Three artists/teams coming to Greensboro to share insights on ways to use public art to enhance downtown Elm Street Corridor
"The public is invited to join three national artists next week when they come to Greensboro to share their insights on enhancing the cohesiveness and character of the downtown Elm Street Corridor from Smith Street to Lee Street, ArtsGreensboro President and CEO Thomas Philion announced today.
This two-day, “Big Bang” event is the culmination of Phase 1 of the state-funded SmART Initiative, through which ArtsGreensboro and its partners—the City of Greensboro, Action Greensboro, and Elsewhere—are engaging the downtown community in ways to use arts and culture to drive economic development. Building on the momentum created as a result of Better Block founder Jason Roberts’ presentation in September and the Greensboro Better Block project at Hamburger Square during the Bike Summit on October 10, the SmART Greensboro team is bringing three artists/teams from across the country to Greensboro on December 11 and 12.
On Thursday, December 11, the public is invited to join the artists on their walking tours of Elm Street from 12:30 – 2:30 pm. After that, the public is invited to meet with the artists at the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, where the artists will:
· Brainstorm several places along Elm Street that present the greatest opportunities for public art;
· Evaluate in which of these places Greensboro could expect the best return on a public art investment; and
· Outline what they would do if they had $25K to create a public art project on Elm Street.
On Friday, December 12, the public is invited to a forum with the artists from 10:30 am – 3 pm at the Carolina Theatre. Each artist will present individually and participate in a panel discussion. Reservations are required for lunch.
The artists will consider several overarching questions:
1. How can we make the Elm Street Corridor—downtown’s main artery—sing?
2. How can we imbue its entire length (from Smith Street to Lee Street) with a sense of community and character?
3. How can way-finding and public art help us accomplish this?
The visiting artists are:
· Vanessa Smith and Megan Marini – Urban Matter/3x3 (New York City and Los Angeles)
· Jeanine Centuori – UrbanRock (Los Angeles)
Renowned Greensboro public artist Jim Gallucci will join the visiting artists for Friday’s panel discussion at 1:30 pm.
While all sessions are free, RSVPs are encouraged, and reservations are required for lunch on Friday. For more information and to RSVP, contact ArtsGreensboro Deputy Director Eleanor Schaffner-Mosh at (336) 333-7523, x242, or at ESMosh@artsgreensboro.org.
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About ArtsGreensboro (www.artsgreensboro.org)
With an annual budget of over $2.9 million, ArtsGreensboro is a catalyst for innovation to build recognition and support for the arts. Through the 17DAYS Arts & Culture Festival, power2give, and other opportunities like the National Folk Festival, ArtsGreensboro is driving the health and vitality of our community by supporting arts education, celebrating the diversity of Greensboro, and driving economic impact through excellence in arts programming.
About the North Carolina Arts Council’s SmART Initiative (ncarts.org/EconomicDevelopment/SmARTInitiative.aspx)
The North Carolina Arts Council created the SmART Initiative to encourage communities to pursue arts driven economic development. The SmArt Initiative takes advantage of our state's remarkable pool of artistic talent and the many strong indigenous artistic traditions from the sea to the mountains. North Carolina needs an economy that serves newcomers and long-time residents—one that attracts and keeps not only the creative individuals who drive innovations but also the enterprises that seek a culturally rich and diverse environment for business and a stimulating quality of life for their employees."
- A Press Release
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