Green Public Art

Get involved in #GreenArts Day: Wednesday 14th March

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Join in with #GreenArts day on Wednesday 14 March to share your work, find out more about what is currently taking place in the cultural sector, what sustainability in the arts looks like, and how we all can contribute to a more sustainable Scotland.

What can I expect from the #GreenArts day?

  • The launch of the Green Arts Initiative Annual Report
    As part of their membership of the community, our Green Arts members report each year on the actions they’ve taken, and the ambitions they have for their environmental sustainability efforts. This year we’ll be live publishing the report during the #GreenArts day, pulling out key activities, insights and member successes. For an idea of previous annual reports, and to get a sneak peak of what might be in this year’s edition, take a look at our 2016 Annual Report.
  • The showcasing of our member community
    Our Green Arts community is driven by the amazing members from all corners of Scotland. We’ll be highlighting those taking strides on sustainability from different art forms, different locations, and different situations.
  • Questions to prompt your own green arts thinking
    Over the course of the day, we’ll also be posing key questions that the Green Arts community is working with, challenging the cultural sector and those participating in it to develop the ideas which underpin all our efforts towards a sustainable Scottish cultural sector.

What is the Green Arts Initiative?#GreenArts Day: Wednesday 14th March 1

The Green Arts Initiative is a community of practice of cultural organisations in Scotland, committed to reducing their environmental impact. We are working on this in a huge variety of ways – everything from reducing the emissions of harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, to programming artistic work which directly tackles the issues for Scottish and international audiences.

It is free for any cultural organisation in Scotland to join and participate in the Green Arts Initiative. To find out more, and to become part of the community, head on over to our project page. We currently have over 190 members from across Scotland, and we guarantee you’ll spot some you already know on our interactive map.

How can I get involved?

  • Use, like and retweet the hashtag #GreenArts
  • Connect with Creative Carbon Scotland on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
  • If you are a Green Arts member, think about what you could share during the day:
    • Could you introduce your Green Champion or Green Team to the world?
    • Have you got a good sustainability story to share?
    • Can you show off your environmental policy?
    • Are your recycling bins especially aesthetically pleasing?

If you have something you are planning to share as part of the #GreenArts day, or if you have any questions, please do get in touch with Catriona on catriona.patterson@creativecarbonscotland.com


The post Get involved in #GreenArts Day: Wednesday 14th March appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.


 

Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

New Monthly Post: Renewable Energy Artworks

This post comes from the Artists and Climate Change Blog

As a renewable energy photographer, I can’t think of a better way to embrace the new year than to celebrate artists who are inspired by renewable energy and who, collectively, are changing the social narrative surrounding what (the late) President Obama calls our irreversible transition to a post-carbon future.

Throughout 2017, I will post once each month about an artist or group of artists whose work explores wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy from a variety of perspectives. From architects to poets to sculptors to musicians, these artists are changing the mood music about climate change while drawing much-needed attention to the many health and economic benefits of renewables, improved energy efficiency and electrifying transport systems in our increasingly crowded and polluted cities.

For our opening post on renewable energy artworks, we travel to the UK’s maritime city of Hull on the Yorkshire coast, where the multimedia artist Nayan Kulkarni recently transformed the historic heart of the city with the installation of a massive 28-tonne, 250ft-long (75m) offshore wind turbine blade. “The Blade” is the first major artwork commissioned as part of Look Up, a year-long cultural celebration of public artwork and installations marking Hull’s tenure as UK City of Culture 2017.

wind, turbine, blade, Hull, installation, renewable, energy, public space, urban, art, what is art

The Blade was built by local men and women newly hired at Siemen’s recently constructed state-of-the-art offshore wind manufacturing plant located in the revitalized Alexandra Docks on the Humber River.

According to The Guardian, this industrial blade-cum-artwork draws important links between Hull’s industrial past, its more recent slide into economic despair and – thanks to the promise of offshore wind – an optimistic future.

For example, up to one thousand new manufacturing jobs will be created by the new factory, in a city with one of the highest unemployment rates in the UK. Further development of Alexandra Dock will continue throughout 2017, including construction of a new harbour for pre-assembly and load out of wind turbine components destined for the construction of massive offshore wind projects off the coast of England and northern Europe.

In an online interview published by The Mirror, Martin Green, CEO and Director of Hull 2017, hopes that the installation of this enormous industrial object will start a debate about what constitutes art. “This is a very beautiful object, hand-made, in a really interesting context at a very interesting time in the city’s history. And to me, that makes art. But I think that debate will rage,” he added.

In a press release, Mr. Green added “Nayan Kulkarni’s Blade is a dramatic, yet graceful addition to Hull’s city centre. Despite its size, what is striking about the sculpture is its elegance. Putting this example of state of the art technology against the historic charms of Queen Victoria Square makes you look at this fine public space differently. It’s a structure we would normally expect out at sea and in a way it might remind you of a giant sea creature, which seems appropriate with Hull’s maritime history. It’s a magnificent start to our Look Up programme, which will see artists creating sight specific work throughout 2017 for locations around the city.”

The Blade will remain in Queen Victoria Square until March 18th.

Next month’s post: Land Art Generator Initiative‘s “Renewable energy can be beautiful”

Follow Joan Sullivan on Twitter @CleanNergyPhoto

 


Artists and Climate Change is a blog that tracks artistic responses from all disciplines to the problem of climate change. It is both a study about what is being done, and a resource for anyone interested in the subject. Art has the power to reframe the conversation about our environmental crisis so it is inclusive, constructive, and conducive to action. Art can, and should, shape our values and behavior so we are better equipped to face the formidable challenge in front of us.

Go to the Artists and Climate Change Blog

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Can You Dig It? – Call to Artists!

This post comes to you from Green Public Art

City of West Hollywood
ART ON THE OUTSIDE PROGRAM
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

Can You Dig It?
Temporary Land Art Exhibition
RFQ released: July 15, 2015
Deadline to apply: August 26, 2015

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The City of West Hollywood’s Art on the Outside program is seeking qualifications from artists and/or artist teams to establish a pool of qualified artists to create temporary, site-specific, land art installations in Plummer Park and along Santa Monica Boulevard in an exhibition titled Can You Dig It?, a response to the current California drought and how the City may reimagine its landscape as a result. Art on the Outside is the City’s temporary art program that installs rotating temporary artworks on the City’s medians and parks. These works include sculpture, murals and other outdoor works, most of which remain on display for between 6 months-3 years.

