Public Art Committee Recommendation to the Metro Arts Commission for East Bank Greenway Project Artist, May 19, 2005

In August 2003, the Public Art Committee recommended and the MNAC approved two primary areas for initial public art projects: the East Bank Greenway and the Courthouse Public Square.
The assessment and ultimate selection of the East Bank Greenway site near the Shelby Street pedestrian bridge was based on public input from the Plan of Nashville, including two community workshops specifically focused on public art. Rationales for selecting this site included the potential use of existing salvaged industrial objects, gateway opportunities, emphasis on the east bank of the river, vistas from Broadway and from the topographical high points of the Courthouse and Rolling Mill Hill. Following site selection, the Public Art Committee created an artist selection process based on the Public Art Guidelines.

The project goal established that an artist would be commissioned to create large-scale artwork that symbolically and visually connects the east and west sides of the Cumberland River and engages pedestrian and vehicular viewers both day and night. The open green space between the river and the greenway trail includes two large industrial artifacts, base beams from a gantry overhead crane and a round concrete foundation column from a steam-driven whirly crane. These remnants as well as scores of other salvaged industrial artifacts currently stored on the site could be incorporated into the artwork.

Following the initial planning phase, a national call-to-artists was distributed in late 2004 to which over 150 artists responded. The Public Art Committee appointed a citizen selection panel who, along with technical advisors, reviewed the proposals and recommended six semi-finalist artists, which the PAC approved on February 8. The semi-finalist artists are Ean Eldred, Portland OR; Alice Aycock, New York NY; Christopher Janney, Lexington MA; Ed Carpenter, Portland OR; Dennis Oppenheim, New York NY and Thomas Sayre, Raleigh NC.

On May 10, the six artists presented their design proposals to the selection panel. After a day-long discussion of the project goals and thorough review of the proposals, the selection panel, in accordance with the Public Art Guidelines, reached a decision through a series of ratings based on the project criteria, which included artistic merit, context, technical feasibility and maintenance. The selection panel recommended that artist Alice Aycock be commissioned to create the artwork on the East Bank Greenway. Aycock’s proposed project is located on the gantry crane base and is intended to serve as a memory trace of the site’s industrial past and to reference the excitement and energy that was generated during that time and still exists there. Yesterday, the Public Art Committee accepted the recommendation of the selection panel and today seeks MNAC action and approval of this artist and her concept, pending successful contract negotiations.
The Public Art Committee sees this project as a major step toward the city’s goals to focus attention on the Cumberland River, and make a positive cultural and economic impact on the downtown experience for residents and visitors.