Public Art Design Proposal Presentation!

[Wuptdo]

On Tuesday, March 2, at 7:00 pm (1900), at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop (?), Downtown Cary there is an Public Meeting!

This meeting is free and open to the public (but would members of CP be welcome?).

Catherine Widgery will be presenting her proposal for the Cary Town Hall Campus Gateway Project (Public Art).

To view some of Miss Widgery's work, please see attached:

http://www.widgery.com/index.html

Hope to see y'all there!

Wuptdo B-)

[Brent]

Catherine Widgery will be presenting her proposal for the Cary Town Hall Campus Gateway Project (Public Art).

I think it's more properly "Town Hall Palace".

The sad thing is that this won't be about whether or not funding this boondoggle is meritied. That's already decided. It will just be an opportunity for people to gush over Ms. Widery's proposal (I couldn't find an emoticon for "vomiting").

Council can't seem to come to agreement about $ for the Veterans Freedom Park, but we'll get some more giant metal things in the Town Center. Whoopee!

[Karen]

but we'll get some more giant metal things in the Town Center. Whoopee!

Honestly, how many more giant metal things DO we need Downtown??? Don't we have enough already???
Not a fan of this public art venture...

Karen

[Anonymous]

Actually, it looks like she does nice work. Anyone have ideas on how much this will cost, and also what the value of the public art already exsisting in town is? I think some is important, but such things can become wasteful in a hurry.

[Don]

Actually, it looks like she does nice work. Anyone have ideas on how much this will cost, and also what the value of the public art already exsisting in town is? I think some is important, but such things can become wasteful in a hurry.

The most valuable piece of art in this town is priceless, and it is one of only two pieces of public art that I enjoy. I also have the pleasure of driving by this masterpiece at least twice a day and many days more than that. You can park your car and just study it sometimes, or take in pieces as you drive by, each time absorbing more. I appreciate the artists hard work and attention to detail and cannot imagine the talent required to create such a thing. In case you haven't figured it out by now, it's the mural on the side of Sorrell's Paint and Wallpaper. I also enjoy the mural at Ashworth Village.

The chrome mummy or the stainless steel dandi-lion I can take or leave. They do not offend or bother me (once I got used to them) and if others enjoy them, what the heck. These pieces were donated and are considered temporary art. It was handled by the Cary Visual Arts group. Might get a grant from the town, might not, but ARE definitely privately supported. The little "kids" at town hall are ok. The modern stuff at activity centers or SAS I "believe" was all probably privately funded but I could be wrong. As long as it isn't "offensive", I really don't care as long as my tax dollars don't fund it all. The Goodknights are also very much into the arts. The art at SAS campus is VERY impressive and again, their thing, not our money.

I was very thrilled to learn of the Veterans Freedom Park project and the towns commitment to assist with funding. Especially considering the gracious donation by the Goodknights, building a monument to honor those who served our country is a win-win for all. Especially the 53,000 in Wake County who deserve it! But I cannot say whether I'm thrilled about the $300,000 art project at town hall or not, I wish to study it more.

Seriously though, think about this. The town is worried about revenue so they have lowered impact fees in an attempt to increase growth resulting in increased revenue. Why then do we spend twice as much as the VFP grant on this? At least do it after you raised the growth and revenue and really "have" the money. Geez. :wink:

[Wuptdo]

Ok, I know probably most of you where at Clay Atkin's big to-do at the RBC tonight, but this is just a reminder about another "big to-do" for Cary on Tuesday Nite.

On Tuesday, March 2, at 7:00 pm (1900), at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop (?), Downtown Cary there is an Public Meeting about public art

I will find out if this is "black tie" or "Hawaiian shirt" event (Heck, I may even wear my diamonds 8-O !

Peace-out!

Wuptdo B-)

[Brent]

Celebrate Cary!

