Vision for Art

Art is the expression and experience of human inquiry, ideas and perception. It stimulates emotion and thought, reveals meaning and can uniquely resonate with and inform our personal associations as well as the collective consciousness of the local and global community. Drawing on emotions and intellect, art in the public realm has the potential to capture the collective imagination and cultivate civic unity. These shared experiences and memories in turn become part of the place, building cultural connectivity. Creative placemaking inspires the reimagining and reinforcing of connections between people and the places they share.

Site-specific art relies on unique qualities of its context to achieve its full aesthetic vision, responding to specific conditions of the place through form, material or function. Art that taps into cultural, social and historic stories and the physical qualities and natural systems of its landscape can spark curiosity, wonder and connection. When an artwork is inspired by the uniqueness of a site or local culture, it resonates and connects the viewer or participant to the place through an aesthetic experience.

Greenville is prime for an interlinking of its cultural landscape through a variety of art interventions integrated into improvements of the Center City's public realm, similar to the Emerald Necklace, Frederick Law Olmsted’s linkages of parks and open space woven into the fabric of Boston. Incorporating art into the fabric of Greenville’s public and private spaces will allow it to be embedded in the city's revitalized cultural ethos and physical infrastructure. Integrated art refers to work that becomes an element of another improvement such as the streetscape, a plaza, building or bridge. Pragmatically, integrating art into functional surfaces, structures and systems allows civic spaces to remain flexible for temporary programming during festivals and gatherings. Artwork may also be less integrated, such as a free-standing sculpture that can be moved to various sites.

Art as placemaking refers to public spaces where permanent public art becomes the memorable element of a place, in a sense providing the essence of its character. Placemaking artworks can create gathering places, serving to bring the community together. They can include functional elements such as canopies, seating and paving or iconic sculptures and illuminated structures that act as interactive features or backdrops through their large scale and dramatic presence. Wayfinding artwork can signal cues over large areas, such as episodic repeating visual markers along a trail or a series of gateways. Ultimately, art for the Emerald Loop should instill a holistic identity, culture and environment for Greenville's Center City. Through art, the Center City will be inspirational and memorable; drawing residents, students and visitors from near and far.

The building blocks of the Emerald Loop will be artwork ranging from permanent to temporary, including special events and programs. The diverse artwork types will reinforce and compliment each other, creating a network greater than the sum of its parts. Permanent artworks will anchor the ELVP vision with pieces that become highlights of the urban environment. This civic art will live through decades as a backdrop for events of all sorts, slowly taking on the patina of those gatherings and becoming a palimpsest of community identity. Temporary artworks offer spikes of interest during their rotations. Temporary can indicate a wide variety of time frames ranging from a couple hours, such as a performance, to several years, such as a mural. Performance-based artworks can range in scale from an individual busker to a full-blown art and music festival that can activate an entire city or county by bringing people together.

At the root of the SmART Community Initiative that enabled Greenville's Emerald Loop Vision Plan and the designation of the Center City as an Arts District is a profound recognition of a symbiotic relationship between a thriving creative environment and a robust economy. Active and dynamic urban areas draw in visitors and increase the health and vitality of both culture and commerce.

Artist productions are an important part of a healthy cultural ecosystem and contribute directly to the business environment through employment for artists, craftspeople and contractors. Art also has an indirect catalytic effect on the economy in urban areas, spurring development in many dimensions beyond the initial art investments. As more members of the community visit and participate in cultural activities in the Center City, they will be more likely to visit the shops, restaurants, hotels and bars there - allowing both the creative economies and the business economies to prosper.

A large majority of Americans believe that the arts improve the identity of their community. Art experiences cultivate a community identity by raising awareness that can stimulate dialogue and debate. By questioning and discussing, a community develops, reinforces and fine-tunes its shared values. A broader understanding and appreciation of the various cultural expressions that make up Greenville will enhance the richness of the urban core by building cultural and intellectual capital for a more vibrant and vital Center City. An important long-term benefit of this investment will be the attracting and retaining of young professionals to the major businesses of Greenville. At a time when young professionals are seeking to spend their disposable income on unique experiences, Greenville must invest in the production of such experiences because without these amenities young people will choose instead to live in other places that do offer them.

Art tourism is a term that is used when people travel in order to visit, explore and engage in experiences related to art; spending money on other visitor services to support these activities. This type of tourism includes traveling to art festivals, concerts and culinary events, as well as visiting a place to see its permanent and temporary visual art installations in both museums and public places. Cultural tourism is typically focused on a mosaic of places, artworks, celebrations and experiences that define a community and its people, reflecting its diversity and character. Often it is connected to an arts district, as could be the case with Greenville's Emerald Arts District. With the Greenville Convention Center about a mile south of the City Center, it is recommended to create art experiences in the urban core to draw conventioneers, stimulating the economy of the Center City.

