New sculptures to be selected
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on July 24, 2017 5:50 AM
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Midsummer, a 16-foot-tall painted steel sculpture, is one of 12 pieces of artwork selected for possible Center Street roundabout placement in the fall.
The process of selecting the top four art sculptures for downtown Goldsboro is underway with public participation starting this week.
The public art steering committee, which met Thursday at the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. office, reviewed 45 art sculptures that were presented for consideration from artists from nine states, including North Carolina, said Jim Davis, with Sculpture in the Landscape.
Davis, hired by the city as consultant, previously sent out a call for artists to 80 preferred sculptors and also through the N.C. Arts Council.
Of the 45 presented, 12 were selected by the committee for final consideration, with six of the sculptures created by North Carolina artists, Davis said.
One of the largest sculptures was a clear favorite of the committee -- Midsummer, a 16-foot-tall, painted steel sculpture -- that's in the running for possible placement in a Center Street roundabout, Davis said.
"I think we were all very pleased with the variety with which we were able to consider this year, but based on our interest to offer a variety of styles and take into consideration of the sites with the scale, mass, size and presence of the pieces, we were able to collectively agree on pieces that should remain in consideration fairly easily," said Julie Metz, Goldsboro downtown development director.
The 12 sculptures were selected by size, taking into consideration the future placement two larger sculptures in Center Street roundabouts, at Mulberry Street, near City Hall, and Chestnut Street, near the Cornerstone Commons. One medium-sized sculpture is planned for the John Street parking lot, and a smaller piece is planned for placement in the median along the 100 block of North Center Street.
The 12 selections, along with descriptions, will be posted on the city of Goldsboro's website, at http//sculptures.goldsboronc.gov, on Tuesday, said Jamie Metz, a computer systems administrator with the city.
The website will provide residents the opportunity to offer comments and feedback on their favorite picks. The comments will be taken into consideration when the public art steering committee makes its final selection of four sculptures, which will be recommended to the Goldsboro City Council.
Comments will be accepted through Aug. 17, and the city council is expected to make the final decision during its Aug. 21 meeting, Metz said.
The process of selecting new sculptures annually is an effort by downtown leaders to pick artwork that is new, vibrant and generates excitement in a growing area of the city.
"My hope is that the pieces ultimately selected this year will continue to capture the interest of people and give them another reason to celebrate their downtown," Metz said.
The new sculptures will be added to the downtown landscape during an art installation ceremony on Oct. 13, at noon.
The new pieces will replace Humble, a 14-foot-tall, steel-crafted dinosaur, at Center and Mulberry; Sounds of the Elements, a 14-foot-tall, stainless steel, bronze and aluminum piece crafted to look like a musician's musical fork at Center and Chestnut; Sky Walker, an 18-foot-tall, multi-colored steel piece in the John Street parking lot; and Mates, a 7-foot-tall sculpture in the North Center Street median.
The city budget includes $7,000 to cover the cost of leasing the sculptures one year. Davis, who is overseeing the process, is also working under a $3,000 contract with the city. The largest sculptures lease at $2,000 each for one year, the medium-sized piece will cost $1,500; and the smaller piece will cost $1,000, Davis said.