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Public Art
July 2008-2009
Cleveland Street Median Becomes an Outdoor Art Gallery
The Cleveland Street District medians have become an outdoor art gallery as sculptures created by three southern artists are installed in July. The art exhibit, titled Sculpture360: Art in the Cleveland Street District Outdoor Gallery, is part of the Clearwater Public Art and Design Program.
The Clearwater Cultural Arts Division released a Call to Artists that brought in applications from as far away as the Philippines. A committee made up of city staff, artists, community leaders and private citizens reviewed the art and then selected which ones to display through July 2009, when a new set of artwork will be featured.
The Sculpture360 initiative was funded through a partnership with the Downtown Development Board and the Clearwater Downtown Partnership.
The exhibit features the works of three Southern artists:
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Claudia Jane Klein, of Lake Worth, Fla., who works with a variety of materials according to her website. Her metal sculptures are created using differing shapes and planes in a variety of spatial combinations, are cut with a plasma torch, welded and then further shaped by grinding and sanding. To produce a seamless finish, welded joints and seams are ground and filled with polyester resin.
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Bruce White, of Nokomis, Fla., whose website describes his work as "an elegant union of ancient symbolism and contemporary science." Working primarily in stainless steel and aluminum, he generally favors materials which lend themselves to permanence.
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Hanna Jubran, of Grimesland, N.C., whose work focuses on the concepts of time, movement, balance and space. Sculpture professor and program coordinator at East Carolina University, Jubran works in a variety of materials including wood, granite, steel, iron and bronze.
A public celebration for the Sculpture360 exhibition is planned for July 22, 5:30 p.m. at the Atrium Building lobby, 601 Cleveland St. For more information on Sculpture360, please contact Christopher Hubbard at (727) 562-4837 or by e-mail at christopher.hubbard@myclearwater.com.
Public Art - One of the goals of the Cultural Plan was the creation of a citywide Public Art and Design Program. The Program is designed to enhance the look of the City through high quality works of art and design, which create a sense of place and increase the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
On October 6, 2005, after nearly three years of research and advocacy, the Clearwater City Council approved Ordinance No. 7489-05, creating the Clearwater Public Art and Design Program. The Clearwater Arts Foundation and city staff researched programs from as far away as Portland, Oregon, and closer to home with Broward County, Hillsborough County, Miami-Dade County, and Pinellas County.
What is Public Art?
Public art is artwork that is in the public realm, regardless of whether it is acquired through public or private funding. Public art can include anything from more traditional art objects like sculptures, paintings, fountains and mosaics to manhole covers, paving patterns, lighting and other functional elements created by an artist.
Why have Public Art?
Communities through the country have been using public art for decades to create a sense of place and improve the quality of design of buildings and private developments, streetscapes and public places. As a result, public art has been integrated into the daily lives of citizens from cities around the country including Seattle, WA where artists have designed manhole covers, fountains, benches and tree grates to Miami, FL where artists recently completed a sound wall for a highway that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Public Art creates a strong feeling of identity, which results in an increased amount of tourism and economic development.
There are approximately 350 municipalities with public art programs in North America that actively commission artist to create public art for all types of public infrastructure. Some cities, where art in public places is plentiful, have become known as "museums without walls" as their artwork has become so accessible to citizens and visitors.
How is Public Art Funded?
The Clearwater Public Art and Design Program is funded by Ordinance No. 7489-05 that requires that 1% of the aggregate job value (AJV) of City capital improvement projects (CIP), valued at $500,000 and above, is dedicated to the purchase and installation of on-site public art. A similar requirement exists for private development projects with an AJV of $5 million and above. Under the Public Art Ordinance, eligible private developers must either allocate 1% of their project^s AJV towards the purchase and installation of on-site public art, or must contribute 0.75% of the project^s AJV to the City^s Public Art Discretionary Fund, which is used to supplement the public artwork of City CIP projects and to commission artwork that is not linked to a CIP.
Where can I learn more about Public Art?
For more on public art or the Clearwater Public Art and Design Program, contact Christopher Hubbard, Public Art Specialist at (727) 562-4837 or through e-mail at christopher.hubbard@myclearwater.com.
