ART STRATEGY
PHOTO CREDIT: BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES
INTRODUCTION & PLAN APPROACHES
PHOTO CREDIT: LAAB COLLECTIVE + SIGNATURE DESIGN COMMUNICATION
PLAN APPROACHES
APPROACH DEVELOPMENT
In order to most effectively implement goals defined in the first phase of this strategic plan, a framework of three approaches was developed� Each dynamic approach supports the goals of public art in South Town: activating shared spaces, revealing South Town’s visual identity, and reinforcing the Court Street Corridor� While the recommended interventions are all achievable as standalone projects, their implementation will be more successful when aligned with this Plan’s strategic approaches�
VISION STATEMENT
As the southern gateway into the Uptown Historic district, the South Town district is an important crossroads for tourism, economic development, culture, and community pride. The South Town district’s history in multiple industries—including grain, freight railways, upholstery, metal smithing, marble, and beyond—contextualizes its placemaking and public art considerations. A cohesive public art strategy has the ability to define a place’s borders and invite in residents and visitors. This plan’s vision for the South Town district of Medina is to create a place that celebrates its industrial past through innovative public art and lively placemaking, while establishing a natural connection between Medina’s Uptown Historic and South Town districts.
PHOTO CREDIT: PHLCVB
APPROACH 1 LEVERAGE COURT STREET AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
VISUAL GATEWAY TO A VIBRANT CORRIDOR
Goal: Strengthen Court Street in South Town by implementing a streetwide artistic intervention. Prioritizations should include a visual gateway in the form of a physical gateway or mural to define entrance into the district. The gateway will be complimented by the district wide intervention creating a cohesive artistic feel throughout South Town.
INTERVENTION PRIORITIES:
• Gateway Mural At Granary Row Building
• Utility Pole Art
• Sculpture Walk Along Court Street
BENEFITS
Largest interventions
High visibility on Court Street
Encourages foot traffic along Court Street
CHALLENGES
Most complex/involved interventions
Mainly visible from Court Street only
Highest-cost public art investment
VISUAL GATEWAY TO A VIBRANT CORRIDOR
APPROACH 2 | VISIBILITY, BOLDNESS, FUN
BOLD ARTWORKS AND A FUN DISTRICT
Goal: Focus on a few bold and vibrant interventions that will increase the visibility of South Town. These bolder choices can help to form an identity for South Town while capitalizing off of some Court Street’s best assets.
BENEFITS
Very High Visibility
Mostly Murals, Easier to Implement
CHALLENGES
Concentrated more closely together
Less variety in typologies
Fun Interventions, Adds Unique Character Selection process could be more difficult
INTERVENTION PRIORITIES:
• Billboard Mural at Farmer’s Exchange Building
• Silos at Farmer’s Exchange Building
• Physical Gateway
• Gateway Mural at Granary Row Building
VISIBILITY, BOLDNESS, FUN
APPROACH 3 | ACTIVATE AND INVITE
ACTIVATING UNDERUSED SPACES IN SOUTH TOWN TO DRAW VISITORS
Goal: By activating spaces in underutilized areas of South Town, it can become even more of a destination for residents and visitors of th district. Choosing bold and fun activations can help institute South Town as a singularly unique place within Medina.
INTERVENTION PRIORITIES:
• Pocket Park
• Fun “Social Media-worthy Mural”
• Alleyway Placemaking
• Artist-designed street furniture
• Utility Pole Installations
BENEFITS
Fun and Trendy
CHALLENGES
Frequent rotation
Harmony between public art and public activation Could be more complex to implement
Fun Aspect Could Lead to Publicity
Possible easements and/or partnerships needed
INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
PHOTO CREDIT: JESSIE AND KATEY
STRATEGY MAP
RECOMMENDATION LOCATIONS
The following ten proposed strategies identify key spaces throughout South Town that are best poised for public art installations and public space activations� The map to the right identifies the specific locations for each strategy implementation� The methodology regarding the choices of location was based on the three aforementioned strategic frameworks along with the existing themes and vision of the initial phase of the plan�
PHOTO CREDIT: ALICE MANTOVANI
STRATEGY 1 | MURAL AT FARMERS EXCHANGE
TIMING PRIORITY
Given scale, mural would be a longer term installation. 5+ years.