One recommendation of the ELVP is the creation of a “Chamber of Culture” that could be an adjunct to or partner of Greenville’s Chamber of Commerce, assisting in dissemination of arts production and consumption amongst a wider community. With the adoption of the Emerald Loop Vision Plan and its investment in the arts, Greenville will fulfill its aspiration for the Center City to become a 24/7 urban hub offering a network of experiences overlaying art, culture, nature, recreation, dining, transportation, education, commerce and celebration.

The ELVP includes art projects that have the potential to encompass the entire Center City, such as a lighting scheme for architectural facades and towers that can be implemented over time by a variety of stakeholders. With wide enough participation, the impact of the “whole” will be greater than the quantifiable sum of the individual parts. Each piece will be reinforced by the others, since they will share the same conceptual underpinning.

Some Art Elements and Placemaking Nodes noted in the plan already exist and thus create a foundation on which to build, but most are proposed for future implementation. The variety of art media, approaches and budgets is intended to provide “something for everyone,” making it easier for public and private organizations and individuals to find an art opportunity that not only matches but also enhances the other goals of their projects.

Investments in the arts by private developers will be just as important to a vibrant Center City as City funding. When possible, art funding should be tied to larger capital improvement projects. It is recommended that the City implement a two-percent-for-art model that would apply to both public and private developments, creating dependable funding streams for the arts throughout Greenville.

Regional and national grants are also available for funding art implementation but typically must be tied to a particular project.

Ideally, public art should be conceived as integral with the design framework of a development’s surfaces, spaces and wayfinding. For most effective integration, the earlier an artist can join a design team to coordinate their work with that of other disciplines, the better. This allows the best ideas to be integrated in the most cost-effective way.

Rosters of artists pre-qualified to execute integrated artworks, murals and programming events can be established to aid in the selection of artists by both the City and private developers.

Implementation of a public art policy in Greenville should be accompanied by the creation of a Public Art Coordinator position within either the City of Greenville or Emerge to assist the City and developers with selection and management of public artists and implementation of artwork. The public art manager can also facilitate the creation of artist rosters and lead grant writing efforts to secure funding.

Large capital projects are planned years in advance and often take years to fundraise for and then construct. Grants for art also happen on slow cycles and it can take time to receive funds after they have been awarded. For these reasons, the Emerald Loop Vision Plan is anticipated to be implemented over many years.

The projects that have been identified as priorities for implementation by the City of Greenville and Pitt County Arts Council are large-scale "Loop Defining" moves meant to establish the breadth and vision of the Emerald Loop. The thought is that these pieces will set the tone of the Emerald Loop as a collective, imaginative, interactive and innovative cultural destination where art and commerce meet; and then inspire implementation of additional projects identified in or inspired by the Vision Plan.

• Emerald Loop Trolley Car • Trolley Stop Signs • Gateway Street Paving Treatment:

• Artist Design Consult:

• Lighting Standards and Specs • Begin planning for Five Points Plaza

• 10th Street Underpass • Trolley Stop Placemaking Elements • Gateway Street Paving Treatments:

• Gateway Light Poles

• Build Five Points Plaza with integrated

This list is not exhaustive and does not include projects already in development that are included as part of the ELVP. It is also expected that other institutions, agencies and private developers will select some of the ELVP pieces for implementation. Other priority projects include architectural lighting treatments, based on a set of Lighting Standards and Specifications, and enhancements to existing parking deck facades.

Implementation of several projects within the Emerald Loop may dovetail with other plans underway to create a mobile app commemorating Greenville's African American Cultural Trail. With Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza nearing completion, the Roxy Theater is another significant location that is part of the Cultural Trail which has also been designated by the ELVP as a location for several permanent and temporary art installations.

For projects that exist or are in development, the Vision Plan includes suggestions for art elements that would contribute to the Emerald Loop vision. For projects unknown or not started at the time of this writing, it is hoped that the Vision Plan can serve as a resource and template for conceiving cultural experiences appropriate for a particular location or group. The Permanent and Temporary Art Elements sections of the ELVP can act as a kind of “Toolkit,” providing examples of art treatments within the media of Lighting, Sculpture, Surface Treatments and Programming; and describing how they can be applied at different sites.

The ELVP is intended to be a fluid, living document, with the ultimate goal of the Center City being studded with many more gems than what is currently even envisioned. The diagrams are snapshots taken at the time when the plan was completed. Because healthy and growing cities are constantly changing, there will be unforeseen future conditions leading to additions, deletions, crossovers and exchanges between art typologies and sites shown in the diagrams. For instance, circumstances may arise where it becomes more feasible to do a lighting artwork at a site designated for a signature sculpture; or a land owner may wish to fund or provide space for a facade treatment in a location not currently shown in the plan. Opportunities for temporary programming in particular will constantly evolve.

