ORDER OF CEREMONY Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Burrows, Delray Beach CRA Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Howard Lewis, Delray Beach CRA Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mayor Thomas Carney, Delray Beach City Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Al3ed “Zack” Straghn, West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle Newman, Gateway Feature Artist
Gateway Art Feature
* * * * * * * RIBBON CUTTING * * * * * * *
DELRAY BEACH CITY COMMISSION
Thomas Carney, Mayor Adam Frankel, Vice-Mayor Angeleta Gray, Deputy Vice-Mayor Al Jacquet Christina Morrison
DELRAY BEACH CRA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Howard Lewis, Chair Peter Arts, Vice Chair Cathy Balestriere, First Vice Chair Bill Branning, Treasurer Veronica Covington Herman Stevens Anne4e Gray
Special thanks go out to the many people and organizations that contributed to the success of the Gateway Feature project and today’s ribbon cu4ing ceremony: Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council Atkins Global Coastal Contracting & Development Henry, Inc. Doowntown Master Plan Steering Commi4ee
Michelle Newman West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative Downtown Development Authority
Event photography services generously provided by:
For more information about the Gateway Feature, visit www.delraycra.org.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Thursday, March 14, 2013, 10 a.m.
The Vision
The idea to create a Gateway Feature for Delray Beach originated in the Downtown Master Plan, adopted by the City Commission in 2002. Created with the input of hundreds of community stakeholders, the plan called for a unique gateway feature to identify the western entrance to the City’s downtown. At the time only a barren right-of-way belonging to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) flanked West Atlantic Avenue, giving no impression of one’s arrival to a special part of the City.
The Downtown Master Plan proposed a two-story civic building in the median of West Atlantic Avenue. When that concept was rejected by FDOT, the City and CRA began pursuing an alternate plan. The consulting firm of PBS&J (now Atkins Global) was hired to engage the community in creating a different design. Their concept plan involved a concrete arch over Atlantic Avenue, which proved to be cost prohibitive. The Downtown Master Plan Implementation Committee decided to organize a special focus group to work with the consultants on a feature that would make use of the open space areas north and south of the corridor.
The final design for the project consists of landscaped berms, lighting, meandering sidewalks and flower-covered trellises. Most notable are the six 30-foot high icons, each decorated with an artistic cultural collage. San Antonio artist Michelle Newman was engaged to create the designs for the icon panels. Each visual element is inspired by the diverse cultural heritage of early Delray settlers, historic architectural elements, and the area’s native flora and fauna (see Artist Statement for descriptions). As important as this project was to the surrounding community and to the City as a whole, it was delayed for several years due to budget constraints. Construction was finally begun in July 2012. Funding for the Gateway Feature was provided by the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency ($983,082) and a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation ($199,760). Construction management services were provided by the City of Delray Beach.
East of the icons, fences of tall aluminum spikes line the winding sidewalks of the Gateway Feature. The spikes lean inward and outward, mimicking the shape and rhythm of the fences found along the sand dunes at the city’s shoreline. Bougainvillaea flowers have been planted at the base of each fence. As they grow, they will cover the trellises along the side of the fence and eventually create a flowered canopy over the walkway.
Artist Statement by Michelle Newman, project artist
My challenge was to find a way to visually represent the City of Delray Beach’s past, present, and future. I visualized Delray Beach as an ‘Enlightened Community’, one that is vibrant, alive, and progressive. At the same time, I noted that the community has maintained a civic sensibility to its environment, embracing its natural flora and fauna. This caring community is exceedingly protective of its charm, beauty, and ‘small town’ feel. The many cultural, architectural, and natural facets of Delray Beach have provided an abundance of raw material from which to draw….the lush subtropical landscape, the unique regional architecture, and the history of the community.
With such a rich heritage, it is important to recognize and celebrate the cultural blending, gifts, and impact of the community’s varied ethnic ingredients. In preparation for this project, I researched, examined, dissected, sketched, photographed, and compiled many components into a ‘cultural collage’; if you will, reflecting aspects of the community’s rich heritage. Interviews with civic leaders, historians and citizens provided me with invaluable input as to how residents envision their community and what they consider as important images and icons that tell the Delray Beach story.