DIFFICULTY COST
BENEFITS
Large Scale of Impact, Highly Visible, Affects Areas Outside of Court Street, Anchors Key Building
BILLBOARD MURAL
Facing North adjacent to the entrance into South Town, this underutilized signage structure on top of the Farmer’s Exchange Building presents a unique opportunity for an artistic strategy to be implemented. A gateway mural or billboard with a bold design could help draw visitors in to South Town, and differentiate South Town fromother districts.
PROGRAMMING
Given the prominent location, and the larger size of the mural space, the duration should be long term, lasting 5+ years, given routine maintence.
COST ESTIMATE
$50,000 - $75,000
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
These examples of murals feature bright, vibrant designs that have various motifs connecting to Arts & Culture and History. These types of bold yet practical murals help inspire the intent for the design at this site.
Bottom: Good to the Last Crumb by
PHOTO CREDIT: YOYO FERRO
PHOTO CREDIT: JESSE KASSEL
PHOTO CREDIT: JESSE KASSEL
Top Left: Billboard for MailChimp by Yoyo Ferro, Atlanta, GA
Top Right: Berkley Mural by Jesse Kassel, Berkley, MI
Jesse Kassel, Ann Arbor, MI
STRATEGY 2 | GATEWAY MURAL
TIMING PRIORITY
This mural can be on display for as long as desired, given regular maintenence (5+ years).
DIFFICULTY COST
BENEFITS
Highly Interactive, Highly Visible, Easily Reconfigurable, Unique, Easy Implementation
GATEWAY MURAL
Facing north adjacent to the entrance into South Town, this blank wall on Granary Row should be considered for a mural, emphasizing the entrance into South Town.
A gateway mural on the existing wall could serve as either a welcoming gesture, or as a canvas to display Medina’s history and culture. This mural should consider the history of Medina, while also leaning into the arts district vibe of South Town.
PROGRAMMING
This site can rotate out murals on a regular basis (5-7 years) to allow for a variety of artists to participate. Changing the mural regularly at such a prominent location will further cement South Town as a dynamic arts district.
COST ESTIMATE
$25,000 - $35,000
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
Murals shown demonstrate engaging ways to create a welcoming mural that also demonstrates historical contexts paired with vibrant and contemporary design styles.
Top Left: Greetings from Springfield by Greetings Tour, Springfield, OH
Top Right: Love Dallas Texas Mural by Lesli Marshall, Chad Marshall, Jeremy Biggers, Dallas, TX
Bottom: Power of the Titans by Andrei Krautsou, North Kansas City, MO
PHOTO CREDIT: GREETINGS TOUR
PHOTO CREDIT: JULIA SLADDEN
PHOTO CREDIT: CITY OF NORTH KANSAS CITY
STRATEGY 3 | ALLEYWAY PLACEMAKING
TIMING
Short term, temporary furniture (as long as needed)
Murals (up to 5 years)
Asphalt Art (up to 5 years)
ALLEYWAY ACTIVATION
Mill Street currently serves as a minor side road connecting the Granary Row parking and Gerber Collision parking to Court Street and Elmwood Avenue. To best serve the pedestrians and patrons on foot within South Town, this street could be activated and programmed with various art installations and pedestrian improvements.
During events located along Court Street, Mill Street could be blocked off to traffic and house temporary seating, recreation, and art throughout the duration of the event. Pieces such as a suspended art installation or small murals on the Granary Row walls could compliment the temporary placemaking strategies and draw in visitors to South Town.
