UrbanArt - newsletter

Nine Local Artists Selected for City Art Projects
The UrbanArt Commission, working in conjunction with the City of Memphis and the City Council-appointed Public Art Oversight Committee, has identified nine local artists to complete $465,000 in art enhancements for public buildings. The projects are the first to be undertaken as part of the percent for art ordinance adopted by the City on March 5, 2002. The artists and their projects are listed below.

Bert Ferguson Community Center -- Enhancements for the indoor pool will be designed by Suzy Hendrix who works in fused, etched and stained glass and mosaics.

Cordova Library -- Local artist Pam Cobb was selected to enhance the interior and exterior of the Cordova Library with sculptural elements.

Glenview Community Center -- Deborah Brown will seek input from Glenview residents and be assisted by metal artist John Argroves as she creates enhancements as part of the Community Center’s renovation.

Martin Luther King Riverside Golf Course -- Metal Artist Jim Wallace has been selected to design an artistically enhanced gate for the Martin Luther King Riverside Golf Course.

Orange Mound Community Service Center -- Vitus Shell of Memphis will use a combination of painting and found objects collected from neighborhood residents to create an enhancement for the interior of this facility.

Skinner Center Renovation -- Yvonne Bobo, also of Memphis, will add enhancements to the windows of the renovated pool area of the Skinner Center, and to areas in the adjacent Peabody Park.

Southeast Police Precinct -- Painter, illustrator and designer, Peggy Van Buren will create enhancements using the theme “Helping Hands” exploring the connection of the police and the community for the new Southeast Police Precinct.

Whitehaven Community Library -- Whitehaven native Lester Merriweather will create figurative relief sculpture based on line drawings that will be installed throughout the inside of the library.

The Whitehaven Neighborhood Center will undergo a renovation and will add a shade structure that was designed for the Cobblestone Walkway by Carroll Todd and Reb Haizlip.

Artists to design enhancements for the Hollywood Branch Library, Ed Rice Community Center Aquatic Facility Renovation and the Police Headquarters Renovation at 128 Adams will be selected and presented to the Public Art Oversight Committee in July.

In March, 2003, an open call to artists was distributed to over 600 local artists, who were invited to submit applications for 10 projects. Artists were selected by ad hoc selection panels of 5 to 7 members that included the project architect, a City representative, two arts professionals and a community representative. Panelists other than the project architect and the City representative do not serve on more than one panel at any given time to ensure diversity in the selection process. All recommendations made by the selection panels are presented to the Public Art Oversight Committee for approval. For complete guidelines, please visit our website at www.urbanartcommission.org.

The Public Art Plan for FY04 is currently under review by the Public Art Oversight Committee and will be submitted to the City Council for approval in July. Ten to twelve new projects will be recommended and all artists are encouraged to apply.

Workshops by Sherri Warner Hunter, Bell Buckle, TN
This year the Studio Workshops…in the country, held at the Bell Buckle Studio of Sherri Warner Hunter, is offering a wider range of workshops by adding the expertise of several visiting artists to the program.

Tom Lee, a recipient of the Tennessee Art Commissions Individual Artist Grant in Visual Arts, and sculpture instructor at Memphis College of Art, will give a “Windmobile” workshop, July 8-10. Windmobile?…an animated sculpture powered by wind; great yard art! Lee is passionate about all forms of sculpture including windpowered objects, kites, and windmills.

Sheri Fleck Rieth, a former Nashville resident who is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi, will be teaching the “Monotype Workshop”, July 12-13. Monotype is a unique process in which painting, drawing and printmaking techniques are combined. The image is created on one surface and then transferred to another resulting in a one of a kind print. Emphasis will be on creating single or multicolored images utilizing simple printmaking equipments, making some magic, and having fun! Rieth’s award winning prints are exhibited throughout the United States.

Cheryl Phelps, a New York artist, will be presenting “The Greeting Card, Licensing & Art Biz Workshop” on July 19. A jam packed day full of information and inspiration. Topics covered will include how to get your art, illustrations and designs into the greeting card and social expression industry, self-promotion, marketing, licensing, copyright, contracts, reps, trends, idea development, and motivation. Painters, photographers, surface designers, computer artists, illustrators, or any artist interested in learning more about the ‘crossover markets of revenue for your visual images’ and the Greeting Card Industry, should attend this workshop. For an added fee, participants will be able to schedule individual portfolio reviews and consultations

Workshops offered by Hunter include “Armature Basics”, June 28; “Mosaics”, July 16-18; ”Relief Casting”, July 23; and “Simple Fountains”, August 1-3. Workshop fees range from $100.00-$275.00. All Materials are included and lunch is provided on full work days. Go to sherriwarnerhunter.com and click on workshops for more details and to download a registration form, or call 931/389-9649 for more information.

Opportunities in Other Cities
**** Charlotte Arena
Artist Opportunities: Four artists or artist teams will be commissioned for public artworks at the Arena - open to national and regional artists. While final sites will be selected by the commissioned artists in collaboration with other members of the design team, there are numerous opportunities. The team owner has emphasized the desire to have public artworks contribute to the entertainment experience or the “wow” factor for visitors. Exterior sites may include 1) the Trade Street plaza entry – sculpture, lighting or video; 2) the upper level plaza on the west side adjacent to the light rail corridor; 3) the Fifth St. Entry ; and 4) the pedestrian experience of the facility from 5th St., Caldwell and the retail storefronts along Trade St. Interior spaces are being designed and will be considered.
Project Budgets: 4 projects at $295,000 each
Submission Deadline: Friday, July 18, 2003 by 5:00 p.m.
Submission Requirements: 12 collated sets of printed submission materials, in the following order: 1) Letter of Agreement; 2) Current professional resume; 3) Annotated slide list. 1 copy of 4 public art and professional references; 1 set of 10 35 mm slides,
Labeled with artist, slide #, title of work, and arrow for top.
Please contact Jean Greer at 704/372-9667 x231 for a printed prospectus.

****San Francisco, CA
Deadline: July 21, 2003
The San Francisco Arts Commission is seeking applications from professional artists working in painting, drawing, photography, printmaking and mixed media for new poster artworks to be displayed in the kiosks along Market Street in 2004.
DEADLINE: Monday, July 21, 2003
Applications are available at http://www.sfgov.org/sfac/pubart/, or send a SASE to: Art on Market Street RFP, San Francisco Arts Commission, 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94102.
For additional information, please call 415.252.2586

UrbanArt Commission
The UrbanArt Commission was established in 1997 through the vision of Kristi Jernigan and through the collaborative efforts of the Memphis Arts Council and Shelby County Government. The mission of the UAC is to enhance and elevate the quality of life in Memphis and Shelby County by promoting and facilitating public art and urban design.

UAC Staff:
Carissa Hussong, Executive Director
Elizabeth Alley, Project Manager
Danita Beck, Project Manager
For more information, contact the UAC at (901) 252-0880, or via email.
Visit www.urbanartcommission.org

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