The temporary, site-specific, land art projects commissioned for this exhibition will fall within one of the following categories:

  • Three-dimensional: Artwork created in nature that uses natural materials and/or introduces manmade materials to highlight nature
  • Performance-based: Artworks focused on process, site and temporality, created by individuals acting in a one-on-one relationship with the land

Land Art, Earthworks or Earth Art is an art movement which emerged in the United States in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, in which landscape and the work of art are seamlessly linked. The artworks frequently exist in the open, left to change and erode under natural environmental conditions (Jeffrey Kastner, Land and Environmental Art, survey by Brian Wallis. Phaidon Press. 2010). Examples of notable land art projects include: Andy Goldsworthy, Woven Branch Arch; Maya Lin, The Wave Field; Nancy Holt, Sun Tunnels; Michael Heizer, Double Negative; Buster Simpson, The Hudson Headwaters Purge; Christo and Jean Claude, Surrounded Islands. 

The City will host an informational question and answer meeting on Wednesday, August 5, 2015, 6:00-7:30pm, at the Plummer Park Community Center (7377 Santa Monica Boulevard) to answer any questions about the RFQ. This meeting is not mandatory. Artists who have never applied to a public art opportunity are encouraged to attend. The meeting may also include members from the Facilities & Field Services, Innovation & Strategic Initiatives, and Environmental Services departments to discuss any concerns and/or limitations that artists may need to be aware of. To RSVP for this meeting please email Rebecca Ehemann, Public Art Coordinator, rehemann@weho.org, with the names of the artist(s) who wish to attend.

ELIGIBILITY

The Request for Qualifications is open to professional artists/artist teams residing in the United States.

BUDGET

Budgets for individual projects will range from $5,000 to $12,000. Project budgets are all-inclusive and intended to cover the cost of design, fabrication and installation. It is anticipated that a group of ten (10) semi-finalists (individuals and/or teams) will be identified during the selection process to prepare proposals for the installation. Semi-finalists will be awarded a $500.00 honorarium for their proposal.

SELECTION PROCESS

A selection committee composed of, but not limited to, Arts Commissioners, a Public Facilities Commissioner, and City of West Hollywood Staff will convene to review submissions through this request for qualifications. Artists will be selected for the qualified pool according to the following criteria:

  • Proven artistic merit and strong professional qualifications as demonstrated through previous public art experience or gallery and/or museum exhibitions (public art experience not required)
  • Ability to execute a high quality artwork
  •  Experience working with sustainable, recycled or natural materials (desirable but not required)

The selection committee will identify a group of semi-finalists from the pre-qualified pool of artists to develop proposals for the exhibition. Semi-finalists will be paid an honorarium for their proposals. Semi-finalists will present their proposals to the selection committee for consideration.

SEMI-FINALISTS PROPOSALS

Artists who are invited to submit a proposal will be asked to provide two concept sketches and/or renderings, a preliminary budget and a 150-300 word narrative to incorporate three or more of the following concepts into their land art proposal:

  • Utilize sustainable or natural materials
  • Express ecological concerns to educate the public about the California drought
  • Inform and interpret nature and it’s processes
  • Reveal environmental forces, such as wind, water, and/or light.
  • Re-envision our relationship to nature, propose a new way for us to co-exist with our environment
  • Reclaim and remediate a damaged environment, restoring ecosystems in an artistic way

Artists will be asked to consider the local setting for the artwork and weigh the impact that the proposed material(s) may have on the immediate environment. The length of the exhibition is anticipated to be 12 months.

BACKGROUND

In the wake of the water crisis in California the public has been forced to reconsider how they use water in their everyday lives. The City of West Hollywood has already begun to take action by enforcing water usage restrictions and encouraging residents and businesses to conserve water (http://www.weho.org/city-hall/city-departments/public-works/environmental-services/water-conservation). Through the Can You Dig It? exhibition of temporary, site-specific, land art installations the City invites artists to reimagine its dry and arid public landscapes.

The California Department of Water Resources estimates that California would need much more rainfall to replenish its 12 major reservoirs and bring an end to the drought. Currently, the major state reservoirs stand at 54 percent of total average storage. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) estimates California needs 11 trillion gallons of water to recover from the drought.

The threat of a severe water shortage is a serious one for the City, where daily existence depends largely upon water piped in from sources outside the region. West Hollywood residents and businesses are served by two water utility companies: Beverly Hills Public Works and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Both utility companies urge customers to cut back water usage and to consider installing water-conserving fixtures.

CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD

The City of West Hollywood, known as the “Creative City,” was incorporated in 1984. It is 1.9 square miles in area and is bounded by Beverly Hills to the west, Hollywood to the east, and Los Angeles to the north and south. West Hollywood is home to approximately 37,000 residents and over 3,500 businesses. Sixty percent (60%) of adults are college-educated, and 54% are employed in managerial and professional occupations. Approximately 40% of the City’s residents are gay or lesbian, 10% are Russian-speaking immigrants, and close to 20% are senior citizens.

PLUMMER PARK

Plummer Park (8.5 acres) was formed around a farmhouse and outbuildings that were originally part of Rancho La Brea (later Plummer Ranch). This park is the City’s oldest park, dedicated in 1938 by the County of Los Angeles along with the Plummer Park Clubhouse (now known as Great Hall and Long Hall). Fiesta Hall, featuring an auditorium for community events, was built in 1951. These buildings are still located on the site today, along with the more recently built Community Center and child care center. After West Hollywood’s incorporation in 1984, the park became a City of West Hollywood park and the City took responsibility for its operation and maintenance.

Today Plummer Park is actively used by the community. Off-street parking is provided for park users and every Monday morning the Helen Albert Certified Farmers’ Market is held in the north parking lot. The tennis courts are well used, and there is open space with grass, trees, and paths for walking. Fiesta Hall has an auditorium that is available for community and civic events. One of the most visible groups of users in the park is seniors, especially from the Russian-speaking community, who are often seen playing chess, walking, and socializing in the park. Senior Citizens are regularly provided educational and health lectures as well as opportunities for socialization through card playing, literature clubs, folk dance, fitness and yoga classes, and language classes

SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD

Until 1998, Santa Monica Boulevard was owned and operated by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) as State Route 2. Since incorporation, West Hollywood had continually disagreed with the State agency about maintenance and operations of the street. Finally Caltrans agreed to relinquish the street to West Hollywood, and the City developed a master plan to redesign and reinforce the identity of the City’s main street.

Almost 1,200 new evergreen elm, jacaranda, silk floss, and queen palm trees, together with shrubs and grasses, were planted on the sidewalks and in the new median islands as part of the project’s landscaping plan. The City also created a variety of green spaces, landscaped areas around bus stops, and areas to showcase public art. Specifically, existing medians were redesigned to provide landscaping and pathways, new medians were installed, and the Sal Guariello Veterans’ Memorial was developed at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Holloway Drive. The median at the City’s western border for West Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard was enhanced with palms, walking paths, and lighting. The vision for this median was a showcase of major arts commissions, to allow for pedestrian exploration and an art experience that was visual and tactile, and fully integrated with the landscape.