PRIORITY
DIFFICULTY
COST
BENEFITS
Flexible, Adaptable, Highly Visible, Activates Space Along Court Street
PROGRAMMING
Murals and asphalt art could be installed for up to 5 years, given routine maintenence. Both the murals could be swapped out at the end of their lifespan for new designs. During events or times where Mill Street is closed to traffic, temporary seating and furniture could be installed, attracting visitors and patrons.
COST ESTIMATE
$5,000 - $25,000 based on the project type
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
Each of these examples showcase different ways to activate spaces along streets and pedestian plazas including suspended art, painted asphalt designs, and temporary furniture and interactive elements. Most of these strategies can be implemented quite quickly, and with a relativley low cost.
Top Left: WeAVE of Colour by Tensile Design & Construct, Melbourne, AU
Top Right: Art Route Des Moines by Sound Mind Creative, Asheville, NC
Bottom: Rue Vendome Plaza by Street Plans, Miami Beach, FL
PHOTO CREDIT: TENSILE DESIGN
PHOTO CREDIT: JUSTIN MITCHELL
PHOTO CREDIT: STREET PLANS
STRATEGY 4 | FARMER’S EXCHANGE SILOS
TIMING
Medium term, statement mural (5+ years)
PRIORITY
BENEFITS
Highly Visible, Unique, Prime Location, Large Impact DIFFICULTY
COST
MIXED-MEDIA MURAL
Situated on the North side of the Farmer’s Exchange Building, the historical silos are a unique opportunity to implement an art installation on a larger scale. Another option for this space could be a light projection on the exterior of the silos, providing a flexible and unique artistic experience. However, a bold, vibrant mural paired with integrated lighting would serve as a dynamic statement piece on the north side of South Town. These silos, paired with additional interventions in the immidiate vicinity could help solidify an artistic entrance into South Town.
PROGRAMMING
The mural area on the silos is both large and more difficult to work with as an artist, the installation should last 5+ years, with routine maintence
COST ESTIMATE
$50,000 - $100,000
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
Each of these showcase bold, vibrant, and fun examples of mural designs. The top examples integrate lighting into their designs, which could be translated to a mural on the silos at the Farmer’s Exchange Building.
Top Left: 8C4I5N1 by Chase Melendez, Cincinnati, OH
Top Right: Electric Street by David Guinn, Philadelphia, PA
Bottom: Western Australia Silos by HENSE, Northam, Australia
PHOTO CREDIT: ARTWORKS CINCINNATI
PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE WEINIK
PHOTO CREDIT: HENSE
STRATEGY 5 | ASPHALT ART AT MILL STREET
TIMING
Up to 5 years.
PRIORITY
BENEFITS
Large Scale of Impact, Small Physical Size, Highly Visible, Affects Areas Outside of Court Street DIFFICULTY
COST
ASPHALT ART
Facing north adjacent to the entrance into South Town, this blank wall on the Granary Row should be considered for a muralemphasizing the entrance into South Town.
Given the desire to increase the pedestrianfriendly nature of this district, this asphalt mural should extend across Court Street, connecting Granary Row with the Farmer’s Exchange Building.
PROGRAMMING
This site can rotate out murals on a regular basis (1-3 years) to allow for a variety of artists to participate. Changing the mural regularly, at such a prominent location, will further cement South Town as a dynamic arts district.
COST ESTIMATE
Full pedestrian asphalt project (including crosswalk) - $55,000 - $80,000
Crosswalk - $5,000-$10,000
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
Painted crosswalks create multiple benefits for its immidiate surroundings. Painted crossings enhance the visibility of pedestrians when crossing the street, and strengthen the connection between the two sides of the street. Painted crosswalks could massivley benefit the cross street connections along Court Street, specifically between the Granary Row shops and the Farmer’s Exchange Building.
