Public art proposals on display in Cambridge
Daryl West
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CAMBRIDGE- Cambridge Street will soon get an artistic facelift with a new public art installation to be implemented next year.
The proposals of the 10 finalists, chosen from of a group of 110 applicants are on display until June 11 at the Cambridge Arts Council Gallery in the City Hall Annex.
Among the installations on display; a staging of the "World's largest potluck ever", an audio project called Catch and Release which captures stories from the people of Cambridge Street that the artist will then compose into a musical piece, and a series of bronze birds equipped with a projector that features live tweets.
The scope of the commission called for an installation in any artistic medium and could include "temporary, durational or permanent events or objects."
Jeremy Gaucher, the public art administrator for the CAC said the judges had some specifics in mind when considering the proposals.
"Part of the idea was that it be local artists because we wanted people to spend time in that neighborhood and interact with it, looking at it for diversity of artist mediums and we were looking for artists who didn't have extensive commission history."
 Media Credit: Daryl West The Cambridge Arts Council Gallery |
According to the Cambridge Arts Council, the city of Cambridge has over 170 public artworks on display throughout the city, with about 100 of these sited through the Cambridge Public Art Ordinance which began in 1979.
This particular commission, The Cambridge Street Project, stretches from Inman Square to Lechmere and has a budget cap of $50,000. Gaucher says that funds were put aside when Cambridge Street was renovated a few years ago for public art along the street.
In May, a selection committee along with Cambridge Street residents and business owners will select one project for implementation. Visitors to the gallery have been asked for their input as well which will go into the final decision.
Gaucher says that they use the CAC Gallery as a learning experience to let people into the process of a public art commission and see how the process works. He says it's also a great learning experience for the artists without significant public art experience.
 Media Credit: Daryl West A display from the "World's Largest Potluck Ever" proposal by Catherine D'Ignazio |
"The exhibit has been sparking a lot of dialogue and that's been really nice. We want people to react. It's been interesting because people know only one will be chosen so they really get into what they would choose."