DEADLINE

Applications must be submitted online by 5:00pm (PST), August 26, 2015.

  • IMPORTANT DATES (subject to change)
  • July 15, 2015 – RFQ released
  • August 5 - Information meeting at Plummer Park (optional)
  • August 26 - RFQ deadline
  • September 14 - Semi-Finalists invited to submit proposals
  • October 30 - Proposals deadline
  • November 5 - Semi-Finalists presentations; Finalists selected
  • November - Finalists meet with Facilities to discuss logistics of proposal
  • TBD - Installations begin
  • January 2016 - Opening Reception          

QUESTIONS

or all questions related to this call to artists contact Rebecca Ehemann, Public Art Coordinator, City of West Hollywood, (323) 848-6846, rehemann@weho.org.

  • The City of West Hollywood reserves the right to cancel or postpone this Request for Qualifications at any time.
  • The City of West Hollywood reserves the right to photograph, videotape and distribute images of the temporary artwork for non-commercial purposes.
  • The City of West Hollywood reserves the right to retain, remove, and relocate all artworks commissioned as a result of this RFQ.

For additional information on City of West Hollywood arts projects please visit www.weho.org/arts or www.facebook.com/WeHoArts.

 

 

 

The post Can You Dig It? – Call to Artists! appeared first on Green Public Art.

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Rebecca Ansert, founder of Green Public Art, is an art consultant who specializes in artist solicitation, artist selection, and public art project management for both private and public agencies. She is a graduate of the master’s degree program in Public Art Studies at the University of Southern California and has a unique interest in how art can demonstrate green processes or utilize green design theories and techniques in LEED certified buildings.

Green Public Art is a Los Angeles-based consultancy that was founded in 2009 in an effort to advance the conversation of public art’s role in green building. The consultancy specializes in public art project development and management, artist solicitation and selection, creative community involvement and knowledge of LEED building requirements. Green Public Art also works with emerging and mid-career studio artists to demystify the public art process. The consultancy acts as a resource for artists to receive one-on-one consultation before, during, and after applying for a public art project.

Go to Green Public Art

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City of Newport Beach Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition 2015-2017

This post comes to you from Green Public Art

Green Public Art Consultancy, in partnership with Arts Orange County, is excited to announce this call for sculpture for the City of Newport Beach, CA.

CALL FOR ENTRIES CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH SCULPTURE IN THE CIVIC CENTER PARK EXHIBITION

100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

DATE ISSUED: March 19, 2015

DEADLINE TO APPLY: May 6, 2015

The City of Newport Beach, California seeks ten outdoor sculptures for its Sculpture in Civic Center Park exhibition at the recently created Civic Center Park. This beautiful 14-acre, ocean-view site was designed by the renowned landscape architectural firm PWP Landscape Architecture (PWP). The park’s design included an art master plan to facilitate future displays of public art within the passive park setting. All work submitted for consideration must be complete and available to be loaned to the City for a period of two years (August 2015 – August 2017). Artists will receive an honorarium of between $2,000 – $5,000.  Apply to call online.

ABOUT THE NEWPORT BEACH INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION:

The City of Newport Beach (City) is pleased to announce a call for entries for Round II of its inaugural Sculpture in Civic Center Park exhibition. Artists, private collectors, galleries and museums/non-profit institutions are invited to submit pre-existing artworks for consideration for temporary exhibition at the City’s Civic Center Park. This is a unique opportunity for artworks to be exhibited at the recently completed Newport Beach Civic Center and displayed in the serene, ocean-view park that is free and open to the public. The Civic Center Park, designed by renowned landscape architectural firm PWP Landscape Architecture (PWP), is rapidly becoming a popular destination for visitors and residents of Newport Beach to gather for civic events and activities like summer concerts on the lawn, Shakespeare in the Park, art shows, visits to the dog park, or leisurely walks along the park’s winding trails.

In 2014, the City announced Round I of its call for artists. Nine selected sculptures were installed throughout the Civic Center Park in September 2014. [VIEW THE ARTWORKS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY INSTALLED] The 2015 call for artworks seeks ten more sculptures to be added to the park in August 2015 so that both sets of sculptures will be displayed together for a period of one year. In September 2016, the first round of artworks will be de-installed. The second round of artworks will remain installed until September 2017.

An opening reception for the exhibition is planned for September 2015 and applicants whose works are selected for the exhibition are encouraged, though not required, to attend.

Artists whose works are in the exhibition will also be invited to talk about their work to the public in Newport Beach. The City plans to distribute information about the exhibition to the news media, conduct tours of the exhibition, and create a self-guided smartphone audio tour. Participating artists will be invited to submit statements in writing and be available for recordings for these informational and educational activities.

At the discretion of the artist or owner, artworks may be available for purchase during the exhibition period. Artists who wish to make their artwork available for sale during the exhibition period agree that artworks shall not be de-installed until the conclusion of the exhibition period. The City will not request a commission from the sale of artwork.

Successful applicants will be notified in June. After contract terms are agreed upon, arrangements for transportation and installation will be made. The artist/art owner will be responsible for transporting their artworks to and from the site according to the contract schedule. The City will coordinate professional installation and de-installation services for all artworks. Artworks accepted into the exhibition will be carefully positioned and mounted to concrete pads in locations throughout the park as appropriate.

The Civic Center Park is free and open to the public. Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to visit the site before applying.

The City of Newport Beach has retained Arts Orange County to provide professional services for the artist selection and installation of the inaugural sculpture exhibition. Arts Orange County is being assisted by Green Public Art Consultancy.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. (Mountain Time)

HONORARIUM: Selected artists will receive an honorarium of between $2,000 and $5,000 in exchange for a two- year loan of their artwork.

Honorarium amounts will be determined by the selection committee depending on the artist’s preliminary budget taking into account the following items: location from which the sculpture will be shipped, weight, and dimensions of the artwork. Honorariums will be awarded at the sole discretion of the City.

The honorarium amount should cover transportation of the artwork to and from the exhibition site, structural engineering documents (if required), any insurance needed or desired for artwork transport and exhibition, and fees for on-site availability during installation and removal.

The City will handle hiring a professional art installer and will cover all expenses related to the artwork installation and de-installation process.

ELIGIBILITY:This call is open to all professional artists and artist teams, private collectors, galleries and museums/non-profit organizations. All applicants must be over the age of 18.

