The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is partnering with Chautauqua Art Gallery and the Jamestown Park’s Department to create an outdoor public art gallery in downtown Jamestown.
JRC Urban Core Director Frank Besse, presenting to Jamestown City Council, said the goal of the project is to beautify downtown, improve walkability, and engage the community in a unique way, “So, we’re going to do a public solicitation for regional artists to submit their artwork. And we will use that artwork to beautify downtown hanging banners on light poles. And this will be throughout the downtown, Third and Second Streets will be the primary focus but we’ll look for unique opportunities to put things other places.”
Chautauqua Art Gallery owner Leslie Calimeri said she was living in Northern Virginia when they started a similar program 11 years ago. She says they’ve been doing it ever since, “We reached out to the Arts Council in Winchester, Virginia and have used a lot of the information that they’ve really kind of perfected and polished over the years to create this program. I think it’s exciting to have a partnership with the businesses. They help sponsor the banners. And it creates a good partnership there as well. This year, we’re looking for some grant funding to help get it started. But, we are hoping to be able keep it going and move in the direction of having it just business-private-public support system there.”
Calimeri said interested artists may submit up to three works for consideration to the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. These works will be juried by a selection committee.
The chosen pieces will be professionally photographed for display on the banners.
At the end of the year, the banners will be removed and given to the sponsor, or the sponsor may choose to donate the banner to the artist.
Calimeri and Besse said they hope to install banners in June and provide a walking tour brochure on the banners.
Interested artists and those interested in sponsoring a banner can find information and an application at https://www.jamestownrenaissance.org/artscape/.
The deadline for both artists and sponsorship is April 7, 2023.
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