ARTIST AROUND THE TABLE
ROSWELL: MODERN SPIRIT. SOUTHERN SOUL.
DECEMBER 2018 ROSWELL, GA
CONTENTS 2
THE MEETING Artist Around the Table's inaugural meeting.
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VISIONS OF ART Artist's ideas for types of art in capital improvement projects
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EXPLORING THEMES Artist's ideas for themes in capital improvement projects
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RECREATION & PARKS Department specific proposals and ideas.
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TRANSPORTATION Department specific proposals and ideas.
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ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC WORKS Department specific proposals and ideas.
THE MEETING The City of Roswell completed its Public Art Master Plan in March 2016. Although a percent for art policy has not yet become policy, Roswell Arts Fund, the city’s designated arts agency has been strengthening the public art landscape and mindset for over three years with its annual ArtAround Roswell Sculpture Tour, Street Pianos, and support and advocacy for additional murals and private developer engagement. Roswell Arts Fund believes public art can activate the city’s Modern Spirit. Southern Soul.
The Artist Around the Table meeting is a first of its kind in our region. Five accomplished public artists (Michael Dillon, Lauren Dilllon, Gregory Johnson, Megan McKeithan, Marcus Mello) who focus on different materials and mediums (metal, light, stone, mural, mosaic, earthworks) were invited to a half day work session with four Roswell City Department representatives. Each department was given 30 minutes to present up to three of their current or future projects, followed by 30 minutes of engaging dialogue with the attending artists to explore potential integration of public art, either functionally or stand alone. The presentations were sequential. The discussion dynamic.
Written by Roswell Arts Fund.
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Artists submitted their recommendations for integrating public art within two weeks of the work session. These recommendations will be reviewed with and prioritized by City Departments. Participating artists could be “invited” to continue to serve as an advisor, have a “seat” at the table (artist in residence), and/or be commissioned for specific public art work. Roswell Arts Fund will be hosting two Artist Around the Table meetings each year, demonstrating the importance of Public Art as a value proposition for the City of Roswell and seeking to further implement our Public Art Master Plan. This groundbreaking meeting would not have been possible without the support of Mayor Lori Henry, Roswell City Council Members, and City Staff. We look forward to next steps, as we continue to break new ground to integrate Public Art into our social landscape.
THE ARTISTS Michael Dillon - www.dillonforge.com. Michael has more than twenty years’ experience producing both functional and non-representational metal sculptures. He creates railings, furniture, and sculpture primarily forged from iron. He also works with bronze, aluminum, stainless steel, and carved stone. Lauren Dillon -www.dillonforge.com. Lauren works with clay, wood, fiber, metal, wire and more creating compositions that capture her life and environment. Gregory Johnson - www.moderngj.com. Gregory has been a working artist for 50 years. His work focuses on figurative themes which have been cast in bronze and stainless steel. Gregory’s work is both abstract, as well as literal. Marcus Mello – Marcus is a senior project architect at Randall-Paulson Architects and also serves on the City of Roswell Design Review Board. Marcus’ interest in art includes experimenting with drawing, watercolor, pastel and acrylic paint. Megan McKeithan - www.visionarymuralco.com. Megan is an architect turned muralist and has designed both external and internal large scale murals. She has also worked in museum design and fabrication.
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VISIONS OF ART TRANSPORTATION
SIGNAL BOXES
Consider implementing signal boxes and crosswalk painting in a continuous order, so that each new painting connects to the previous one so that it is perceived as a growing art project over time. - Megan McKeithan
TRANSPORTATION
CROSS WALKS
Connect with community through schools and have competitions within each school to produce a winning design (or two) for each. Highlight the pedestrian connections you are currently building (i.e. Hardscrabble Green Loop Project) - Megan McKeithan
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TRANSPORTATION
CROSS WALKS
Call attention to the parks and the pathways already built into the parks as a way to highlight Roswell attractions and connect them together in a future map of Roswell with Roswell CVB. - Megan McKeithan
REC & PARKS
GATEWAYS Note portals or gates could be connectors for pathways to parks. Could be planned in conjunction with installation of crosswalks and signal boxes. Repeated concept around town could help establish a visual look for area, like one big park. - Megan McKeithan
The Oxbo intersection is an amazing opportunity to create a gateway sculpture for the city. - Michael Dillon, Artist 5
REC & PARKS
GATEWAYS
REC & PARKS
PAVILIONS
People move to Roswell for the park system. We would like to see large scale public art that both link and distinguish each park. These pieces should brand the identity of the park, while creating a continuity throughout all of the parks. - Michael & Lauren Dillon
We were inspired when looking at the new boardwalks near Willeo, and could imagine them as art environments that pair the landscape/hardscape with a “secret garden” concept that would make the viewing platform as special as the 6 surrounding landscape. - Michael & Lauren Dillon
ALL DEPARTMENTS
BAS RELIEF
Sometimes you can get more bang for your buck by spreading art modules out along a simpler facade, i.e. substitute poured concrete or CMU for stack stone, put budget for stack stone into art modules OR use pre-fab decorative stamped concrete in some areas and some custom art work in others. - Megan McKeithan
Retaining wall could have a brick veneer, instead of stone, with bas relief trees similar to image on the left. Salvaged brick would a more desirable aged look. - Marcus Mello, Architect Â
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ALL DEPARTMENTS
MURALS: MOSAIC
Note that there are many types of mosaic, many of which can last for centuries (like Roman mosaics). Here you see a few examples including ceramic tile squares mixed with detail panel in top left, and broken ceramic tile in many photos, with cut tile and glass in others. - Megan McKeithan
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TROMPE - L'OEUIL
ALL DEPARTMENTS
MURALS: TYPES
These trompe l’oeil murals show sections of walls painted to look like they are stone, but they are actually smooth concrete or other masonry. Something like this could work for retaining walls, perhaps highlighting the Roswell sites you want visitors to know about, as I have done with the mill waterfall mural concept. Megan McKeithan
EDUCATIONAL
MIXED-MEDIA
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ALL DEPARTMENTS
BENCHES
Bench art is great fuel for Instagram/Facebook posts which means free exposure and helps create a destination location. Some of the examples include table areas, more communal picnicking areas could be a great addition to parks.
