STRATEGIES FOR ART
Educate, enhance, inspire. The more people see art the more they wonder. It can create or enhance identity, be a wayfinding device and a cultural touchstone. –responses to the question: “What do you think art can do or accomplish in downtown Redmond?” in the Redmond Art Survey
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How can Redmond become a cultural arts destination for visitors from out of town?
When cities hope for “destination-quality art,” they think of Millennium Park in Chicago with a massive space and several pieces, like Anish Kapoor’s Cloudgate. But the cost of Cloudgate alone was over $25 million. How does a city’s art become a destination if the budget can’t support several groundbreaking works in a grand space?
and how to host one.” This relational tactic has drawn tourists, residents, and press to Pittsburgh. This is what Redmond can aspire to become: an arts destination. CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO THE DOWNTOWN THROUGH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION Art can bring residents into the re-designed Downtown by providing experiences and involving local artists in the work. Art that gives agency to the residents through partici-
Truly well-crafted and intriguing social-
pation, public involvement, and dialogue will
practice artworks can create the buzz needed
create a buzz and act like a magnet.
to bring in visitors without the high cost.
And if people participate, they feel they have a stake in the work. Cultural experiences that will activate the corridor are art fairs, pop-up art spaces, outdoor performances, and music. Art that brings people to the corridor is essential to keep the corridor active. Art that brings groups of people to converse with each other around a work is even better. One way to attract participation from local artists is to make a number of “platforms”
There are several pieces around the country that have become destinations. The Waffle Shop in Pittsburgh is one example. An artwork by Jon Rubin and Dawn Weleski, The Waffle Shop is a late night restaurant and live talk show with local talent filling the talk show seats. The program is broadcast on a monitor in the window during the day and online. As Jon Rubin explained, “everyone knows how to be on a talk show
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Everything is OK by MINE Design Firm, 2009, along Market District, San Fransisco, CA. Neon. This piece was made for San Francisco’s Art in Storefronts program.