This month, Syracuse University, through the Connective Corridor and the College of Visual and Performing Arts, is launching one of the largest calls for public art in the country. It’s a project that is gaining national attention and also focusing on ways that the arts can help build the creative economy and be a catalyst for community revitalization. We’re sure it will also prompt some provocative conversations: What is the return on investment on public art? What role does public art play in a city? Can public art help transform a community? How important is the aesthetic of place?
We’re certain to hear from all sides. Public art has a way of bringing out opinions. But, then again, that is the kind of dialogue that art is supposed to prompt.
One thing is certain: 2015 will be the “Year of Public Art” on the Connective Corridor, as we complete our streetscape construction and activate it with public art.
Click the image to see the RFP (request for proposal)
From the very initial conception of the Connective Corridor, public art has been a vital, component of the master plan. Of the $46 million in external funds raised to build the Corridor, nearly $2 million have been allocated for the commissioning of public art.
To date, nearly $1 million has funded a variety of public art initiatives. Major installations included the Urban Video Project at Everson Plaza, the first Syracuse Public Artist in Residence Program, special projects with the 40 Below Public Arts Task Force, installations by regional artists, and work by Syracuse University School of Design students. Of that first million, $200,000 is earmarked for the redevelopment of the former Perseverance Park as a new public space by the City of Syracuse Urban Renewal Agency, working with the Syracuse Public Art Commission.