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GROUND MURALS
ALL DEPARTMENTS
MURALS: TYPES An oversized doily, curb to curb, could be painted on the asphalt at the intersection of Canton and Oxbo streets. The image relates to the historical past of the area and serves as traffic calming. - Marcus Mello
CHAIN LINK MURALS 11
TRANSPORTATION
BUS SHELTERS The bus shelter is in such a desirable location, an “art” shelter would contribute to the cultural area. - Michael & Lauren Dillon
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TRANSPORTATION
PARKLETS
For sculpture places within the roundabout, creating a “parklet” on the lower west side of the circle would created a viewing area so pedestrians could safely stop (on the path between the two schools) and enjoy the art. - Michael & Lauren Dillon
REC & PARKS
SITE SPECIFIC
For the new park and trail around the Mill ... The materials and techniques [could] naturally pair with the landscape and the unique history. - Michael & Lauren Dillon
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ALL DEPARTMENTS
INTERACTIVE
ALL DEPARTMENTS
PROJECTIONS
Shown projection on an office building in Montreal. Owners noted a huge increase in rentals at this location. Lighting can be used to make a bad location safe, to serve as a beacon for locating a specific area such as a bus stop area, or internally for the art itself. - Gregory Johnson
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EXPLORING THEMES
PUBLIC WORKS
RECYCLED An art fence using recycled material, or that depicts an aspect of the process. Would definitely create educational “exhibits” for visitors. An entry sculpture would guide and welcome visitors. Tie the transfer station to the recycle center through exterior art “fencing” “gate” “entrance”
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ALL DEPARTMENTS
WATER The city of Roswell could feature a number of 3D sculptures near roundabouts, or 3D bas reliefs for the walls in the alleyway and on sides of buildings. These feature sculptures dealing with the theme of water, but not necessarily having water as a feature. Purpose – to help you understand there are many artistic ways of looking at a theme. Take a theme and run with it. – Gregory Johnson
A L L D E P A R T M E N T S Themed art using history and architecture. LEFT: depicts canoes on imagined water. RIGHT: local historic mills – anything can be created with shapes that look like or have elements similar to mill stones, water wheels, and other elements found in or around a mill site. – Gregory Johnson
HISTORY
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RECREATION & PARKS SUGGESTIONS
Sculptural gates or portals Use “Roswell: Modern Spirit. Southern Soul.” Selection process through RAF like sculpture tour Have businesses sponsor Gateways/portals Add new sites for Sculpture Tour Plan Gateways with signal boxes and crosswalks project Work collaboratively with Transportation Department Water-inspired art works in conjunction with Public Works Decorative brick sidewalks For ACE Sand project, River parks, and pathways being developed to connect parks to neighborhoods, consider bench art at multiple key locations. Bench art is great fuel for Instagram/Facebook posts Murals, mosaics, sculpture and bas-relief for retaining walls in the ACE Sand project & the Grimes Bridge driveway project. Interactive art like life-sized chess in River Parks Master plan Integrate a game into learning at the ACE Sand site Depiction of species of plants and animals in river ecosystem integrated into retaining walls built for the ACE sand or the Grimes bridge project
Bird houses that are also sculptures can be placed along board walk. Sculptures can be mounted to poles or trees. Apart from being an art piece it also provides shelter for wildlife. Boardwalk entrances can have branches of local species painted on concrete Different species would be featured at each entrance, in different shades of green, so they become reference locations Boardwalk entrances can be marked with “birdhouse trees”, framing the entrance Mill: a single large scale sculpture or several smaller pieces along a designated route that integrate blacksmithing techniques with imagery that is inspired by the history of the site Riverside Park expansion: Art can be utilized through mosaics on retaining walls, iron or wood art railings, and thoughtful portholes and “spaces” for special views
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TRANSPORTATION SUGGESTIONS
Implement signal boxes and crosswalk painting in a continuous order, so that each new painting connects to the previous one so that it is perceived as a growing art project over time Repeating an element in design is way to get people to notice A grouping along a road appear as a larger project will generate interest, then support and demand for it in other neighborhoods Implementation along path ways to schools and other parks Connect with community through schools Highlight the pedestrian connections Call attention to the parks and the existing pathways Demarcate crosswalks near parks or points of interest with a look that tells the viewer this is a park, or this is an historical area. For example, leaves could be used to demarcate parks and wheels for historic places Reach out to the art teachers in public and private schools (Roswell, High Meadows, Blessed Trinity, Fellowship) in Roswell
