Public Art and Special Projects Committee

We’re having our Annual Meeting on Nov 20th @ 7pm at Boulders on Broadway. This week we’re doing a series of blog posts about each committee, their goals, and what you can do to help.

TBAG Public Art Committee

Description: The TBAG Public Art Committee is dedicated to creating public art in the community that is reflective of the bicycle and it’s important role in placemaking in Tempe and the region. The committee is pursuing large scale public art construction and smaller art opportunities to express the bicycle as integrated with local culture. The committee works with TBAG, city arts programs, galleries and local media to promote the bicycle through the arts.

Committee Chair: Eric Iwersen ([email protected]; [email protected])

2011 Accomplishments:
· Secured $15K in TBAG funds to pursue construction of a bicycle art sculpture in Tempe.

· Established a committee made up of Tempe neighbors, a public artist and three TBAG board members to guide a process for development of the artwork.

· Established a relationship with a downtown Tempe neighborhood to pursue installation of a public art piece.

· Released a Call to Artists / Request For Qualifications to develop a short list of artists for commissioning.

· Convened the committee to select artist finalists.

· Commissioned honorariums for three finalists to develop bicycle related public art sculptures.

· Conducted a walk-through and dialogue with the artist finalists of possible project sites and the importance of bicycle culture.

· Developed short list of two artist finalist with refined concepts for selection of one winner/commission recipient.

2012 Goals:

Public Art Project
· Final selection of a public artist for sculpture creation.

· Public outreach, TBAG coordination of the public art concept.

· Development of construction documents for art.

· Construction of art.

· Promotion and dedication ceremony.

Other Art Efforts
· Coordinate with other neighborhoods to develop bicycle public art projects

· Fundraise and solicit in-kind contributions for art (engineering services, bicycle parts/materials for projects etc…)

· Coordinate with a local gallery to curate a bicycle art show, with local artists, as part of Tempe’s Final Fridays or Phoenix First Fridays.

· Collaborate with Phoenix New Times, Java Magazine, and others to promote, advertise, inform the public of bicycle culture.

· Develop a bicycle sticker art competition and collection.

Help Wanted:

· Volunteers to help gather materials for final public art sculpture needs.

· Engineering contacts for construction documents for public art.

· Gallery owners, contacts for a future bike art show.

· Events coordinators to help organize the dedication for the public art when completed.

· Volunteer to organize and develop a bicycle sticker art program.