Binghamton's Community Link
DPA welcomes artists at an Open Meeting Sunday at noon at the Cooperative Gallery. Bring snacks if you like.
Prime on the agenda is reviewing proposals for art workshops open to community members. Participants will present at Mural Fest OCt. 7th 2017 at Floral Ave Park, JC. There are a few surfaces for murals at the park and upcycling activities are also welcome.
See attached form. Deadline is July 15th.
DPA will also plan to complete the Binghamton Plaza mural and will need lots of help.
Public Art Workshops Mural Fest 2017 at Floral Ave. Park JC
October 7th, 2017 11 am – 4 pm
This year Mural Fest will offer even more community engagement with art, guided by artists. The Dept of Public has permission to paint murals on several structures at Floral Ave. Park in Johnson City. This year DPA will create workshops with community members led by experienced artists to plan a mural, including choosing a theme, gridding the design, choosing colors, prepping the space, and then painting it at Mural Fest. Similarly, DPA is partnering with Southern Tier Solar Works to create solar lanterns for neighbors: the workshop would come up with designs that use upcycled materials, learn how to assemble the solar lights, and gather materials for a table at Mural Fest where people could build their own solar lantern. Another idea is to create either a Box City or cardboard animals for small children to paint and play with at the previous Mural Fest at Cheri Lindsey Park.
"Leaving behind permanent murals is important," said Peg Johnston of DPA, "and just as important is engaging people in the process of creating art in public places. We are grateful to the Village of Johnson City for the opportunity to paint several structures at Floral Ave. Park."
Interested? Stay in touch! We will be announcing workshop details throughout the summer email us at DeptofPublicArt@gmail.com to get our updates. Include your name, email, phone, and what you would be interested in.
The Dept of Public Art will meet Tues April 18th at 6:30 pm at the Cooperative Gallery
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Tentative meeting agenda for Tuesday, April 18th:
MuralFest at Floral Ave. Park
Public art workshops and activities
Looking for additional funding
Panel installations from past year
Eventually secure location in JC for community meeting
Solar-Powered Public Art Workshop with STSW
Johnson City Celebration at CFJ Park on Sept. 16th
Public Art program with Donna Lupardo
reBOLD movement
Binghamton Plaza mural installation
Photo: Outlining the Mural Design on the Pool House
The Dept. of Public Art and reBOLD Binghamton are sponsoring the third annual Mural Fest at Cheri Lindsey Park September 17th from 11 am- 4 pm and will paint three buildings and many smaller panels to be placed in the community. “MuralFest 2016 will bring local creativity to improve the Park and to bring attention to the Northside,” said Mark Bowers a spokesperson for the event. Bruce Greig, a master muralist, will also paint a mural design by Amy Panella on the rear wall of the Binghamton Plaza. Panella, an art teacher, won a design contest with her mural that shows the rooftops of local landmarks with a sky that includes hot air balloons and the word “Binghamton” that will be visible from across the river.
The pool house at Cheri Lindsey Park will be getting a new mural designed by local artist Zach Wilson, and local artists may volunteer to help paint that large mural. Another building at the park will get new murals on three sides of the park by artists who actively use the park and have painted murals there previously.
At least 15 local artists will also paint original designs on wooden and fabric panels to be posted in the community. This is a continuation of the Blight mitigation project in which the Dept. of Public Art placed mural panels on 11 boarded up buildings. Other activities for children and adults will include upcycling projects, such as making kaleidoscopes out of cardboard containers, creating animal figures out of corrugated cardboard, a Box City, and other interactive activities. Tabling opportunities are available for artists and organizations.
Support for MuralFest and the permanent murals it will leave behind has received support from many sources: Chenango Co Arts Council – NYS Decentralization grant with support from Governor Cuomo and the NUS Legislature and the Hoyt Foundation; the Community Foundation of South Central NY; the Tourism Fund of Broome County; the Mayor’s Office, City of Binghamton; Visions Credit Union; Lowe’s and Sherwin Williams Paint; Wegman’s; Daniels Paint and other businesses. The public is being encouraged to support local artists at the event by donating to Mural Fest through the DPA via PayPal at binghamtonbridge.org. For more information or to volunteer, contact the deptofpublicart@gmail.com.
