Sandy Springs shifts focus from outdoor to indoor public art

Art Sandy Springs and the Sandy Springs Society have proposed creating an art display by installing turtle sculptures that were created around the City Green at City Springs The installation would celebrate the city s th anniversary Titian Turtle left and Soap Box Turtle had been installed at the Sandy Springs Regional Library After years of emphasis on outdoor sculptures Sandy Springs will move its attention indoors to showcase more art in its City Springs building The city has partnered with Art Sandy Springs ArtSS on indoor and outdoor residents art offerings Cheri Morris the head of Population Art Initiatives for ArtSS provided the city council with an update on the city s - inhabitants art effort plans during its April meeting You urged us last year or this budget year to transition from the annual Arts Walk the sculpture competition to what we call the City Springs Collection Morris revealed The presentation shared by Morris stated the City Springs Master Art Plan proposes a two-story-tall city hall feature wall in its lobby Commissioned art would be sought Phase of the plan proposes wall art for constituents areas and conference rooms on the third floor The lobby level already is being used as a rotating art gallery which Morris explained is working well Morris reported ArtSS talked to sculptors collage artists fiber artists painters and mural artists to get a few pricing guidance From those discussions they determined that larger artworks for the lobby feature wall would cost between and Interior art for citizens areas of the third floor would average Donations of art for private offices and city conference rooms would also be sought The city has remaining in its current fiscal year populace art budget Morris suggested combining that with an anticipated allocation for the next fiscal year to purchase art Morris explained ArtSS is asking local working artists to contribute art Local residents with private art collections who may be downsizing are also being sought to make donations ArtSS wants to move away from the hard-edged abstract art style in the City Springs Master Art Plan and move to more representable relatable pieces Morris declared Council member Tibby DeJulio suggested getting historical photos from Sandy Springs displayed as photo galleries in chosen of the hallways or conference rooms Even though we re only years old we ve got pictures in this town that go back basically years And I hate to see us lose that history DeJulio announced ArtSS also operates arts programs at the Abernathy Arts Center under a contract with the city Morris praised the city for adding classroom space that will enable expansion to more programs The city approved the purchase and installation in December of a modular art studio at the site Issues with contractors will have staff bringing the art studio back into conversation at the May council meeting City Manager Eden Freeman reported Dina Chumney executive director of ArtSS and of the Abernathy Arts Center announced the organization proposed a th Anniversary Turtle Walk as a joint project with ArtSS and the Sandy Springs Society A display of turtle sculptures created by local organizations that predate the story will be on display around the City Green in celebration of the city s th anniversary later this year From mid-June to early September the turtles would be on display Chumney reported that in conjunction with the turtle walk a trainee artwork show would be curated from kids art initiatives at farmers markets in May and June and from Abernathy Arts Center Summer Camp art A great number of of the turtle sculptures need rehabilitation but council members revealed the city should only consider paying to rehabilitate sculptures it owns I like the turtle thing but I don t think the city should be restoring private turtles council member Andy Bauman stated The post Sandy Springs shifts focus from outdoor to indoor population art appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta