Sailboat Bend II - Photo courtesy of Scott Strawbridge
Aya Arts Project to Bring Art and Community Engagement to Sailboat Bend Building II By Niki Lopez | www.WhatsYourElephant.org
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rtist and social practitioner, Niki Lopez has been tapped by Tam English, CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale (HACFL), to create a call to artists and curate artwork that will be selected as a permanent installation for the Sailboat Bend II building. The structure is a nine-story affordable housing project for seniors, currently being built by the HACFL and Atlantic Pacific Companies. Conveniently located in the heart of downtown
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Fort Lauderdale, the apartments are being constructed thanks to a $26.6 million-dollar Bank of America construction loan. “Our goal is to create affordable housing that is good enough for everyone's mother,” says English. The community arts engagement and acquisition initiative, which Lopez named the “Aya Arts Project,” began in April and is expected to be completed by October. The artwork will be installed at the end of construction which is projected to be December 2020.
