Six public art projects have received a combined total of $60,755 in funding from the Maine Arts Commission thanks to a generous donation by the Harry Faust Art Fund. Recipients of the funding are artists Christina Bechstein, Randy Regier, Susan Camp, Robert Rainey and Sandy MacLeod, as well as the City of Gardiner.
The Harry Faust Art Fund, created in memory of Waterville's well-known community leader, mentor, educator, advocate and supporter of the arts, has allowed the Maine Arts Commission to administer a one-time competitive grant that offered up to $20,000 for artists, non-profit organizations, and for-profit organizations in Maine to create or exhibit public sculpture. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 became available in January for projects promoting the quality of public spaces through the incorporation of sculptural artwork. Applications requesting a total $448,156 in support were submitted. The review committee chose six projects for funding.
Two of the projects commission artists to create singular works. Christina Bechstein, with "attern," will be creating a gathering place through her installation work. In partnership with the City of Lewiston, the Sandcastle Preschool construction and the Lewiston community, Bechstein's place-making sculptural installation will welcome all community members as well as the children who will be using the preschool facility. Randy Regier, with "A Toy Store for Spaceship Earth,"will create a stylized toy store installation that will appear in four downtown locations across Maine in 2010. The wonder and whimsy of Regier' work will enliven the community and draw people from outside the region to experience this world class artist's creation.
Two projects commissioned artists who focus on outreach as a key element to their work. Susan Camp's, "Gourd Project," will be a collaborative project on a communal growing site in Waldo County. She plans to work with the students, teachers and community members involved in the Troy Howard Middle School Garden to create artwork through agricultural means, primarily the manipulation of gourds. Similarly, Robert Rainey's project "Path-ology," was conceived to allow the collaboration between himself and 13 University of Maine at Augusta students. The team is dedicated to creating ephemeral installations in three different natural locations over the summer of 2009. Working with the students and the Maine Parks system Rainey's project promises to highlight the spontaneous character of public art in unusual settings.
The final two projects are community based, one initiated by the City of Gardiner for artists, and the other initiated by artist Sandy MacLeod for the City of Portland. Jason Simcock, director of planning and development for the City of Gardiner, saw the grant as a way to take their burgeoning public sculpture program to the next level. The Sculpture in the Parks program has evolved into a joint venture between the city, Gardiner Main Street, and local Gardiner arts agencies to bring sculpture to Gardiner parks through 2012. Sandy Macleod intends to champion a similar project for the Portland State Pier. Sandy plans to install large-scale outdoor sculptures through 2009 and 2010.
The breadth and depth of the projects, coupled with the range of work they promise to produce will undoubtedly bring creative vibrancy to Maine's quality of place. "I hope the people of Maine will be as excited about these projects as I am," said Kerstin Gilg, the Public Art associate of the Maine Arts Commission, "not only for the quality of the projects themselves, but in the collaboration that takes place to make projects like this possible. It is encouraging to see business interests, arts interests, agriculture interests, city and state government interests and others all come together in an effort to improve our shared environment. The fact that these funds came from a private citizen, Harry Faust, really brings the idea of working together for public benefit home. It is in our own best interests to have our public spaces be as enjoyable as possible and art is an important part of that equation."
For more information about the Public Art program or any other program of the Maine Arts Commission, visit www.MaineArts.com.
Imahe, "Nupenny Process" Randy Regier
For more information:
Contact: Darrell Bulmer
Phone: 207/287-6746
email: darrell.bulmer@maine.gov
WWW: mainearts.com