SELECTION CRITERIA: The City seeks to have a well-balanced and diverse exhibition of sculptures with a variety of styles, types, and sizes. Sculptures of all types will be considered. All artworks must be finished works. No concepts or proposals will be accepted.

Artworks will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Submission of all required application materials by deadline.
  • Artistic Excellence: Artists shall have strong professional qualifications and a high-quality artwork that demonstrates originality and technical competency. Private collectors, galleries and museum/non-profit organizations shall have professional reputations for collecting and/or exhibiting high-quality artwork that demonstrates originality and artistic excellence.
  • Durability: The artwork must be made of high-quality materials which can withstand the natural elements of coastal Southern California for a minimum of two years. Consideration will be given to structural and surface integrity and maintenance free for the duration of the exhibition. Artwork must be free from damage, scratches, fade marks, or any other irregularities.
  • Site Appropriateness: Artwork should be appropriate in scale, material, and content for the immediate, general, social, and physical environments to which they relate. Artworks must not exhibit unsafe conditions or factors that may bear on public liability. The artwork must be designed to be easily secured to a concrete foundation. Artworks, when installed, should be readily visible from the interpretive trails. Artworks should be suitable for viewing from all angles. Artworks shall be appropriate for audiences of all ages.
  • Meets Minimum Requirements: Artist or art owner must meet eligibility requirements. Artworks must be available for the duration of the exhibition period (8/ 2015 – 9/2017).

SELECTION PROCESS: A local selection committee consisting of up to three Newport Beach Arts Commissioners and three local arts professionals (still pending), will be responsible for selecting the artworks for this project. The committee members will review each artwork and make decisions based on the selection criteria as outlined in this Call for Entries. As many as 10 finalists and 3 alternates will be selected for this project. Recommendations must be approved by the Arts Commission and the Newport Beach City Council. Specific locations for artworks within the City grounds will be determined by the City, selection committee, and its consulting team.

Please Note: To preserve the validity and integrity of the selection process, no applicant may contact any member of the selection committee or the City Council until the entire process is completed and the City Council has rendered its decision. Questions must be directed to Arts Orange County.

TENTATIVE TIMELINE:

  • May 6, 2015 - Call for entries deadline
  • May 2015 - Submissions reviewed by Selection Committee; Finalists selected
  • June 2015 - Review & Approval by Arts Commission & City Council; Selected artists notified
  • August 2015 - Artwork delivered by the artists and installed by the City
  • September 2015 - City Exhibition dedication reception
  • Summer 2017 – Artwork de-installed by the City and picked-up by artists

TO APPLY: Artists/Private Collectors/Galleries/Museums/Non-Profit Organizations may submit as many as three (3) individual artworks for consideration. Applications will only be accepted via CaFÉ (callforentry.org) via this link. Each artwork must be submitted separately. There is no application fee. A different user account must be used for each submission. (Therefore, to submit three different artworks, you must create and use three separate accounts to submit three different applications.) Artists will not be eligible to have more than one artwork selected for the exhibition.

Visit the website www.callforentry.org for details on how to apply through CaFÉ.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

The following information must be uploaded to CaFÉ and received by Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. (Mountain Time). APPLY HERE 

Application must include:

1. Statement of interest (1,000-word maximum), addressing:

  • Why the submitted artwork is appropriate for the Civic Center Park;
  • Has the proposed artwork been installed in an outdoor, public setting before?
  • How is the artwork prepared for an outdoor, public installation at the Civic Center Park?
  • Relevant public art experience.

2. Resume/curriculum vitae of the applicant’s experience. It should include your name mailing address, phone number(s), email and website. If multiple artists are applying as a team, please combine resumes into one document. (four-page maximum).

3. Image(s) of artwork submitted for consideration. Between 2-4 images of the artwork may be submitted.

4. Details about the artwork, including:

  • Title and date of artwork;
  • Very brief description of artwork (100 word maximum); • Medium, dimensions, and weight;
  • Artwork value or expense;
  • Is artwork available for sale? If so, at what price?
  • Collection of [insert name here] OR Courtesy of [insert name here] • List previous exhibition locations

5. Preliminary budget. This should include requested honorarium amount and estimated expenses associated with artwork transportation, insurance, etc.

INSURANCE: The City of Newport Beach shall procure and maintain insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from or in connection to the artwork supplied to the City of Newport Beach but only with respects to the City’s liability.

The City of Newport Beach shall procure and maintain fine arts coverage for any damage to the submitted artwork. Coverage shall apply to unscheduled fine arts in the City’s care, custody or control not to exceed a loss amount of $2,500,000. The City will not be held responsible for loss resulting from a Flood or Earthquake.

Coverage provided by the City shall remain in force until the duration of the display and the cost shall be borne to the City.

Applicants acknowledge and agree that they are displaying the artwork at the site at their own risk. The applicant is encouraged to purchase a commercial general liability policy on an occurrence basis in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the general aggregate to protect the artist from claims of bodily injury or property damage. Additionally, if the value of submitted artwork exceeds the fine arts limit purchased by the City, it is the City’s recommendation that the applicant purchase a property damage/fine arts policy covering the value of the artwork. The cost of such insurance(s) shall be borne by the applicant.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

  • Applications will only be accepted through CAFÉ. Do not send applications directly to Arts Orange County or the City of Newport Beach. Apply here.
  • Late applications will not be considered.
  • The City of Newport Beach reserves the right to reject all submittals and to decline to award contracts for this project.
  • All artists who submit their materials for review will receive notification of the results of the selection process, including the identification of the selected artists.
  • All information contained herein does not constitute an expressed or implied contract.
  • Artists will not be eligible for more than one artwork selection in any given exhibition.
  • Learn more about the Newport Beach Civic Center

ABOUT US:

www.newportbeachca.gov

www.artsoc.org

www.greenpublicart.com

QUESTIONS: Please direct all questions to Kristina Colby, Program Coordinator, Arts Orange County at (714) 556-5160 x14 or kcolby@artsoc.org.

The post City of Newport Beach Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition 2015-2017 appeared first on Green Public Art.

———-

Rebecca Ansert, founder of Green Public Art, is an art consultant who specializes in artist solicitation, artist selection, and public art project management for both private and public agencies. She is a graduate of the master’s degree program in Public Art Studies at the University of Southern California and has a unique interest in how art can demonstrate green processes or utilize green design theories and techniques in LEED certified buildings.

Green Public Art is a Los Angeles-based consultancy that was founded in 2009 in an effort to advance the conversation of public art’s role in green building. The consultancy specializes in public art project development and management, artist solicitation and selection, creative community involvement and knowledge of LEED building requirements. Green Public Art also works with emerging and mid-career studio artists to demystify the public art process. The consultancy acts as a resource for artists to receive one-on-one consultation before, during, and after applying for a public art project.