While it was not possible to include all of the diverse groups that contributed to Delray’s history, the six Gateway icons reflect a harmonious blending of many of the city’s past and present cultures and ethnicities. My goal was to select artwork that symbolizes and honors the diverse cultural mix and historic background of the community. For example, while researching the City archives, I was surprised to see a copy of an old Florida military map that showed the locations of Seminole Indian camps around what is now Lake Ida. The Seminoles depended upon the indigenous Saw Palmetto palm for shelter, clothing and baskets. Hence, the fan-like depiction of this significant palm and the Seminole geometric symbols of water, turtles, lightning, and birds are portrayed in the panel designs.
century, their settlement in neighborhoods such as the Sands and Frog Alley, and their extensive contributions are reflected by the frog and other traditional African motifs of the Adinkra tribe symbolizing harmony, humility, strength, friendship and interdependence.
Many farmers raised pineapples in the region, including Japanese farmers who arrived at the turn of the century. The welcoming symbol of the pineapple is evident throughout the community, incorporated into cut outs on window shutters and picket fences, plaster pineapple reliefs on local buildings, and painted onto murals and signs in downtown’s Pineapple Grove Arts District. This image was incorporated into the panel design, as were traditional Japanese umbrella symbols to acknowledge the influence of those settlers. The more recent arrival of Haitian immigrants and their vibrant culture and music is depicted through the use of a bright tropical palette. A Victorian architectural accent from the window trim at the historic Sundy House was enlarged and incorporated as a floating curvilinear design element. Another panel includes a depiction of the fence that protects the vegetation along the dunes of Delray’s beautiful beaches. Delray’s subtropical environment is reflected on several panels by images of native sea oats and sea grapes, a brilliant sun, and water, wave and coquina patterns, The gladiola flowers are a reminder of the social and economic importance of gladiola cultivation in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, an industry that inspired the city’s annual Gladiola Festival (now known as the Delray Affair).
Finally, the panel’s illumination at night is both an aesthetic and spiritual reference to ‘internal illumination.’ Just as a magnificent stained glass window in one of the great historic cathedrals of the world allows light to dance, filter, and penetrate through, enhancing the rich colors of the panels showcasing the artwork, the illuminated gateway will symbolize the beauty, harmony, and enlightenment of The arrival of African Americans at the end of the 19th the Delray Beach community.
The Vision
The idea to create a Gateway Feature for Delray Beach originated in the Downtown Master Plan, adopted by the City Commission in 2002. Created with the input of hundreds of community stakeholders, the plan called for a unique gateway feature to identify the western entrance to the City’s downtown. At the time only a barren right-of-way belonging to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) flanked West Atlantic Avenue, giving no impression of one’s arrival to a special part of the City.
The Downtown Master Plan proposed a two-story civic building in the median of West Atlantic Avenue. When that concept was rejected by FDOT, the City and CRA began pursuing an alternate plan. The consulting firm of PBS&J (now Atkins Global) was hired to engage the community in creating a different design. Their concept plan involved a concrete arch over Atlantic Avenue, which proved to be cost prohibitive. The Downtown Master Plan Implementation Committee decided to organize a special focus group to work with the consultants on a feature that would make use of the open space areas north and south of the corridor.
The final design for the project consists of landscaped berms, lighting, meandering sidewalks and flower-covered trellises. Most notable are the six 30-foot high icons, each decorated with an artistic cultural collage. San Antonio artist Michelle Newman was engaged to create the designs for the icon panels. Each visual element is inspired by the diverse cultural heritage of early Delray settlers, historic architectural elements, and the area’s native flora and fauna (see Artist Statement for descriptions). As important as this project was to the surrounding community and to the City as a whole, it was delayed for several years due to budget constraints. Construction was finally begun in July 2012. Funding for the Gateway Feature was provided by the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency ($983,082) and a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation ($199,760). Construction management services were provided by the City of Delray Beach.
East of the icons, fences of tall aluminum spikes line the winding sidewalks of the Gateway Feature. The spikes lean inward and outward, mimicking the shape and rhythm of the fences found along the sand dunes at the city’s shoreline. Bougainvillaea flowers have been planted at the base of each fence. As they grow, they will cover the trellises along the side of the fence and eventually create a flowered canopy over the walkway.
