Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

Velodyne Acoustics President Marta Thoma Hall Transforms High Performance Audio Gear – and Public Spaces – Into Art
  • USA - English


News provided by

Edge Communications, Inc.

Oct 27, 2014, 09:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

Brain Works, a 30-foot-high steel and glass sculpture from Marta Thoma Hall
Brain Works, a 30-foot-high steel and glass sculpture from Marta Thoma Hall

SAN JOSE, Calif. (PRWEB) October 27, 2014 -- As far as Silicon Valley artist and businesswoman Marta Thoma Hall is concerned, the process of designing a sleek new line of headphones or updating the look of Velodyne Acoustics’ popular high-performance subwoofer is no different than creating, say, a piece of sculpture.

A very large piece of sculpture.

Recently, the president of the Morgan Hill-based manufacturer of high-performance audio equipment completed the installation of Brain Works, a 30-foot-high steel and glass sculpture that resides with other public works of art in and around Bestor Art Park in San Jose’s Martha Gardens community, a mixed-use neighborhood located adjacent to the San Jose State Foundry and the Art Arc hub. In 2010, the City of San Jose and San Jose State University commissioned a citywide competition to create a landmark sculpture for the neighborhood, and Hall’s design was selected.

Brain Works is an abstract celebration of the role of the human brain in creating art and a tribute to the local art community. Three vertical steel poles form the shoulders and neck and hold up a head forged of curved steel. Inside the abstract head, a steel web and swirling grid comprised of colorful recycled bottles and a nest of spoons in the shape of a brain synapse symbolize creative energy, thought and inspiration. Solar-powered LED lights and the sound of the sculpture in the wind combine to create an entirely different experience at night.

“Brain Works is a tribute to both the Martha Gardens and local arts communities,” Hall said. “The people who live in the neighborhood donated their time, contributed money and collected many of the bottles, spoons and other materials that comprise the details of the piece. In that sense, it truly is a work of public art. At the same time, it also is a celebration of the creative process that has its basis in the wonderful yet mysterious workings of the human brain.”

Brain Works is only the latest in a series of commissioned pieces created by Hall, who uses discarded materials to create her art. Journey of a Bottle (2011), her first to use steel and recycled glass bottles, is installed in the lobby of the main branch of the Walnut Creek Public Library. Earth Tear (1989), an 8-foot, teardrop-shaped sculpture made from discarded plastic bottles that once contained tequila mix, is installed at the Recology Sculpture Garden in South San Francisco. Water Source (2011) consists of multiple sculpture created for display at the City of Goodyear, Arizona’s community water park and uses steel, glass, fiberglass and solar equipment to celebrate the importance of water and the adjacent Gila River. Hall also created Cosmos Clock, a kinetic sculpture activated by sunlight and commissioned by the University of Florida.

At Velodyne, Hall isn’t the only “artist.” Founder and CEO David Hall, Marta’s husband, provides the technical expertise and innovation that has over the past 30 years has made Velodyne Acoustics a respected name in consumer electronics and, more recently, LiDAR sensors used in developing autonomous vehicles and servo mechanisms that create a smoother ride for watercraft.

“We have a mutual enthusiasm for the visionary and creative,” Marta Hall said. “I approach product design as sculpture and think about intention and emotion. I make composition, shapes, form, line, movement, texture and materials to suit emotion. David addresses function to ensure that Velodyne headphones have strong bass and clean, pure sound, and that they are light and comfortable on the head. The process is the same whether you are designing a 30-foot sculpture, a painting or a pair of headphones.”

About Velodyne
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics is a diversified technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time LiDAR sensors. The company is widely recognized as the leading manufacturer of high-performance, low-distortion, powered subwoofers and an expanding line of technically innovative in-ear and over-ear audio products, which include interchangeable, custom-designed skins that enable audiophiles to personalize the look of their headphones. Velodyne products are available online at http://www.velodyne.com and from a select group of authorized dealers, custom installers and distributors worldwide. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information, visit http://www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.

Ken Greenberg, Edge Communications, Inc., http://www.edgecommunicationsinc.com, 323-469-3397, [email protected]

Modal title

Journey of a Bottle (2011), a Marta Thoma Hall sculpture at the Walnut Creek Public Library
Journey of a Bottle (2011), a Marta Thoma Hall sculpture at the Walnut Creek Public Library
A closer look at Brain Works public art installation
A closer look at Brain Works public art installation
Journey of a Bottle (2011), a Marta Thoma Hall sculpture at the Walnut Creek Public Library A closer look at Brain Works public art installation

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.