News Archive

MNAC Invites Area Artists to Submit Designs for Public Art Bicycle Racks

28 September 2009

For Immediate Release
Contact: Phil Martin (615) 268-8000

NASHVILLE, TN, September 28, 2009 - The Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission (Metro Arts), in partnership with the Mayor’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and Metro Public Works, today issued a “call to artists” for design of bicycle racks to be placed strategically throughout downtown and adjacent neighborhoods in Spring next year.

Working together, Metro Arts and Metro Public Works identified five locations around downtown for the art, including Church Street and Capitol Blvd across from the Nashville Public Library, Farmers’ Market East and West entrances, the Northeast corner of Demonbreun Street and 16th Avenue South, the Fulton Complex (formerly Howard School) on 2nd Avenue South, and Commerce Street between 4th and 5th Avenues.

Any professional artist who lives within 200 miles of Nashville can submit up to three designs for artistic bicycle racks inspired by Nashville’s history, culture or natural features. Approximately five different designs will be selected for fabrication and each winning design will earn the artist $2500 to cover the artist’s design, project-related travel and other necessary out-of-pocket expenses, along with consultation throughout fabrication and installation. Some of the designs may be used in multiple locations said Joseph “Pepe” Presley, who chairs Metro Arts’ Public Art Committee.

Presley said designs for the new bicycle racks will be chosen on the basis of artistic merit, functionality, and durability. “This truly is an opportunity to balance form and function, which is always one of the artist's foremost challenges,” Presley said. “We hope the end result is something everyone will be able to enjoy or use.”

Mayor Karl Dean, who created the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee last year, said the bicycle rack project has multiple benefits for Nashville. “This effort does two great things at once - beautifies our city with the addition of public art and encourages more people to use bicycles for transportation,” Dean said. “We’re building upon the success of our bike lanes and greenways that already exist, and using artist designs to add character and cultural significance to locations throughout downtown and our neighborhoods.”

Although the project marks Nashville’s first such bicycle rack art endeavor, other cities such as Austin, TX; Portland, OR; and New York City have commissioned bicycle rack public artwork that adds personality to their communities.

Artists wishing to submit designs may visit the Metro Arts website at www.artsnashville.org and click on Public Art Projects for additional information. The deadline for submissions is 3:00 p.m. November 10, 2009.

Metro’s New Buildings Pay for Public Art
The bike racks project is part of a larger initiative designed to make public art a reality throughout the city. In 2000, a Metro ordinance was passed 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 Jane Alvis; members include vice chair Joseph “Pepe” Presley; Jean Ann Banker; jeff obafemi carr; Colleen E. Dowd; Laurie Eskind; Kim Fowler; Phila Rawlings Hach; Meg MacFadyen; Tonya Matthews; Paula Roberts; Nancy Saturn; Victor Simmons and Cindy Steine.

© 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