Top Left: Coxe Avenue Interim Design Project, Asheville, NC
Top Right: Art Route Des Moines by Peter Gibson, Des Moines, IA
Bottom: Water Works Ground Mural by Herbermehl, Savannah, GA
PHOTO CREDIT: STREET PLANS
PHOTO CREDIT: GREATER DES MOINES PARTNERSHIP
PHOTO CREDIT: HERBERMEHL
STRATEGY 6 | POCKET PARK ON COURT
TIMING
Short term, artist designed furniture (1-2 years)
Medium term, pocket park design (3-5 years)
PRIORITY
DIFFICULTY COST
BENEFITS
Highly Interactive, Highly Visible, Easily
Reconfigurable, Unique, Easy Implementation
POP-UP POCKET PARK
Located on Court Street, this privately-owned plot of land has recently been used as a space to display temporary artworks for street festivals. Capitalizing on this underused plot of land could be a crucial interactive intervention along the Court Street corridor.
A temporary pocket park, featuring artistdesigned furniture could quickly and effectively activate the space. The temporary nature of the artist-designed furniture would generate interest and create a unique and engaging experience for visitors exploring South Town. This intervention would transform the underutilized plot into a vibrant destination.
PROGRAMMING
The park itself would be a temporary installation (2-5 years) , after which it is reconfigured or adapted for a new short term project. The artist designed furniture can rotate out on a more regular basis depending on fixture avalaibility (1-2 years).
COST ESTIMATE
Good: about $5,000
Better: $5,000 - $10,000
Best: $10,000 - $30,000
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
Both examples shown demonstrate temporary, intruiging artist designed furniture, providing a unique take on everyday public furniture. While playful, they are still practical and purposeful. The Musical Swings installation is designed to be a travelling exhibit, allowing for easier installation at a given site. Projects such as this should be considered for the site.
Top: The Chairs by Public Mechanics, Washington, DC
Bottom: Musical Swings by Daily Tous Les Jours, Traveling Exhibition
PHOTO CREDIT: PUBLIC MECHANICS
PHOTO
STRATEGY 7 | FLOODWALL MURAL
TIMING
Up to 5 years given routine maintenence. Can be swapped out on a regular basis
PRIORITY
DIFFICULTY COST
BENEFITS
Large Scale of Impact, Small Physical Size, Highly Visible, Affects Areas Outside of Court Street
FLOODWALL MURAL
Located on the periphery of South Town, these recently reconstructed retaining walls, pictured here at Smith and Elmwood, present a unique opportunity to create smaller scale murals along the sides of the walls.
While many reccomendations have been given to central South Town, incorporating placemaking strategies to the edges of South Town can help attract visitors to the core of the district. The smaller nature of this strategy serves the additional benefit of a lower cost of installation, while providing a highly visible artistic solution.
PROGRAMMING
Walls can be painted every few years given repair and maintenece of the mural. Mural could be swappped out every few years to keep interest and care into the area. This strategy isnt the highest priority, but will strongly compliment the other strategies as they are installed over time.
COST ESTIMATE
$25,000 - $35,000
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
Painting shorter barrier walls or flood walls is an easy way to add a pop of color and texture to an othwerwise bare concrete surface. These installations hold the benefits of murals but in a smaller, more easily implementable package. The retaining walls along Smith and Elmwood could serve as an indeal location for this type of art strategy.
PHOTO CREDIT: YOYO FERRO
PHOTO CREDIT: ANN TARANTINO
PHOTO CREDIT: NYC DOT
Top Left: 151 Ellis St NE by Yoyo Ferro, Atlanta, GA
Top Right: Razzle Dazzle by Ann Tarantino, New York, NY
Bottom: Shadowbox by Gavin Snider, New York, NY
TIMING PRIORITY
Varies, could be as short as 2 years, or as long as 5-7 years.
UTILITY POLE ART
Utility poles provide a unique opportunity to add art in areas that are often overlooked. Given the overground utility lines above Court, placing art on the utility poles could help add a unique and fun piece of art to South Town.
An artist designed piece that attatches to the pole could effectively elevate the space and provide art in areas that would otherwisefade into the background. This is especially crucial along Court Street, , where this strategy will reveal Court Street’s unique character.
