Wake up the soul! ... If Cleveland Street can dare to share, dare to feel, or dare to try something “world-class,” then it will become the true heart of this community. - response to the Redmond Arts Survey
mixed with a contemporary design aesthetic. It would be difficult for Downtown Redmond to compete with the high-tech capabilities and offerings of the Microsoft campus, so a warm aesthetic will offer a contrasting alternative and a welcoming presence. Lush wild plantings, warm lighting, and warm materials will all contribute to making an inviting environment. The art should be participatory and playful, making the streetscape homey and comfortable. This approach will lend authenticity to the Cleveland streetscape.
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USING A MIX OF PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY WORK FOR THE CORRIDOR Temporary artwork will give Redmond a
the waters and understand what activates the corridor. And temporary art can be more participatory and experiential than permanent art, bringing people to the street to DO something. Temporary work won’t cause complaints if people don’t love it, because they know it will go away. But a temporary piece will also identify an interest if people miss it when it goes away. When imagining public art, we usually think of visual art, but Redmond has already encouraged performance and poetry. Artist teams -- for example a poet and a graphic designer, or a dance troupe and a filmmaker -- make artwork for the corridor that attracts a wider audience of enthusiasts.
chance to see what people appreciate.
Before I Die by Candy Chang, 2011-ongoing, various cities. Chalkboard paint, stencils, text, chalk. This participatiory piece invites viewers to fill in the blanks. The words “Before I die, I want to” are followed by a blank space. This project is available as a kit and has been installed in hundreds of cities world-wide.
The goal is for the City to gain confidence in public art and for the Arts Commission to learn about the cultural needs of a changing community. For the first few years during and after the Couplet Conversion, temporary art will allow Redmond to test
HAVING ARTISTS ON YOUR TEAM AS IDEA GENERATORS Putting artists on teams with City employees, consultants, or developers to make the corridor more lively will generate new ideas toward building the new Downtown.
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