Go to Green Public Art

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You’re Invited! Light Gate Artist Reception

This post comes to you from Green Public Art

We are pleased to announce a reception for the artists, Lajos Heder and Mags Harries, on Wednesday, February 25 from 4:00-6:00pm in celebration of their public artwork, Light Gate.

Dedication
4:00 PM
14th Street and Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA

Artist Presentation
Mags Harries and Lajos Héder
5:00 PM
Police/Fire Conference Room
420 15th Street, Manhattan Beach, CA

Light Gate is located at the top of 14th Street, between City Hall and the new library, along Highland Avenue in Manhattan Beach, CA. The artwork is made of glass, laminated with prismatic lighting film that will create rich and varied light effects with the sun. Light Gate will focus the view through an opening down 14th Street to the Ocean.

It will be a place of constantly shifting light and view, more than a solid object. It will put the visitor in the center of this important nexus. As you move around and through the sculpture, it will shift unexpectedly from transparency, to prismatic refraction, to mirror reflection. The glass and steel construction playing with the sunlight will harmonize with the crystalline glass architecture of the new library.

For more information on the dedication ceremony, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (310) 802-5448.

The post You’re Invited! Light Gate Artist Reception appeared first on Green Public Art.

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Rebecca Ansert, founder of Green Public Art, is an art consultant who specializes in artist solicitation, artist selection, and public art project management for both private and public agencies. She is a graduate of the master’s degree program in Public Art Studies at the University of Southern California and has a unique interest in how art can demonstrate green processes or utilize green design theories and techniques in LEED certified buildings.

Green Public Art is a Los Angeles-based consultancy that was founded in 2009 in an effort to advance the conversation of public art’s role in green building. The consultancy specializes in public art project development and management, artist solicitation and selection, creative community involvement and knowledge of LEED building requirements. Green Public Art also works with emerging and mid-career studio artists to demystify the public art process. The consultancy acts as a resource for artists to receive one-on-one consultation before, during, and after applying for a public art project.

Go to Green Public Art

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LAGI 2014 Copenhagen

This post comes to you from Green Public Art

LAGI 2014 invites artists, architects, engineers, and designers to collaborate on an idea for what infrastructure art of sustainable cities looks like by considering clean energy generation within the context of public art. DEADLINE May 18, 2014!

WATCH: European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard calls for creativity in the conception of renewable energy infrastructure

The main goal of the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) is to design and construct public art installations that have the added benefit of utility-scale clean energy generation. The works will serve to inspire and educate while they provide renewable power to thousands of homes around the world. This year LAGI and Refshaleøen Holding are holding the LAGI 2014 ideas competition in Copenhagen.

As Copenhagen (the European Green Capital in 2014) moves towards carbon neutral status by 2025, the debate over the aesthetic manifestation and human interaction component of our new energy infrastructure is becoming increasingly important to the planning strategies required to attain zero-carbon sustainability goals.

The 2010 LAGI design competition was held for three sites in the UAE and received hundreds of submissions from over 40 countries. In 2012, in partnership with New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation the design competition was held for a site within Freshkills Park (the former Fresh Kills Landfill) and received 250 submissions from around the world.

More info here: http://landartgenerator.org/designcomp/

Download Design Guidelines here

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Rebecca Ansert, founder of Green Public Art, is an art consultant who specializes in artist solicitation, artist selection, and public art project management for both private and public agencies. She is a graduate of the master’s degree program in Public Art Studies at the University of Southern California and has a unique interest in how art can demonstrate green processes or utilize green design theories and techniques in LEED certified buildings.

Green Public Art is a Los Angeles-based consultancy that was founded in 2009 in an effort to advance the conversation of public art’s role in green building. The consultancy specializes in public art project development and management, artist solicitation and selection, creative community involvement and knowledge of LEED building requirements. Green Public Art also works with emerging and mid-career studio artists to demystify the public art process. The consultancy acts as a resource for artists to receive one-on-one consultation before, during, and after applying for a public art project.

Go to Green Public Art

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City of Newport Beach Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition

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Green Public Art Consultancy, in partnership with Arts Orange County, is excited to announce this call for sculpture for the City of Newport Beach, CA.

CALL FOR ENTRIES
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
SCULPTURE IN THE CIVIC CENTER PARK EXHIBITION

100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

DATE ISSUED: January 14, 2014

DEADLINE TO APPLY: February 28, 2014

Ten selected artworks will be prominently showcased for a period of two years in the heart of Newport Beach at the newly created Civic Center Park. The 14-acre, ocean-view site was specially designed by renowned landscape architect Peter Walker as an intended sculpture garden. Participating artists will have an extraordinary opportunity to have their works experienced over an extended period of time in a city that is a popular visitor destination and is home to some of the world’s best-known major art collectors as well as the award- winning Orange County Museum of Art. Apply to call online.

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Looking west from the pedestrian bridge which connects the north and south portions of the park.
View additional site photos. View site map.

ABOUT THE NEWPORT BEACH INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION:

The City of Newport Beach (City) is pleased to announce a call for entries for its inaugural Invitational Sculpture Exhibition. Artists, private collectors, galleries and museums/non- profit institutions are invited to submit artworks for consideration for temporary exhibition at the City’s Civic Center Park. This is a unique opportunity for artworks to be exhibited at the newly completed Newport Beach Civic Center and displayed in the serene, ocean view site that is expected to become a popular attraction for local residents and tourists.

The Civic Center Park, designed by renowned landscape architectural firm PWP Landscape Architecture (PWP), is rapidly developing into a destination for visitors and residents of Newport Beach to gather for civic events and activities like summer concerts on the lawn, Shakespeare in the Park, art shows, visits to the dog park, or leisurely walks along the park’s windy trail. To further activate the splendor of the park, the City is now seeking to identify and temporarily place artworks in accordance with the art master plan included in the design of the grounds.

The City of Newport Beach has retained Arts Orange County to provide professional services for the artist selection and installation of the inaugural sculpture exhibition. Arts Orange County is being assisted by Green Public Art Consultancy.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Friday, February 28, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time)

HONORARIUM: Selected artists will receive an honorarium of between $2,500 and $6,000 in exchange for a two-year loan of their artwork. Honorariums will be determined by the selection committee depending on the artist’s preliminary budget, complexity of the project, weight, and size. The honorarium amount shall cover transportation of the artwork to and from the exhibition site, structural engineering documents (if required), any insurance needed or desired for artwork transport and exhibition, and fees for on-site availability during installation and removal. Half of the honorarium will be provided to the artist upon signing the contract and the second half of the honorarium awarded after de-installation.