PROGRAMMING
Given the small scale of the pieces that could be installed, the istallation can remain in place for up to 5 years (with maintenance as needed) years before they need to be repaired or replaced.
COST ESTIMATE
BENEFITS
Unique, Elevates Court Street, Highly Visible, Low Cost, Flexible Timing DIFFICULTY
COST
$5,000-$10,000 per utility pole
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
Each example demonstrates how to visually elevate existing utility poles along the street. Street Cathedral interacts with the sunlight using translucent acrylic cubes adorned atop street signage, casting a glow on the streets below, reminicent of a stained glass cathedral window. Conversley, Zoetrope of Life is a a vertical sculpture, with alternating forms and iterations along several blocks of a one-way corridor.
Top: Street Cathedral by Claudia Ravashiere and Michael Moss, New York, NY
Bottom: Zoetrope of Life by Virginia Kistler, Columbus, OH
PHOTO CREDIT: NYC DOT
TIMING
A few months. The sculptures would rotate out for each season, can be refreshed in future years.
PRIORITY
BENEFITS
Large Scale of Impact, Programmable, Highly Visible, Centrally Located, Lower Cost DIFFICULTY
COST
SCULPTURE WALK
Court Street is located in the heart of South Town, and is used for Festivals and Arts events throughout the year. However, this space provides more opportunity for programming and activation during the less active months.
Implementing an annual or biennial sculpture program along the buffer on Court Stret could provide an engaging experience to attract visitors to South Town. A program like this could use local artists, promoting the local arts community while providing a fun, momentary experience.
PROGRAMMING
After initial investment in concrete pads, a temporary sculpture program could occupy the spaces, possibly in coordination with existing events taking place on Court Street.
COST ESTIMATE
$8,000 - $10,000 per work
$30,000 initial investment for concrete pads
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
Each of these projects are temporary sculptural installations that will be installed anywhere from a few months to two years. Uplift (top left) is part of the Oak Park sculpture walk, held yearly along the business district corridor. During this event, local Chicagoland artists participate in creating unique pieces for the Sculpture Walk.
PHOTO CREDIT: VILLAGE OF OAK PARK
PHOTO CREDIT: CITY OF TEMPE
PHOTO CREDIT: BRIAN PASSEY
Top Left: Uplift by Terry Karpowicz, Oak Park, IL
Top Right: Sacred Vessels by Ahchipaptunhe, Tempe, AZ
Bottom: Oh Devil! by Zach Valent, Scottsdale, AZ
TIMING
As long as desired, given routine maintenance.
PRIORITY
DIFFICULTY
COST
BENEFITS
Neighborhood Identity, Long Term, Benefits
Southern End of District
PHYSICAL GATEWAY
Creating a gateway at both ends of the Court Street corridor would firmly identify the South Town district from a visitor’s perspective. While other artistic strategies address artistic gateways at South Town’s north end, the intersection of Lafayette and Court Streets provides a good opportinity for a physical gateway.
A permenant physical gateway at this location would provide a fun, identifiable marker to the boundary of South Town. The gateway could be sculptural, illuminated, include wayfinding, and more. This strategy is of lower priority, but when implemented will help anchor the southern end of South Town.
PROGRAMMING
This strategy is a more permanent intallation, and would not be changed for the forseeable future, given routine maintenence. As this intervention has a limited impact throughout the district, it can be considered once the more temporary strategies have been accomplished.
COST ESTIMATE
$50,000 - $75,000
PRECEDENT EXAMPLES
These examples of physical gateways demonstrate how to effectivley create a placemaking marker, while also incorporating artistic elements like sculpture or lighting. Also deomonstrated is a variety in shape and form of gateways.
Top: University of North Dakota University Avenue Streetscape Improvements by RDG, Grand Forks, ND
Bottom: Phronesis by Jen Lewin, Cincinnati, OH
PHOTO CREDIT: RDG
PHOTO CREDIT: JEN LEWIN STUDIO