News Archive

Metro Arts Unveils Two Public Art Proposals For New Downtown Public Square

28 September 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Sandra Duncan (615) 862-6732
Allison Reeves (615) 254-6785

NASHVILLE TN – The Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission (Metro Arts), at its regularly scheduled meeting today, approved the city’s second-ever public art project that will be integrated into Nashville’s new downtown Public Square. The projects included two concept proposals by two artists, who were selected from a field of 171 applicants from 36 states.

Upon recommendation by the Public Art Committee, Ken Rowe and Thomas Sayre were the artists selected for Metro Arts’ second public art project. Rowe, a Nashville sculptor, was selected from a group of four semi-finalist Tennessee artists for a dispersed public art project. Sayre, of Raleigh, NC, was selected from a group of four semi-finalists from around the nation for a project to focus on two courtyards at the southern edge of the Public Square.

“This is a major step forward for our public art program. The quality of artists and enthusiastic response from Tennessee and beyond bodes well for the future of our program,” said Sandra Duncan, Metro Arts public art program manager. “We are enthusiastic about the concept proposals that were approved here today and I have strong confidence in these experienced artists. The goal of these artworks is to enhance the experience for visitors to the Public Square.”

Rowe, a former toy proto-typer and bronze foundry finish artist, is known in the Nashville arts community for his attention to detail and extensive background in the commercial art field. His concept proposal for the Public Square, titled Discovery and Exploration, consists of three bronze artworks. According to Rowe, the three sculptures are approximately one-third human scale, and were designed to be “welcoming rather than intimidating to allow for a more intimate experience than is normally found in public art and is more accessible to children.”

The three representational sculptures, to be called The spark of discovery, The Scholar, and To the Moon, will be dispersed throughout the Public Square site. They will be cast in bronze with bases of fabricated steel, bronze and granite. Rowe also said that the sculptures are intended to draw people into the park first, and then encourage visitors to explore the space as well as gather a variety of stories and insights into Nashville.

“Ken’s concepts will be very engaging for people of all ages and backgrounds,” said Duncan. “It is amazing how many layers of meaning these pieces have, both obvious and obscure.”

Sayre, a nationally-recognized artist, has public art commissions all over the United States as well as abroad. His works can be found in venues such as Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, GA, North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC, Criminal Justice Center in Clearwater, FL, and public art in Portland, OR. His proposal for Nashville’s Public Square includes a series of terrazzo artworks that incorporate kinetic and water elements, giving the Square’s southern edge courtyards different but complementary personalities based on the theme of “a day in Nashville.” The east courtyard, according to Sayre, will speak of the day, “of the sun coming up over the river, of sparkle and movement, of work and activity, and of the river as the commercial beginnings of Nashville,” and the west courtyard will anticipate night, “the city transitioning into the quiet mystery of dusk, of the river becoming still from human activity.”

Sayre’s concept for the east courtyard includes four different arrangements of highly crafted terrazzo sculptures, each surrounding a wind-operated spire that will cavort with the wind and present a polished stainless steel surface to the sky in infinite variations. “The spire element is reminiscent of the days of a working river with derricks, smokestacks, and crane trusses,” said Sayre. “The spires will provide action for the pedestrians in the form of large-scale movement overhead, shadows striking the ground and the shimmering reflections on the horizontal pool.”

In the west courtyard, Sayre’s proposal calls for a another set of four different terrazzo sculpture arrangements. “It complements the east with the sculptures, yet it provides a very different experience,” said Sayre. In what may appear to be random times, Sayre has proposed for the sculptures to emit a soft cloud of water fog which will gently loft across the still reflecting pool. Sayre also said the fog element is intended to be reminiscent of the fog in the early evening sneaking around the bends of the Cumberland River. In addition, Sayre has proposed an LED light feature to enhance the fog’s effect, especially at night. Once the sun is down, Sayre expects the colored mist to be a prominent feature within the Public Square.

Duncan said she was particularly pleased that both concept proposals have strong Nashville references. “When you incorporate art into a large, prominent civic space such as the Square, it is important to keep the sense of what that space represents for the city,” she said. “Both artists have sense of Nashville that is reflected in their concepts, and both proposals are complementary to the design and purpose of the space.”

Having art in social and civic spaces such as our Public Square is a wonderful addition to the quality of life in Nashville,” said Norree Boyd, Metro Arts¹ executive director. “The artists selected have proven track records, and they are both very enthusiastic about this project. The impact of these artworks will be felt on a daily basis because of the prominence of the site, and I am very proud of the Commission for their commitment to thedue process of selecting talented and qualified artists.”

Images of the concept proposals are available upon request.

About the Selection Process

171 artists from across the United States responded to Metro Arts’ Call to Artists issued in March 2006. From that initial pool, a nine-member selection panel evaluated each of the responses, including 3,400 images of artists’ work. The selection panel was comprised of design professionals, artists, community representatives, a Metro Parks and Recreation representative, an architect and a national public art professional. Once the pool was narrowed down to eight semi-finalists, the panel met again to make its final selection and recommendation. Criteria for the project included artistic merit, context, relevant experience, maintainability and technical feasibility.

Metro’s New Buildings Pay for Public Art

Metro has allocated approximately $350,000 for the total of the Public Square project to be funded by Nashville’s “Percent for the Arts” program. In 2000, Mayor Bill Purcell introduced, and the Metro Council adopted, an ordinance that earmarks one percent of the net proceeds from general obligation bonds issued for new or major renovation construction of Metro facilities to be set aside for the creation of new public art projects.

About the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission

The Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission is a commission of the Metropolitan Nashville Government, established to provide leadership that stimulates and advances the arts to enrich the human experience for the community. The Commission is chaired by Will Cheek III; members include vice chair Molly Pratt; secretary-treasurer Joseph “Pepe” Presley; Jane Alvis; Judy Liff Barker; Barbara G. Chazen; Colleen E. Dowd; Eddie George; Edwina Hefner; Michael McBride; Ralph Mosley; Jeff Ockerman; Nancy Saturn; Steve Sirls and Cindy Steine.

Additional information about the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission is available online at www.artsnashville.org.

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© 2009 Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission 800 2nd Avenue South, 4th Floor P.O. Box 196300 Nashville TN 37219-6300	arts@nashville.gov (615) 862-6720 fax (615) 862-6731
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