City Newspaper Archives - 12/2007
ART: Public art will boost city's image
Published by Tim Louis Macaluso on Dec 12, 2007
Art has a positive effect on public perceptions of a city. That's the idea behind a proposal for a new city public arts policy. For capital improvement projects costing $1 million or more, the city would set aside 1 percent of the cost for public art.
The city already stresses visual enhancement in major capital improvements such as new construction, building renovations, bridges, walkways, and roads. Usually, that has focused on architectural design, such as the colorful, high-tech theme in the public garage in High Falls.
"The new policy expands the city's approach to include public art," says City Council President Lois Giess. "It's one of those things that can make people feel good, more optimistic about their neighborhood. All you have to do is look at ARTWalk as one example. But the problem has been that public art tends to go into those neighborhoods with active associations. This will allow us to spread public art throughout the city more equitably."
City Council reviewed the public art policies of more than a dozen cities, including Tampa, Seattle, Austin, and Oakland. Rochester will use public input, particularly from neighborhood associations where the art will be located, to establish guidelines for requests for proposals. The sculpture of Susan B. Anthony having tea with Frederick Douglass, located in the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood, is the kind of work Giess envisions.
If approved by City Council on December 18, the program would begin in 2009.
Article Photos
The proposed new city policy would encourage more public art like this sculpture, "The Twist," by Wendell Castle in downtown Rochester. Photo by Joe Bell.