HARDSCRABBLE GREEN LOOP Sculptural gates or portals Use “Roswell: Modern Spirit. Southern Soul." theme Decorative brickwork Creating a “parklet” on the lower west side of the circle would create a viewing area so pedestrians could safely stop (on the path between the two schools) and enjoy the art. To promote walkability, create several “guidepost” sculptures along the route OXBO/SR INTERSECTION: Gateway sculpture for the city. It could be on the wall, or where the historic African American restaurant was. (In this case, it would be nice to include a element reflecting the special heritage of the site, and in conjunction with the building if it is placed back there.) Decorative brick sidewalks could be painted in some areas. Involve students Oxbo retaining wall(s) could also house art that brands Roswell Some sections of bricks could be replaced with mosaics or panels of other materials 18
TRANSPORTATION SUGGESTIONS (CONT'D)
OXBO/SR INTERSECTION (cont'd): Each could be planned in modules or sections of the wall, interspersed with stack stone as used in other Roswell retaining walls Plan a budget to include decorative areas to cost at least as much as the stack stone per square foot We have at least one broken ceramic mosaic in Roswell on Forrest street, completed as a community projectÂ
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TRANSPORTATION SUGGESTIONS (CONT'D)
An oversized doil, curb to curb, could be painted on the asphalt at the intersection of canton and oxbo streets. The image relates to the historical past of the area and serves as traffic calming.
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ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC WORKS SUGGESTIONS
TRANSFER STATION & RECYCLING CENTER Murals, mosaics, benches, portals, and sculptures made of recycled materials for both locations A mural or mosaic could be created with items saved from the trash or from recycling and installed on the transfer station, on the outside of the recycling center, or inside a visitor area Transfer station might also be an interesting place to create a cutaway mural, where somehow it looks like part of the building has been cut away and you can see what is happening inside The transfer station could be an interesting place for recycled material metal sculpture or mosaic created to look like garbage trucks or transfer trucks Define your message first then plan art and interpretation around it, potentially: Inform public about changes in recycling marketplace Re-educate about not contaminating recycling stream Educate about solid waste? Educate about ground water, runoff, etc
An art fence using recycled material, or that depicts an aspect of the process Tie the transfer station to the recycle center through exterior art “fencing” “gate” “entrance” A recycling themed silhouette could be placed on the recycling sorting facility canopy The building would be painted in a contrasting shade of green. The bus shelter is in such a desirable location, an “art” shelter would contribute to the cultural area Ones man’s trash is another one’s treasure.” Make a sculpture out of recyclables as shown below, or, the same concept turning materials into stick figures holding hands, or spelling the word RECYCLE. Large 10-16’ tall works or letters that are located in front of the transfer yard serve as a locator in front of the entrance way. Consider a cut out of a garbage truck. Consider a fund raising party with recycled art at auction– great opportunity to educate people and have fun.
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ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC WORKS SUGGESTIONS (CONT'D)
A recycling themed silhouette could be placed on the recycling sorting facility canopy. The building would be painted in a contrasting shade of green.
For either the recycling center or the new transfer station, or both, large scale sculpture or mosaic could be created from plastics or glass recycled here The GA state butterfly is just one example of an image that could be created and mounted on the roof or on the corner of the building using recycled materials Or the letters or butterfly could be painted 22
ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC WORKS SUGGESTIONS (CONT'D)
Creating a large scale sculpture that demonstrates the concept of water flowing through the brick into the ground could be an interesting way to call attention to what you want to show in the area – including Roswell’s being an “early adopter of green infrastructure in Metro Atlanta, leading the way to protect rivers and streams” as described in the Permeable Pavers poster, and connecting to “Roswell: Modern Spirit. Southern Soul.” city tag line.
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ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC WORKS SUGGESTIONS (CONT'D)
Consider continuing the mirrored water drop theme on the lamp posts along the alley Consider using this concept in Parks in Roswell also Highlight what you want people to see with artistic elements "Roswell is cutting edge with water" "Roswell is leading the way with protecting river Roswell is modern"
Here you see several lamp posts combined with interpretive vinyl wraps on utility boxes
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