Madison Arts Commission

press release: The opportunity to commission art for Pennsylvania Park evolved out of an extensive Neighborhood Planning Process in which enhancing the parks and green space emerged as a top priority. A community dialogue regarding the future of this site has been ongoing for over a year. The Emerson East Neighborhood Association (EENA), District 12 Alder Larry Palm, Community Development staff, Planning staff, and Parks personnel are thrilled to enhance this highly-visible City mini-park, expecting that when the project is complete, the neighborhood will have an iconic piece of art that reflects their values of sustainability, unity, diversity, and inclusion.

After a November review process by the Madison Arts Commission, informed by neighborhood input, the City invited three artists/teams to create proposals for the site: Aristotle Georgiades and Gail Simpson of Actual Size Artworks (Stoughton), Ray Chi (Milwaukee), and Suikang Zhao (New York). In early December, the three artists/teams were in Madison to participate in several orientation activities including meetings with stakeholders and staff, site visits, a neighborhood tour, and each of the artists gave public lectures about their approach to public art.

Each of the finalists will briefly present their proposals for the park to the Madison Arts Commission. The public is encouraged to attend this meeting on Tuesday, January 9 at Hawthorne Library, 1915 E Johnson St., beginning at 5:30 pm. The proposals will also be posted on the City website so members of the community have until Jan 23 to consider and provide feedback. On January 29, 2018, at 6:00 pm, at Hawthorne Library, the Public Art Committee of the Madison Arts Commission will consider stakeholder comments, deliberate, and decide which artist/team they will recommend to the City for this opportunity. A final decision by the Madison Common Council is expected in late February of 2018.

The Madison Arts Commission would like to encourage members of the public to attend their January 9, 2018 meeting at Hawthorne Library (Public Art Proposals expected to begin at 5:30 pm) to hear three nationally recognized artists/teams present their proposed design concepts for Pennsylvania Park at 1915 E Johnson St.

The Community Development Division of the City of Madison (CDD) is providing $40,000 of Block Grant funding to fully fund this public art project.