A set of unified street paving gateways mark key intersections the commercial heart of the city. These intersections on 5th Street, Evans Street, and Reade Circle are proposed to include a paving artwork and light pole. The light poles will be the same in all locations and may tie aesthetically to Trolley markers found elsewhere on the Emerald Loop. The paving artworks should be unified in color palette, material and design, with small variations from intersection to intersection. The most important civic node in the Emerald Loop, Five Points, is a City-owned property. It is highly recommended that the north end of the existing Five Points parking lot/plaza be converted into a fulltime community plaza. An iconic, interactive sculpture here with dynamic lighting has the potential to be a civic landmark demarcating the heart and soul of Greenville and the Emerald Loop. A Trolley stop here has high ridership potential. The Uptown Junction is a crossroads between the Urban Core, the Culvert Connector Greenway, ECU and the Truna residential neighborhood. The various enhancements here are proposed to be implemented through a public-private partnership. Intersection and crosswalk paving opportunities exist here. The four corners of the intersection offer other possibilities. An illuminated mural is proposed for the wall facing the Sup Dogs parking lot, where pop-up events can occur. A Downeast Sculpture site could be added to the NE corner and a monumental sculpture proposed for the SE corner would announce arrival at ECU. A Trolley stop here will serve both the Urban Core and ECU.

The north edge of the Center City, bounded by Town Common and the Tar River, is a nature corridor that has potential to expand into the undeveloped open space on the north side of the river if a pedestrian bridge is built. This bridge would not only link these two parklands, but also create a place for people to be over the river, experiencing views of its natural phenomena. The existing vehicular river crossing into Center City, on Pitt Street, can be enhanced with a gateway sculpture that will also activate the Greenway Trail that passes by this location. Town Common Park includes important Placemaking Nodes, two of which are currently in development by the City. On the west side, Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza will be an iconic gateway and gathering space that contains community memories. On the east side, illumination of the historic WWI Memorial Bridge will enhance what is already a strong pedestrian gateway and make it more enticing as a programmable space. Future private development of an event space along the river can include an iconic sculpture, perhaps suspended over a plaza, to create another memorable meeting place connecting people with each other and with nature. The Emerald Loop includes a Trolley to connect the various Emerald Loop Zones, with stops proposed for the north side of 1st Street, at Evans Street. A Gateway paving artwork and light column is also at this intersection to link it with the south side of 1st Street, which has untapped development potential sure to come to reality after these Placemaking Nodes are completed in Town Common.

South of the Emerald Loop inner ring is the booming Dickinson District. Decades ago, sculptor Jonathan Bowling located his studio here and his animal sculptures can be seen all over the neighborhood (and beyond). As in many places, artist activation of this neighborhood initiated its redevelopment. Art experiences in Dickinson are directly related to its economic stimulus, making it a fantastic model of the SmART Community program. Emerald Loop Trolley stops are proposed for the Transit Center, Ficklen Street close to Dickinson Avenue, Clark Street close to Dickinson Avenue, the south side of the UNX redevelopment near the Millennial Connector, and Museum of Art.

In recent years, the storefronts and restaurants located on Dickinson Street have been reoccupied by a variety of independent businesses and brought new life to this part of Greenville. The next step, already underway, is for larger developments that will make larger impacts on the neighborhood. The Placemaking Gems identified in this area are all in development by the City, private developers, ECU and African American artists. In all cases, these projects include innovative adaptations of historic buildings and rail lines – the fabric of a previous generation’s commerce and culture.

The historic Roxy Theater, on Albemarle Avenue, is currently in use by the Greenville Theater Arts Center, a growing company theater with a social arts practice of community development. Striking illuminationg or a mural on the building’s west facade would bring it new life. Pop-up events can and do happen here. The City has plans to create a new plaza on Clark Street, which can include iconic functional sculpture that facilitates pop-up events such as performances and community meals. A primary opportunity that should not be missed is the conversion of an abandoned rail line into the Millennial Connector trail. Murals painted on the building facades along the rail corridor would turn this trail into an open art gallery. The Millennial Connector leads to two other Placemaking Gems, the UNX Redevelopment and ECU Innovation Laboratory, both of which are historic brick warehouses being developed with programs such as food markets and maker labs that will support interaction, innovation and industry. Art elements proposed for these nodes include illumination of historic towers, pop-up spaces and plaza sculpture. Three Gateways with illuminated structures are at intersections on W. 10th Street. Lighting the 10th Street Connector Underpass will create a spectacular “Welcome to Greenville” moment that mirrors the illuminated WWI Bridge in Town Common Park at the opposite corner of the Emerald Loop. Existing niches in the brick walls of the 10th Street Connector can be treated with rotating or permanent murals.

EVANS ST