The Dept. of Public Art (DPA) received more than 65 submissions to its design contest for a mural slated for the rear of the Binghamton Plaza along the Chenango River Trail, which is also the site of this year's Mural Fest 2016 at Cheri Lindsey Park. "We were very impressed with the quality of the submissions and the enthusiasm of the artists for Binghamton's future," said Mark Bowers. "The review committee found it challenging to choose 8 designs to send to the City for final approval." All submissions were anonymous to the committee. This wall is visible from across the Chenango River which makes it part of the Binghamton Gateway. The contest, which carries a $1000 prize, 75% of which was donated by the Mayor's Office, attracted some national but mostly local artists.
"We are grateful to Michael Galesi and Galesi Development, owner of the Binghamton Plaza property, for his forward thinking in allowing us to paint a mural on this building," commented Mark Bowers, one of the coordinators for Mural Fest 2016. Mr. Galesi, as well as the newly formed Public Arts Advisory Board and Mayor Rich David will have input on the final design.
Mural Fest 2016 co-sponsored by DPA and re-BOLD Binghamton is slated for September 17th, and will be held along the Chenango River Trail at Cheri Lindsey Park. The pool house at the Park will also be painted on that day. There will also be art activities for children and adults. Last year's Mural Fest created more than 30 mural panels which were subsequently placed on boarded up buildings in Binghamton, a program which continues.
Both this and last year's Mural Fest were funded in part by the Chenango Co Arts Council (NYS Decentralization grant) with help from the Hoyt Foundation, as well as by the Broome County Tourism fund and other funding sources. Additional fundraising will be needed for supplies and actual painting of the mural. View all 8 finalists on the Dept. of Public Art Facebook page. (Note all are anonymous until the judging is final
BC Arts Council announces Heart of the Arts Winners on August 10th
Every other year the Arts Council members vote on nominations for the Heart of the Arts award for extraordinary accomplishments in the previous two years. This year, Peg Johnston of the Dept of Public Art, Cooperative Gallery, and the Bridge has been nominated, as well as Emily Jablon, who has created several mosaic public art installations.
Johnston is nominated for "making blight the inspiration for art" for the original murals affixed to boarded up buildings in Binghamton, for managing the "Birthplace of Virtual Reality" murals in the Water St. Parking Ramp, and for "sparking" an arts renaissance and transforming a derelict block into "State of the Art St." And for coordinating 50 volunteers for Mural Fest 2015.
Jablon is nominated for creating the ""Confluence Arts Project" installing mosaics, and for engaging at risk and underserved populations and people with disabilities in artistic activities.
Other nominees are Susan Ashbaker Director of the Tri Cities Opera for leading the organization from financial and organizational challenges, and for introducing "opera writ large"; Harold and Toby Jean Manker, Program Directors of the Phelps Mansion Museum for chartering the Phelps as a "house museum" and initiating musical events; Alvin Williams III of Classical Pianists of the Future for "Helping young talented classical pianists follow their dreams."
Voting is open to members of the Arts Council until July 29th. Membership is $35/year.
The Broome County Arts Council will announce winners of its 2016 Heart of the Arts and Lifetime Achievement Awards during a news conference at 10am, Wednesday, August 10th at the at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel’s Sun Briar Court in downtown Binghamton
Awards will be presented Monday September 19th at the 11th Heart of the Arts Award Celebration, DoubleTree Hotel Grand Ballroom, downtown Binghamton. Tickets are $55 for general admission and $50 for arts council members. For more information
e-mail information@broomearts.org or call 607-723-4620.
A guerilla art installation on the abandoned Master Cleaners on Chenango St.
Photo: DPA installs Three Panel on the fence in front of KNOW Theatre as well as on 5 boarded up windows.
