Committee narrows down art selection
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on July 26, 2016 1:46 PM
The top 12 art selections for possible placement in downtown Goldsboro were picked Monday by a public art steering committee.
The committee, composed of city staff and area residents, met in the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. office and reviewed 58 art sculptures that were submitted as possibilities for the coming year.
The process of selecting three to four pieces will include public feedback before a final decision is made.
The art will replace four public sculptures that include two in the Center Street roundabouts, one in the John Street parking lot and another in a median along the 100 block of North Center Street.
The public art is being leased for an annual total cost of $7,000. The city is paying $6,000 to lease three sculptures. A smaller sculpture, in the North Center Street median, was paid for by a group of private residents.
This year, the city has budgeted $5,500, which would pay for two large sculptures and one smaller piece, said Julie Metz, Goldsboro downtown development director.
Jim Davis, the city's consultant with Sculpture in the Landscape, presented photos, dimensions and descriptions of the 58 pieces before they were trimmed to a dozen.
Finding large enough pieces that standout and fill the downtown roundabouts is difficult, Davis said.
"I'm not here to sway anybody in any way, but it's going to be hard to find one to fit the space we have here," Davis said.
The committee narrowed its selection to five large sculptures, which could fill the roundabouts, and seven smaller pieces that could replace the existing art in downtown.
Currently, the Dreamsicle sculpture, at Center and Chestnut streets, is 13 feet tall, and the Natural Embrace Venus flytrap, at Center and Mulberry streets, is 16 feet tall.
The committee's larger selections include sculptures of 12, 14 and 18 feet in height. The pieces vary in construction, depth, color and width.
During the meeting, the committee discussed whether to lease Natural Embrace another year, but members of the group stayed on course with the original intent to lease new pieces once a year.
"The primary reason was because we wanted to keep it fresh and exciting for people to come downtown," Metz said. "I think the road that we're on is a good one, and I don't want to give up on that."
Committee member Allison Platt, with Allison Platt and Associates urban design firm, said the Natural Embrace piece remains popular with some residents.
"I think you're not going to find anything that nice, ever," Platt said.
Committee member Larry Lean, University of Mount Olive art professor, said he's interested in downtown art that serves to educate the public.
"I hope we don't pick things that please people," Lean said. "I hope we can pick things that can please people but educate them about art."
Photos and descriptions of the 12 pieces will be posted on the city of Goldsboro's website, possibly in a week or so, for public review and feedback, Metz said.
Public comments, which will be considered by the committee, will be accepted for one month. The committee will narrow the selection further and recommend several pieces to the Goldsboro City Council for approval.
The final pieces will be added to the downtown landscape during an Oct. 14 installation ceremony. During the same day, the current art pieces will be sold or returned to the artists.
The art -- Dreamsicle, Natural Embrace, Flight and Genesis -- are for sale, with information listed at http://sculptures/goldsboronc.gov. Local buyers will have the pieces delivered locally on installation day.
The addition of art into the downtown area came to the forefront during the $15 million streetscape project. Even though streetscape improvements were funded primarily by federal and local funds, the downtown public art is supported by city government.
Scott Stevens, city manager, said city officials have no plan to purchase any of the art, which can vary in cost from $40,000 to $80,000 and include additional ongoing maintenance costs.