ELIGIBILITY: This call is open to all professional artists and artist teams, private collectors, galleries and museums/non-profit organizations. All applicants must be over the age of 18.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION: The exhibition will consist of up to 10 sculptures located throughout the 14-acre Civic Center Park. Some artworks will be secured to concrete pads, each measuring approximately 16 sq. ft., in locations throughout the park as appropriate.

See Peter Walker and Partners Art Master Plan map

The selected artworks for the inaugural exhibition will remain on display for approximately two years with installation planned in the Summer of 2014 and de- installation planned for Summer of 2016.

Artworks may be available for purchase during the exhibition period. Artists who wish to make their artwork available for sale during the exhibition period agree that artworks shall not be de-installed until the conclusion of the exhibition period. The City of Newport Beach will not request a commission from the sale of artwork.

Successful applicants will be responsible for transporting their artworks to and from the site according to the contract schedule. The City of Newport Beach will coordinate professional installation and de-installation services for all artworks invited to participate in the exhibition.

An opening reception for the exhibition is planned for September 2014 and applicants whose works are selected for the exhibition are encouraged, though not required, to attend. Artists whose works are in the exhibition will also be invited to talk about their work to the public in Newport Beach. The City plans to distribute information about the exhibition to the news media, to conduct tours of the exhibition, and possibly to create a self-guided smartphone audio tour. Participating artists will be invited to submit statements in writing and be available for recordings for these informational and educational activities.

SELECTION CRITERIA: The artwork selected for exhibition will exemplify diversity of style, scale, media, and artists. The City seeks to have a well-balanced exhibit of sculptures with a variety of styles, types, and sizes. Specific locations for artworks within the City grounds will be determined by the artist selection committee. Sculptures of all types will be considered. Artworks will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Artistic Merit: Artists shall have strong professional qualifications, high-quality artwork that demonstrates originality and artistic excellence. Private collectors, galleries and museum/non-profit organizations shall have professional reputations for collecting and/or exhibiting high-quality artwork that demonstrates originality and artistic excellence.
  • Durability: The artwork must be made of high-quality materials which can withstand the natural elements of coastal Southern California for a minimum of two years. Consideration will be given to structural and surface integrity, protection against theft and vandalism, and requiring minimal to no maintenance.
  • Meets Minimum Requirements: Artworks must be available for the duration of the exhibition period. The artwork must be designed to be easily secured to a concrete foundation. Artworks, when installed, should be readily visible from the interpretive trails. Artworks should be suitable for viewing from all angles. Artworks shall be appropriate for audiences of all ages.
  • Site Responsiveness: Artwork should be appropriate in scale, material, and content for the immediate, general, social, and physical environments to which they relate. Artworks must not exhibit unsafe conditions or factors that may bear on public liability.

Artworks which incorporate sustainable strategies, demonstrate green processes, or utilize green design, materials theories, and techniques are welcome, but not required.

SELECTION PROCESS: A local selection committee consisting of up to three Newport Beach Arts Commissioners, two local arts professionals (Dan Cameron, Interim Director and Chief Curator, Orange County Museum of Art; and Richard Turner, Artist, Professor Emeritus of Art and Co- Director of The Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman University), and one art conservator (Christina Varvi, Assistant Conservator, Rosa Lowinger & Associates, Los Angeles and Miami) will be responsible for selecting the artworks to be loaned for this project. They will review each artwork and make decisions based on the selection criteria as outlined in this Call for Entries. As many as 10 finalists and 3 alternates will be selected for this project. Recommendations must be approved by the Arts Commission and the Newport Beach City Council.

Please Note: To preserve the validity and integrity of the selection process, no applicant may contact any member of the selection committee or the City Council until the entire process is completed and the City Council has rendered its decision. Questions must be directed to Arts Orange County.

TENTATIVE TIMELINE:

February 28, 2014  Call for entries deadline

March 2014  Selections made by the Newport Beach Civic Center Invitational Sculpture Exhibition artist selection committee to include 10 sculptures and 3 alternates

May 2014  City Council review and approve selections and Selected artists notified

August 2014  Artwork delivered by the artists and installed by the City

September 2014  City Exhibition dedication reception

Summer 2016  Artwork de-installed by the City and picked-up by artists

TO APPLY: Artists/Private Collectors/Galleries/Museums/Non-Profit Organizations may submit as many as three (3) individual artworks for consideration. Applications will only be accepted via CaFÉ (callforentry.org) via this link. Each artwork must be submitted separately. There is no application fee. A different user account must be used for each submission. (Therefore, to submit three different artworks, you must create and use three separate accounts to submit three different applications.) Artists will not be eligible to have more than one artwork selected for the exhibition.

Visit the website www.callforentry.org for details on how to apply through CaFÉ.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

To apply: The following information must be uploaded to CaFÉ and received by Friday, February 28 at 11:59pm. (Pacific Standard Time) APPLY HERE.

1. Statement of interest (1,000 words maximum), addressing:

  • Why the submitted artwork is appropriate for the Civic Center Park;
  • Has the proposed artwork been installed in an outdoor, public setting before? If not, how will you prepare the artwork for the outdoor, public installation at the Civic Center;
  • Relevant public art experience.

2. Resume / curriculum vitae including name, mailing address, phone number(s), email and website.

3. Three images of an artwork submitted for consideration. *Note: if you wish to submit more than one artwork for consideration, you must submit separate applications for each individual artwork. Do not combine several artwork submissions into one application. Up to three applications are permitted per applicant. Each separate application must be submitted by a different user account.

4. Accompanying Annotated Image List including:

  • Title and date of artwork;
  • Very brief description of artwork (100 word maximum);
  • Medium, dimensions and weight;
  • Artwork value;
  • Is artwork available for sale? If so, at what price?
  • Collection of [insert name here] OR Courtesy of [insert name here]
  • List of previous exhibition locations

5. Preliminary Budget to include:

  • Estimated transportation cost
  • Insurance cost
  • Artist honorarium

INSURANCE: The City of Newport Beach shall procure and maintain insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from or in connection to the artwork supplied to the City of Newport Beach but only with respects to the city’s liability.

The City of Newport Beach shall procure and maintain fine arts coverage for any damage to the submitted artwork. Coverage shall apply to unscheduled fine arts in the city’s care, custody or control not to exceed a loss amount of $2,500,000. The city will not be held responsible for loss resulting from a Flood or Earthquake.

Coverage provided by the city shall remain in force until the duration of the display and the cost shall be borne to the city.

The applicant is encouraged to purchase a commercial general liability policy on an occurrence basis in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the general aggregate to protect the artist from claims of bodily injury or property damage. Additionally, if the value of submitted artwork exceeds the fine arts limit purchased by the city, it is the city’s recommendation that the applicant purchase a property damage/fine arts policy covering the value of the artwork. The cost of such insurance(s) shall be borne by the applicant.