Examples of Public Art -
Memorial Statues -
Spirit of the American Doughboy & Spirit of the American Navy
Two of the City^s most famous works of public art, the Spirit of the American Doughboy and the Spirit of the American Navy again stand guard at the Memorial Causeway Bridge.
Dedicated on Armistice Day, November 11, 1927 the Doughboy and Sailor, as they came to be known, began their 75-year tour of duty at the entrance of the Memorial Causeway Bridge. The statues were donated to the City and dedicated by American Legion Post 7 in memory of 38 local war heroes who lost their lives while serving in World War I.
Created in the early 1920^s by sculptor E. M. Viquesney, the statues are hollow and have a structure similar to that of the Statue of Liberty. The body of each statue is made of sheets of a copper/bronze alloy that was joined together to form the body, and are as thin as a penny in some places. The Doughboy, which took two years to complete, won an American Legion national design award in 1921 and is considered to be Viquesney^s greatest work.
The Doughboy and Sailor were removed from their site in 2002 in preparation for the construction of the Memorial Causeway Bridge. During their absence, the statues were fully restored by sculptor Frank Colson of Sarasota, and were re-dedicated on November 10, 2006 to commemorate their 79th anniversary. Addition to the statues are a flagpole, historical maker, lighting and landscaping as well as two new pedestals that will elevate each serviceman to a total height of over 16 feet.
Ulli Kampelmann^s Exhibit - on-going (map)
An exhibition of artwork by architectural glass artist and Clearwater resident Ulli Kampelmann is currently on display in the lobby of the Municipal Services Building, 110 S. Myrtle Ave., Clearwater. Ms. Kampelmann gained her fame in Germany by creating public artworks that are exhibited in Berlin, Esslingen, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. The 12 pieces of stunning glass are on an extended generous loan by the artist.
"RISK" (map)
Ross Norton Recreation & Aquatic Complex
The City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Department dedicated a public art sculpture entitled "Risk" on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at
Ross Norton Recreation Complex.
Margo Walbolt, Clearwater’s Cultural Affairs Manager said, “Public Art is a crucial element in the creation of successful public spaces. It provides the vital ingredient of ‘fun’. This sculpture’s colorful extreme sports figures alert us that we are about to enter an exciting place.”
The Clearwater Arts Foundation and the Youth Arts Corp collaborated on this public art project for the entranceway. The Clearwater Arts Foundation funded the sculpture created by artist Alex McKnight. The Youth Arts Corps provided an artist residency for the Norton Teen Council. The youth explored photography and contributed to the imagery of Mr. McKnight’s design.
Events -
November 8, 2007 - Imagine Art Workshop
The City of Clearwater Public Art and Desing Program sponsored a public art planning workshop entitled Image Art Downtown! The workshop was open to the public and held at North Greenwood Recreation and Aquatic Complex, 900 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Led by Public Art Specialist Christopher Hubbard and Cultural Affairs Manager Margo Walbolt, participants had a chance to provide input that will guide public art displays in the downtown core including the new Cleveland Street streetscape and the planned downtown boatslips project. For more information, call (727) 562-4809.
April 25, 2007 - Clearwater Public Art Program and AIA: Tampa Bay host public art event
The Clearwater Public Art and Design Program and the American Institute of Architects: Tampa Bay Chapter partnered to produce an educational, public art experience on April 25th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event took place at Ruth Eckerd Hall and featured talks by two local, renowned artists: Christopher Still, of Tarpon Springs, and Ulli Kampelmann, of Clearwater.
Presented in the AIA:Tampa Bay’s “Lunch-and-Learn” format, the event featured presentations by both artists as a joint effort between the City’s Public Art outreach offerings and the AIA“s Continuing Education program. Christopher Still, whose works are on display from the Florida Governor‘s Mansion to the Smithsonian, has recently completed commissions for the Florida House of Representatives and the Tampa International Airport. He presented a talk entitled ’Timing is Everything,’ a discussion of his recent commissions and his work with the architects and patrons of those projects. Ulli Kampelmann, a German emigrant and architectural glass artist, has worked extensively throughout Germany and Western Europe for individuals, governments and corporations, and is now developing a new studio in Clearwater. She spoke on the history and modern techniques of architectural art and design, and the use of glass and light in architectural projects.
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