[Wuptdo]

Went to the big "to-do" tonight. Lucky for me, it was not "black tie." Miss Widgery put on a very good presentation on her vision for the Town Hall Gateway. I believe it will be displayed at the Page-Walker center for all to view. $250K has been set aside for the project, but to get the full spendor of the project, I believe it will cost more. It is too difficult to write about, but let's say that Miss Cathy was right about tall metal things (100). Miss Widgery also include some additional work, as she viewed the whole Town Hall area as a place for great art. (Did you know that there was a 99' foot bridge going to the new council chamber? When complete it will be like a palace!) Ideas were exchanged and comments given. Now the project works it way thru the Arts Council and then onto the Town Council.

Once complete, I believe, you all will be amazed by the size and the scope of this project. It will be one of those places you can go with the kids or showoff to the relatives. It will reaffirm one of the reasons why Cary is the number one place on the East Coast.

I am no art expert, but I do like what she is proposing (stand by for high winds and heavy seas).

Wuptdo B-)[/i]

[Anonymous]

"Did you know that there was a 99' foot bridge going to the new council chamber?"

Dandy, just dandy! Thisgovernment body (Town of Cary) now has chosen to make it even more difficult for the handicapped to reach chambers from the parking lot than it has been in the past! (there has been exactly ONE handicapped parking space during the construction phase and there were only 3 or 4 before construction). If I recall correctly, there might be two handicapped spaces at the Herb Young Communicty Center. Maybe if I were beige I would be better accommodated.

[Don]

99 feet huh?.......I guess a 100 foot bridge would have required a traffic study? :wink:

[Cathy]

Went to the big "to-do" tonight. Lucky for me, it was not "black tie." Miss Widgery put on a very good presentation on her vision for the Town Hall Gateway. I believe it will be displayed at the Page-Walker center for all to view. $250K has been set aside for the project, but to get the full spendor of the project, I believe it will cost more. It is too difficult to write about, but let's say that Miss Cathy was right about tall metal things (100). Miss Widgery also include some additional work, as she viewed the whole Town Hall area as a place for great art. (Did you know that there was a 99' foot bridge going to the new council chamber? When complete it will be like a palace!) Ideas were exchanged and comments given. Now the project works it way thru the Arts Council and then onto the Town Council.

Once complete, I believe, you all will be amazed by the size and the scope of this project. It will be one of those places you can go with the kids or showoff to the relatives. It will reaffirm one of the reasons why Cary is the number one place on the East Coast.

I am no art expert, but I do like what she is proposing (stand by for high winds and heavy seas).

Wuptdo B-)[/i]

This is another example of what the forced annexation battle is really all about. It's a battle between the people who don't want to fund this kind of excessive spending and those that think they need to force others to foot the bill!

[Anonymous]

Any great place I have ever visited has invested in public art of some sort. Sometimes a memorial or a statue. At times modern art. It adds class to the town. I like it.

However, if I was told that funds were limited and I couln't have "X" if I chose the sculptures, that could well be another thing. The art represents a priority, what's getting pushed out the bottom? Given the choice between a town sponsored art fair with prizes to the best artists, I would choose the art fair. It seems to me that would do more for the economic vitality of the town than the sculpture. An even more creative approach would be to have the private interests, e.g. the restaurant assoc. or the downtown assoc., who would benefit from the art fair sponsor a prize winning concept for a piece of public art. Or have the fair at Cary Town Center in the parking lot and let the stores their sponsor the prize winning art....stan

[Cathy]

Any great place I have ever visited has invested in public art of some sort. Sometimes a memorial or a statue. At times modern art. It adds class to the town. I like it.

However, if I was told that funds were limited and I couln't have "X" if I chose the sculptures, that could well be another thing. The art represents a priority, what's getting pushed out the bottom? Given the choice between a town sponsored art fair with prizes to the best artists, I would choose the art fair. It seems to me that would do more for the economic vitality of the town than the sculpture. An even more creative approach would be to have the private interests, e.g. the restaurant assoc. or the downtown assoc., who would benefit from the art fair sponsor a prize winning concept for a piece of public art. Or have the fair at Cary Town Center in the parking lot and let the stores their sponsor the prize winning art....stan

"...have the private interests...sponsor a prize winning concept for a piece of public art."
"a town sponsored art fair with prizes to the best artists"
Love it!....... that's an idea that I can support!