"Art in Public Places" Project

Thanks to a generous grant from the Benwood Foundation, Chattanoogans will have the opportunity to select two new sculptures for the Hunter Museum of American Art that will be located in Renaissance Park.

Online voting is open on the Hunter Museum Web site, www.huntermuseum.org. Paper ballots are also available at the Hunter Museum. Both paper ballot voting and online voting for the Renaissance Park site sculptures will close March 27. Members of the Chattanooga community may choose their two favorites from the following five options for Renaissance Park: + More

• Tennessee Leaf by Terry Allen
• Pass the Buck by Chakaia Booker
• Ex Voto by Jim Dine
• Flamenco Dancers by Red Grooms
• Place in the Woods by Robert Stackhouse

The $1.2 million Art in Public Places grant from the Benwood Foundation will allow the Hunter Museum to acquire at least four outdoor sculptures for the Hunter Museum of American Art's permanent collection. The works will be placed in public areas throughout the city, including the Chattanooga Zoo, Renaissance Park and Miller Plaza.

"This project is an example of the Benwood Foundation's continuing commitment to cultural life in Chattanooga and support of public art as a way to highlight the vitality of the City," said Kristy Huntley, Benwood's Financial and Program Officer for Arts & Culture, Environment and Community Development Focus Areas.

The Hunter, in conjunction with the Public Art Committee, the City of Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Department, the Chattanooga Zoo, the RiverCity Company and other collaborators, selected locations for sculpture and will propose several possible pieces for each site.

Each month, the Hunter will conduct online voting for one of the sculpture sites on the Hunter Web site, www.huntermuseum.org. Paper ballots will be available at the Hunter Museum. The online selection process began in January 2009 and will continue throughout the spring. Voting results for each site will be announced after the polls for the site are closed, and installation of the pieces will be scheduled for the summer and fall.

"This project is a continuation of our efforts to take the Hunter off the hill and make it a more active part of the community," said Hunter Museum Director Rob Kret. "Placing our sculptures around the city will allow us to expand the footprint of the museum beyond the Bluff View Art district."

Allowing the public to choose which pieces will be placed in each location offers a tremendous opportunity to engage citizens in the selection process, Kret added.

"The Hunter will provide at least three recommended sculptures for each site," Kret explained. "The public will have the opportunity to learn about each of the pieces, the artists and the selection criteria before they cast their votes for their favorite pieces."

The finalists for each site were selected using the following criteria:

• The artists are nationally known and well-established or have a growing reputation.
• The work suits the site in terms of theme and size.
• The work is appropriate for public locations in that they pose no safety hazards and can withstand wear and tear of heavy public interaction and weathering.
• The work encourages a breadth in the Hunter sculpture collection.
• The work contains artistic merit in concept, context, design and craftsmanship.
• The work can be completed on time and within budget.
• The work is original or part of a limited edition.

Working together with the Benwood Foundation, the City of Chattanooga and the Public Art Committee, RiverCity and other is a great example of Chattanooga's motto of "working together works," Kret added.

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