Mark Bowers, DPA member and now a member of the KNOW Theatre, initiated an installation of mural panels to beautify and draw attention to the theatre. Mural panels were painted last year by Bruce Greig and Kady Perry's BCC Mural ART Class. "This is a great melding of two art forms," said Bowers, "and a great use of these panels by many young artists."
The Dept. of Public Art (DPA) works with property owners and local artists to create “movable murals” that will transform boarded up buildings into colorful, meaningful art displays. We believe that art is one way to improve neighborhoods, make abandoned buildings more desirable, and encourage artists and residents to feel proud about their community.
The DPA has a number of murals painted on 4 X 8’ plywood ready for installation. Murals are designed to be temporary and when a property is re-purposed or torn down, the owner has the obligation to notify us so that it can be offered to another building owner. Aside from that there are no strings—the murals are free.
The DPA is a volunteer group that creates and promotes public art. This project was funded previously by the Chenango Arts Council’s Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the NYS Council on the Arts, with support from Governor Cuomo and the NYS Legislature. Additional support for Broome County provided by the Stewart W. & Willma C. Hoyt Foundation. To arrange for a free mural or to learn more about this project please contact us at binghamtonbridge@gmail.com. More photos in the Image Gallery/Dept. of Public Art at https://binghamtonbridge.org/image?page=1&term=58 .
NEWS FLASH: Mayor David has added $750 to the prize for the winning design AND the deadline is being extended to July 17th. The Dept. of Public Art (DPA) announces a design contest for a mural slated for the rear of the Binghamton Plaza along the Chenango River Trail, which is also the site of this year's Mural Fest 2016 at Cheri Lindsey Park. "This wall is visible from across the river which makes it part of the Binghamton Gateway and will show Binghamton as a creative, vibrant, and growing community," said Peg Johnston of the DPA. The contest, which carries a $250 prize, will attract local, regional, and national talent and will portray Binghamton's strengths and beauty. The deadline is July 5th and designs should be uploaded to co-sponsor Re-Bold Binghamton's site reboldbinghamton.com.
"We are grateful to Michael Galesi and Galesi Development, owner of the Binghamton Plaza property, for his forward thinking in allowing us to paint a mural on this building," commented Mark Bowers, one of the coordinators for Mural Fest 2016. Mr. Galesi, as well as the newly formed Public Arts Advisory Board and Mayor Rich David will have input on the final design. “We are looking for a bold design that will represent the best of Binghamton and track well from across the river,” said Bowers.
Councilman Conrad Taylor, who represents the North Side said, “The people of the Northside are fighting every day to revitalize their neighborhood and welcome this opportunity to make the Northside waterfront a more beautiful place.”
Mural Fest 2016 is slated for September 17th, and will be held along the Chenango River Trail at Cheri Lindsey Park. The pool house at the Park will also be painted on that day. There will also be art activities for children and adults. Last year's Mural Fest created more than 30 mural panels which were subsequently placed on boarded up buildings in Binghamton, a program which continues.
Both Mural Fests were funded in part by the Chenango Co Arts Council (NYS Decentralization grant) with help from the Hoyt Foundation, as well as by the Broome County Tourism fund. Additional fundraising will be needed for supplies and actual painting of the mural. For more information and for a copy of the Request for Proposals, contact DeptofPublicArt@gmail.com.
Download the RFP for Mural Fest Design Contest below.
The Dept. of Public Art received a $5000 grant from the Chenango Co. Arts Council and the Hoyt Foundation in 2015 to place murals on blighted properties. In all, DPA volunteers placed 37 panels on 11 sites.
The Blight as Our Canvas project aimed to post temporary murals on blighted properties in Binghamton. The goal of the project was to get public art into neighborhoods and to improve the appearance of blighted properties. Audiences included neighborhood residents, local artists interested in painting, and property owners trying to improve their buildings.
In all, we placed murals on 11 properties, creating four site specific original murals, and using panels from Mural Fest participants and other artists, we installed 37 individual mural panels. Three events highlighted the project for the public—Mural Fest 2015 itself, State St. Block Party, and the Cooperative Gallery event, in all a couple of thousand people.
Download the entire report–with lots of photos–below.
