Bradenton Downtown Development Authority to Commission Village of the Arts Sculpture

BRADENTON -- Three artists selected from more than 60 applicants will present their design proposals for sculptures that will mark an entrance to the Village of the Arts. The selected artist will be recommended to the DDA Board for approval. The meeting is open to the public.

The three finalists are: Catherine Woods of St. Petersburg, ShinGray Studio (Todd Gray and Kyungmi Shin) from Los Angeles, and Actual Size Artworks (Gail Simpson and Aristotle Georgiades ) from Madison, Wis. These artists were selected by the panel in March and made a research site visit to Bradenton to visit the Village of the Arts and meet with residents in April. The artist that wins the commission will build and install their art at 12th St W and Martin Luther King Ave. They may also add art to other locations in the Village as part of their design concepts. 

The panel seeks art that will demarcate that entry point of the Village and signify that this is a neighborhood of artists and creativity. The art must be made of materials that will hold up under the Florida climate and meet City permitting standards.

The Bradenton DDA public art program was instituted in July 2009 with the appointment of the Public Art Advisory Board by the DDA. This group oversees the program, recommends sites for public art and appoints members of the selection panels for each project. Projects are funded through the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority as part of its implementation of the Realize Bradenton Cultural Plan to revitalize downtown Bradenton and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Selection Panel members for this project are Amara Cocilovo (chair), Joe Loccisano, Belton Wall IV, Mary LeVine, Joan McKeithen, Christine Turner, Carrie Price and Claude Tankersley.

For more information, contact:  Ann Wykell at awykell@ddabradenton.com or 727-743-8134.