Artist Statement by Michelle Newman, project artist
My challenge was to find a way to visually represent the City of Delray Beach’s past, present, and future. I visualized Delray Beach as an ‘Enlightened Community’, one that is vibrant, alive, and progressive. At the same time, I noted that the community has maintained a civic sensibility to its environment, embracing its natural flora and fauna. This caring community is exceedingly protective of its charm, beauty, and ‘small town’ feel. The many cultural, architectural, and natural facets of Delray Beach have provided an abundance of raw material from which to draw….the lush subtropical landscape, the unique regional architecture, and the history of the community.
With such a rich heritage, it is important to recognize and celebrate the cultural blending, gifts, and impact of the community’s varied ethnic ingredients. In preparation for this project, I researched, examined, dissected, sketched, photographed, and compiled many components into a ‘cultural collage’; if you will, reflecting aspects of the community’s rich heritage. Interviews with civic leaders, historians and citizens provided me with invaluable input as to how residents envision their community and what they consider as important images and icons that tell the Delray Beach story.
While it was not possible to include all of the diverse groups that contributed to Delray’s history, the six Gateway icons reflect a harmonious blending of many of the city’s past and present cultures and ethnicities. My goal was to select artwork that symbolizes and honors the diverse cultural mix and historic background of the community. For example, while researching the City archives, I was surprised to see a copy of an old Florida military map that showed the locations of Seminole Indian camps around what is now Lake Ida. The Seminoles depended upon the indigenous Saw Palmetto palm for shelter, clothing and baskets. Hence, the fan-like depiction of this significant palm and the Seminole geometric symbols of water, turtles, lightning, and birds are portrayed in the panel designs.
century, their settlement in neighborhoods such as the Sands and Frog Alley, and their extensive contributions are reflected by the frog and other traditional African motifs of the Adinkra tribe symbolizing harmony, humility, strength, friendship and interdependence.
Many farmers raised pineapples in the region, including Japanese farmers who arrived at the turn of the century. The welcoming symbol of the pineapple is evident throughout the community, incorporated into cut outs on window shutters and picket fences, plaster pineapple reliefs on local buildings, and painted onto murals and signs in downtown’s Pineapple Grove Arts District. This image was incorporated into the panel design, as were traditional Japanese umbrella symbols to acknowledge the influence of those settlers. The more recent arrival of Haitian immigrants and their vibrant culture and music is depicted through the use of a bright tropical palette. A Victorian architectural accent from the window trim at the historic Sundy House was enlarged and incorporated as a floating curvilinear design element. Another panel includes a depiction of the fence that protects the vegetation along the dunes of Delray’s beautiful beaches. Delray’s subtropical environment is reflected on several panels by images of native sea oats and sea grapes, a brilliant sun, and water, wave and coquina patterns, The gladiola flowers are a reminder of the social and economic importance of gladiola cultivation in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, an industry that inspired the city’s annual Gladiola Festival (now known as the Delray Affair).
Finally, the panel’s illumination at night is both an aesthetic and spiritual reference to ‘internal illumination.’ Just as a magnificent stained glass window in one of the great historic cathedrals of the world allows light to dance, filter, and penetrate through, enhancing the rich colors of the panels showcasing the artwork, the illuminated gateway will symbolize the beauty, harmony, and enlightenment of The arrival of African Americans at the end of the 19th the Delray Beach community.
ORDER OF CEREMONY Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Burrows, Delray Beach CRA Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Howard Lewis, Delray Beach CRA Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mayor Thomas Carney, Delray Beach City Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Al3ed “Zack” Straghn, West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle Newman, Gateway Feature Artist
Gateway Art Feature
* * * * * * * RIBBON CUTTING * * * * * * *
DELRAY BEACH CITY COMMISSION
Thomas Carney, Mayor Adam Frankel, Vice-Mayor Angeleta Gray, Deputy Vice-Mayor Al Jacquet Christina Morrison
DELRAY BEACH CRA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Howard Lewis, Chair Peter Arts, Vice Chair Cathy Balestriere, First Vice Chair Bill Branning, Treasurer Veronica Covington Herman Stevens Anne4e Gray
Special thanks go out to the many people and organizations that contributed to the success of the Gateway Feature project and today’s ribbon cu4ing ceremony: Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council Atkins Global Coastal Contracting & Development Henry, Inc. Doowntown Master Plan Steering Commi4ee
Michelle Newman West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative Downtown Development Authority
Event photography services generously provided by:
For more information about the Gateway Feature, visit www.delraycra.org.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Thursday, March 14, 2013, 10 a.m.