Film at Brooks Museum

Sunday, December 6 | 2 pm
Film: Downside Up

Can art make a difference? How can it impact an individual, a community, a city? With the majority of its downtown deserted, many people had given up on North Adams, Massachusetts, until MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) located there and breathed life back into the community.

The Brooks Museum collaborates with the Urban Art Commission to present this moving documentary about how art can bring the tentative, dangerous notion of hope to a city widely viewed as hopeless. Afterwards, lend your voice to a discussion on the arts in Memphis, and whether you think art matters in your community.

Dalstrom Park Dedication Event

Date: Saturday, December 5, 2009
Time: 11:00am
Location: Dalstrom Park - Shelby Drive & Weaver Road - Shelby Drive Entrance

UrbanArt is hosting a dedication of the completion of the Dalstrom Park public art project. The ceremony will take place at the Shelby Drive entrance of Dalstrom Park, at the trailhead to the right of the park. Both Mayor Wharton and Councilman Edmund Ford, Jr., will speak at the event.

Dalstrom Park’s public art is a City of Memphis Percent-for-Art project and was a part of the Division of Park Services project to add amenities such as playgrounds, pavilions and picnic areas to Dalstrom Park. Local Artist Suzy Hendrix created artwork to both compliment and contrast the natural setting of the park.

Dalstrom Park

These pieces by Suzy Hendrix are currently being installed in Dalstrom Park at Shelby Drive and Weaver Road in southwest Memphis.

Chickasaw Heritage Park

Chickasaw Heritage Park will be home to a new walking trail, courtesy of the Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC). UrbanArt is seeking an artist to create an enhancement that will reflect the rich history of the area. The enhancement should feel like an integral part of the park, expressing the quiet, safe environment that residents of the nearby French Fort and visitors to the adjacent the National Ornamental Metal Museum use to relax and view the Mississippi River.

The deadline for this project is 4:00 PM, Wednesday, July 17. The budget is $85,000, and it is open to US artists. For the full RFQ, visit urbanartcommission.org. Contact Elizabeth Alley, Director of Public Art, with any questions: 901-454-0474, ealley@urbanartcommission.org.

Repair to Trolley Station

Lea Holland, Marlin Eddinger and the gang installing the mosaic today at 3rd Street Station, part of MATA's Madison Avenue Trolley Line.

Advocacy

Dear UrbanArt Supporter,

Thank you for your continued support of the UrbanArt Commission's work in the community. Your advocacy is making a difference! UrbanArt's Executive Director joined the Engineering Division in presenting their budget to the City Council Operations and Maintenance committee on Monday night. While the vote was postponed until Tuesday 16 June due to the request for more information about the Engineering budget, UrbanArt was well received. This is largely due to your efforts in communicating the importance of public art to our city. The Council members now have a richer understanding that this program matters to the citizens it represents, and that could not have been achieved without you!

We shall correspond with you as developments progress toward the budget wrap up process at the end of this month.

Be Well,

John Weeden, Executive Director
UrbanArt Commission

Central High - Interior Site with Measurements

The total area measures approximately 688 square feet. Click on the images to see them larger.

Central High School - Front Lawn

Central High - See Project Site

Artists who are interested in the Central High Project are invited to view the interior enhancement site on Tuesday, February 24 at 4:00 PM. Please use the entrance on Linden.

We'll be on hand to answer questions. For more information about this project go to our website, www.urbanartcommission.org.

UrbanArt and MCS Seek Artist for Art Enhancement at Central High

In 2006, Central High School completed renovations to the school, which made them eligible for an art enhancement project through the Memphis City Schools’ Percent-for-Art program with UrbanArt. MCS and UrbanArt are now seeking an artist to contribute to this refurbishing of the school.

Though the renovations focused on the new building, the art committee determined that the best location for public art is in the lobby area between the original 1909 building and the 1960’s addition. Above the gym entrance is a brick area that spans three walls, which may lend itself to art. Artists might also consider creating an enhancement piece for the “front lawn” of the school.

The budget for the project is $145,000 for one of the above locations, or to be divided between the two. The deadline for proposals to be received is Friday, March 6th by 4:30 PM and should be delivered to the UrbanArt office at 2549 Broad Avenue. All professional artists residing within the United States are invited to submit proposals for this project. For the full RFQ and further details, please see our website at www.urbanartcommission.org or email info@urbanartcommission.org.

UrbanArt Introduces 'Works in Progress'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: January 8, 2009 Contact Person: John Weeden, 901.454.0474

UrbanArt’s ‘Work in Progress’ presents Niki Johnson’s
Saving Face — an exploration of social networks and modern collectible friendship

UrbanArt is expanding its practice to include ‘Work in Progress’ — a series of month-long artist residencies providing a forum to develop innovative art making techniques that may be translated into public art projects. The program gives selected local artists the opportunity to use the storefront gallery space of UrbanArt on 2549 Broad Avenue as a demonstration studio for one month with a hosted closing reception.

The first artist in the series is Niki Johnson, a recent graduate of University of Memphis BFA Studio Arts program. On January 5th 2009, Johnson began Saving Face, an installation inspired by the 19th century invention of the wallet-sized portrait. The highly personalized calling cards led to the invention of trading cards and changed the way that individuals disperse their visual imprints. Facebook continues the practice of modern-day calling cards as well as emphasizing "collectible" friendships via the Internet.

Saving Face tests the depth of involvement of Johnson’s Facebook contacts by asking them to step of out of the popularity counter of networking sites to invest in a physical connection of friends via parcel post.

During the closing reception from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, January 30th, Johnson will display a multi-media installation revealing the results of her social experiment.

Local artists interested in submitting proposals to be considered for the ‘Works in Progress’ residency should contact UrbanArt for proposal guidelines and project parameters at: info@urbanartcommission.org.

The mission of the UrbanArt Commission (501c3) is to create a dynamic, vibrant, nurturing community through art and design. The UAC is funded in part by the City of Memphis, ArtsMemphis, Tennessee Arts Commission and the Hyde Foundation.