, from an eco-friendly standpoint,” Gossett said. “And it also kind of helps create a cohesive element to your work.”
Gossett also said she thinks this project is a successful art installation because it is approachable for everyone.
“It’s not like something that people can’t relate to and understand,” Gossett said. “I think even the kids were […] really appreciating it and running and jumping on it and stuff like that.”
James Thurman said that the arts can take many forms and are not limited to galleries or museums.
“There [are] so many different artists and volunteers and community members that have been so creative and playful, and create artworks that we’re not really sort of looking at them as much as artworks,” James Thurman said. “Because it’s like ‘Oh, it’s Halloween, and it’s just a decoration or something.’ But really, there’s so much creativity going into so many of the different pieces that have been made.”
James Thurman also said that Denton’s 31 Days of Halloween helps foster a sense of community, creativity and collaboration. He said he has connected with other artists and local business owners through various meetings.
“I am just really excited to be a part of Denton’s growing Halloween celebrations,” James Thurman said. “And we’re looking forward to continuing our involvement with the city, and hope to build more fun and wild projects in the future.”