Note: Applicants acknowledge and agree that they are displaying the artwork at the site at their own risk.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

  • Do not send applications directly to Arts Orange County or the City of Newport Beach.
  • Late applications will not be considered.
  • If artists are applying as a team, include resumes for all team members.
  • The City of Newport Beach reserves the right to reject all submittals and to decline to award contracts for this project.
  • All artists who submit their materials for review will receive notification of the results of the selection process, including the identification of the selected artists.
  • All information contained herein does not constitute an expressed or implied contract.
  • Artists will not be eligible for more than one artwork selection in any given exhibition.

ABOUT US:

www.newportbeachca.gov

www.artsoc.org

www.greenpublicart.com

ABOUT THE NEWPORT BEACH CIVIC CENTER & PARK:

Project History

The project began in 2008 and the Newport Beach City Council determined that an architectural design competition, overseen by a committee of local architects, would help identify the appropriate architect and design for its new Civic Center. More than 50 teams comprised of architects and landscape architects entered the competition. The field was first narrowed to 13 teams and then five finalists. Each team received a $50,000 stipend and approximately three months to prepare a concept plan. The Newport Beach City Council ultimately approved the committee’s recommendation and selected Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) and its concept plan for the project. BCJ’s team included Peter Walker Partners (PWP) as the landscape architect.

Newport Beach Civic Center & Park

The Newport Beach Civic Center is located on a 16-acre site, bordered by Avocado Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard, with coastal views. The Civic Center includes the 14-acre park, a 450-space parking structure, the expanded Newport Beach Central Library, and a City Hall building, City Council Chambers and Community Room. The Civic Center was completed in the Spring of 2013.

BCJ grounded the design of the City Hall building with elements of sustainability. Several active and passive design strategies were incorporated into the new City Hall to provide energy savings. The building was designed to earn at least a LEED Silver (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), but the City believes it is on track to earn a LEED Gold certification. LEED is a program of the United States Green Building Council. It is the national benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and work.

The entrance to the new Civic Center is marked by the City Council Chambers with its iconic “sail” and the neighboring, transparent community space. The Civic Green, bounded by the City Hall building, parking structure and the library, serves as the City’s “front lawn.” The new park and gardens surround the buildings and serve as a gateway to a series of outdoor program elements.

A significant portion of the Civic Center is dedicated to a 14-acre park. It includes the City’s first dog park, a civic lawn for outdoor events, restored wetlands, and 1.23 miles of walking and viewing trails. Its comprehensive plan incorporates large mature trees, and a series of plantings that respond to both the design intent and existing conditions, all of which are linked by a series of meandering paths. Sustainable practices include on-site storm-water treatment with extensive swales, retention basins integrated into planting, and a native plant palette. Additional criteria of LEED and the Sustainable Sites Initiative were utilized to ensure the highest level of sustainability. A number of locations for outdoor sculpture were also identified in the design.

About the Design Team

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) is known for exceptional design, its commitment to the particularity of place and user, and for an extraordinary aesthetic based on a quiet rigor which is both intellectual and intuitive. During its 47 years of practice, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) has garnered an extraordinary record of design achievement. The firm has received eight national Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and more than 530 awards recognizing the firm’s design abilities. BCJ won the AIA’s Architecture Firm Award in 1994. The firm’s other notable projects include Seattle City Hall; Liberty Bell Center, Philadelphia; Adobe San Francisco; Apple Store, New York City; and Pixar Studios and Headquarters, Emeryville, CA.

For nearly 30 years, PWP (Peter Walker Partners) Landscape Architecture has developed a tradition of design practice that responds to, as well as influences, its environment. The firm believes in “constructing landscapes that refine nature, engage culture, and sustain them both.” PWP’s other notable projects include: the National 9/11 Memorial, New York; Constitution Gardens at the National Mall, Washington, D.C.; South Coast Plaza Town Center, Costa Mesa; and Barangaroo, Sydney, Australia.

Read more about the project and the project team.
View additional images of the Newport Beach Civic Center Park.

QUESTIONS: Please direct all questions to Kristina Colby, Program Coordinator, Arts Orange County at (714) 556-5160 x14 or kcolby@artsoc.org.
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Rebecca Ansert, founder of Green Public Art, is an art consultant who specializes in artist solicitation, artist selection, and public art project management for both private and public agencies. She is a graduate of the master’s degree program in Public Art Studies at the University of Southern California and has a unique interest in how art can demonstrate green processes or utilize green design theories and techniques in LEED certified buildings.

Green Public Art is a Los Angeles-based consultancy that was founded in 2009 in an effort to advance the conversation of public art’s role in green building. The consultancy specializes in public art project development and management, artist solicitation and selection, creative community involvement and knowledge of LEED building requirements. Green Public Art also works with emerging and mid-career studio artists to demystify the public art process. The consultancy acts as a resource for artists to receive one-on-one consultation before, during, and after applying for a public art project.

Go to Green Public Art

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Open House by Matthew Mazzotta

This post comes to you from Green Public Art

640x480xa94c2ee80d7342f0a66cfabf3cc527ee.jpg.pagespeed.ic.mIeC7tamBkOPEN HOUSE is a transforming theater, free to the public in York, Alabama, that creates a new public space from an abandoned private home.

Artist Matthew Mazzotta, the Coleman Center for the Arts, and the community of York Alabama collaborated to transform a blighted property into a new public art project this is in the shape of a house. The magic in this project is that the “home” can physically transform into a 100 seat open air theater, free for the public.

The project utilizes the land and materials from the abandoned home on the same site. The new house has a “secret” … it physically transforms from the shape of a house into an open air theater that seats 100 people by having its falls and roof fold open.

How it works? Open House is designed to require cooperation. It takes four people one and a half hours to unfold the structure. The foundation is made of used railroad ties which anchor the custom fabricated industrial hinges to five rows of stadium seating. The rows of seats fold down with the aid of a hand winch and enough manpower to counter balance the hefty, but agile structure.

Through the project, the artist hopes to directly address the lack of public space in York, AL by providing a physical location that becomes a common ground for community dialogue and activities. The new structure carries the weight of the past through the materials that were salvaged and repurposed from the old structure, most visibly the original pink siding. When Open House is fully unfolded, it provides an opportunity for people to come together and experience the community from a new perspective. When it folds back up, it resembles the original abandoned house, reminding people of the history of what was there before.

Open House was awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Visual Artists Network, York Drug, the City of York, the City of York Fire Department and countless individual supporters of the Coleman Center for the Arts and Matthew Mazzotta.

Want to know more about the project? CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to read about Matthew Mazzotta’s Park Spark Project

More about Matthew Mazzotta HERE

 

Rebecca Ansert, founder of Green Public Art, is an art consultant who specializes in artist solicitation, artist selection, and public art project management for both private and public agencies. She is a graduate of the master’s degree program in Public Art Studies at the University of Southern California and has a unique interest in how art can demonstrate green processes or utilize green design theories and techniques in LEED certified buildings.

Green Public Art is a Los Angeles-based consultancy that was founded in 2009 in an effort to advance the conversation of public art’s role in green building. The consultancy specializes in public art project development and management, artist solicitation and selection, creative community involvement and knowledge of LEED building requirements. Green Public Art also works with emerging and mid-career studio artists to demystify the public art process. The consultancy acts as a resource for artists to receive one-on-one consultation before, during, and after applying for a public art project.
Go to Green Public Art

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“Sonic Bloom” a new Interactive artwork showcases solar, sound and education at the foot of the Space Needle

In the playful context of Seattle Center’s festival grounds, Sonic Bloom is a new energy-neutral permanent interactive art installation at the foot of Seattle’s Space Needle and a defining entry sculpture to the Pacific Science Center. The signature sculpture is designed to demonstrate the science of solar energy in an accessible way as well as becoming a new icon for Seattle Center.

“Sonic Bloom” is a solar-powered work of art created by Dan Corson for the Pacific Science Center on behalf of Seattle City Light’s Green Up program, which supports the development of new renewable energy sources.

The project is composed of 5 super-sized flowers (up to 40’ tall and 20’ across) sporting frosted acrylic petals that glow like glass when backlit.  Mounted on the top of each painted flower head are 46 locally made photo voltaic cells. These solar cells collect the energy from the sun and are fed back into the electrical grid and completely offset the energy-efficient LED lighting and speaker electrical consumption for the project.

“There’s a myth that solar power won’t work in Seattle” said artist Dan Corson. “But even with our often cloudy weather, solar works well here”. The challenge was going beyond simple rooftop installations and engaging people with solar

After dark, the sculptures make a dramatic illuminated presence, revealing the domed undersides of the flowers as dynamic illuminated surfaces awash in moving color and concentric echo-inspired patterns. The backlit painted fiberglass diffuses the energy-efficient LED lights and creates an interesting patterned surface in the daytime.

The title Sonic Bloom refers not only to our defining location “on the Puget Sound” but also to the artwork itself that sings as the public approaches each flower.  Every flower has its own distinctive series of harmonic notes simulating a singing chorus. A hidden sensor located in each flower identifies movement and triggers the sound.  So if there are 5 people engaging the flowers together, it is possible to compose and conduct music together or by walking through, randomly set off a harmonic sequence.

The colorful striped stalks of the flowers not only accentuate the curved stems, but are also actual “barcodes” that can be deciphered by inquisitive sleuths motivated to decode the super-sized puzzle.

Seattle, with its mild maritime climate, hosts some of the most enthusiastic gardeners in the country. The artist is not only a self-described “plant geek” and has created an award-winning garden featured in a number of magazines, but has also created the garden concept for the planting beds below the sculptures as well.  The Sonic Bloom garden is designed for a year-round viewing highlighting certain flowers and color combinations that echo the sculptures every season.

Interpretive signage at the exhibition and inside Pacific Science Center explains how solar energy works and shows in real-time how it is powering the flowers.

Green Public Art Lands on List of Top 50 Public Art Projects in US

This post comes to you from Green Public Art

601f373719f82d0dc8c6a93864b96067The artwork, Orit Haj by artist team Didier Hess (Project Manager, Rebecca Ansert of Green Public Art Consultancy), selected by a jury of arts professionals from over 350 submissions as one of the Top 50 most exemplary public art projects of 2012, was announced at the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network conference in 2013.

The American for the Arts Public Art Network Year in Review program recognizes exemplary and innovative, permanent or temporary public art works created or debuted in the previous calendar year. It is the only national award that specifically recognizes public art projects. Three independent public art experts—John Carson, artist and Head of Carnegie Mellon University School of Fine Art, Norie Sato, artist, and Justine Topfer, Project Manager, San Francisco Arts Commission and private curator—juried the 2013 Year in Review. Their selections were announced on June 13, 2013 at the Americans for the Arts Public Art Preconference in Pittsburgh. Over 350 projects were submitted for review and 50 final projects selected. For full list click here.

Orit Haj, a site-specific artwork at Vasquez Rocks Park in Acton-Agua Dulce, California is a tribute to the Native American culture of the Tatavium people from the Santa Clarita Valley. Designed by artist team Didier Hess (a Los Angeles based collaborative led by Jenna Didier and Oliver Hess) as a slow release time capsule. To construct the sculpture, the artist team invited the community to participate in a workshop series where they learned about the ancient architectural building material called rammed earth, which is a mixture of soil and cement compacted into forms to create a solid earthen structure. The community was invited to bring personal artifacts to insert into the earth as the workshop participants added the rammed layers. These artifacts will reveal themselves over time as the rammed earth slowly erodes. Deeply hidden within the form is a secretive bronze sculpture designed by the artists for a generation to discover in approximately 200 years.

The sculpture evokes the shape of the unique formations at Vasquez Rocks and is inviting to the human hand to touch it and visitors to climb on it. As people return to the Vasquez Rocks at various points in their lives, the sculpture, like the rocks, will be changing, their contours and the artifacts they contain altering in response to both human and natural forces.

Commissioned by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Orit Haj is the County’s first “green” public art project and the Interpretive Center, designed by Gruen Associates, is Los Angeles County’s first Platinum LEED building.

To read more about the project follow these links:

USGBC LA Chapter Tours Vasquez Rocks

Vasquez Rocks Rammed Earth Workshop – photos

Vasquez Rocks Rammed Earth Workshop

 

Rebecca Ansert, founder of Green Public Art, is an art consultant who specializes in artist solicitation, artist selection, and public art project management for both private and public agencies. She is a graduate of the master’s degree program in Public Art Studies at the University of Southern California and has a unique interest in how art can demonstrate green processes or utilize green design theories and techniques in LEED certified buildings.

Green Public Art is a Los Angeles-based consultancy that was founded in 2009 in an effort to advance the conversation of public art’s role in green building. The consultancy specializes in public art project development and management, artist solicitation and selection, creative community involvement and knowledge of LEED building requirements. Green Public Art also works with emerging and mid-career studio artists to demystify the public art process. The consultancy acts as a resource for artists to receive one-on-one consultation before, during, and after applying for a public art project.
Go to Green Public Art

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