Public ARTWORKS
Public ARTWORKS' mission is to provide public art experiences and opportunities for our community. We endeavor to provide ongoing awareness of the arts by making artwork an accessible and daily part of our lives.
Our History
Our Towns: 2010 and the Williamsport Main Street Committee joined forces in 2001 to start an art event called Williamsport First Friday. Each First Friday of the month, downtown Williamsport celebrates the arts with food, music and art, showcasing creativity in coffee shops, restaurants, galleries and on the streets. Williamsport Merchants and Business Association joined in forming the First Friday Committee. The committee added gallery openings, musicians and other performers to their list and First Friday took off. As a result of the work of this committee, a high school gallery, a college gallery, a grade school gallery and an annual regional juried street art show were created.
Soon after the launch of First Friday, a program called Air/Scape (Artist in Residence/ Small City Art Program) was developed, giving an artist a grant to create a piece of public art on First Friday. New public art started to appear all over downtown Williamsport. People in the community began talking about public art and became interested in murals. The First Friday Committee brought speakers to town for seminars about public art and murals and mural artist Michael Pilato was invited to create Lycoming County: Inspiration The Mural. Because the mural planned to show the story of the history of Williamsport, many different groups in Williamsport became involved in funding its creation. The Chamber of Commerce and Our Towns: 2010 were lead partners in the mural project and held a major fundraising party called Mural Madness that raised more than $40,000. The mural Lycoming County: Inspiration can be seen across from the Community Arts Center, 4th Street, on the walls of The Bullfrog Brewery.
Some of the women who were behind Mural Madness, decided they wanted to stay together and continue having "fun with art." Public ARTWORKS', a committee whose mission was to bring public art to Lycoming County, was born. Wanting to partner with others in the community, the group invited Lycoming County Transportation, and the United Way.
Our first project was a wood sculpture for the regional airport. Looking for a second project, members of the group were surprised to discover that Williamsport already had a sizeable collection of public art, so they decided to publish a downtown walking art tour map. When the new pieces from First Friday were added to that collection there was enough art to create an hour-long walking tour.
The Our Towns history of working with the county to bring about the creation of the Riverwalk made Public ARTWORKS the logical group to add a sculpture park to the River Walk. Since then there have been many additional pieces added all over Williamsport and surrounding community.
Sources
Texts used in the Development of our Public Art Program:
- Jeffery L. Cruikshank and Pam Korza: Going Public: A Field Guide to Developments in Art in Public Space
- B. Goldstein: Public Art by the Book
- Craig Dreezen, Ph.D: Fundamentals of Art Management
- John Villani: The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America
- Richard Florida: The Rise of the Creative Class
Gift of Art Program
By offering a gift of artwork to a city, artists are able to leave their mark on an area by erecting a memorial for a local person or event, supporting a cause, or by simply beautifying an unused space. Although a city would love to take in all gifts offered to it by local artists, many factors must be considered before an artwork is accepted.
Location
- What spaces are available in the city/county?
- Did the artist have a specific location in mind?
- How will the piece affect the use of the space?
- Does the city have permission to use a certain space?
Significance
Does the work have a specific meaning to the artist, or does the piece have historical relevance to the location so that more viewers can appreciate its meaning?
Maintenance/Durability:
Who will be charged with maintaining the quality of the work? Who will fund the maintenance? How will the piece hold up over time?
Gift of an Art Proposal:
All of these questions and more should be addressed in the "Gift of an Artist Proposal" submitted with the artwork by the community group or individual artist proposing the piece.
The proposal should include:
- A letter of submission, which would include a personal statement by the artist/community group as to why the piece is being submitted, a history of the piece, the possible site of its location, and an assurance of authentication, stating that you have the right to donate the piece.
- A appraisal of the artworks value.
- Pictures of the work, or if possible, the work itself.
Maintenance and Durability Plan:
Describe what kind of maintenance the piece will require over time, considering other public artworks made of similar materials.
- How might the elements of weather (wind, rain, sun, etc.) affect the piece?
- How often will the piece need to be evaluated to assess any damage done?
- Will funds be raised to provide maintenance for this piece over its lifespan (an expected thirty years)?
- Can estimations be made on projected maintenance costs for the future?
If maintenance funds/arrangements will not be provided by the artist/community group, a written consent by the donor must be signed, allowing Public ARTWORKS to hire a conservator of their own choosing to care for the piece. A written agreement by the artist/community group allowing Public ARTWORKS to remove the piece from its location should the use of the current space be changed in the future.
Review Board
An ad hoc panel consisting of Public ARTWORKS committee members, a local artist, a professor of art and a representative from the proposed site location will meet to discuss proposed work. Some sample questions that the board takes under consideration:
- Is the piece made with quality craftsmanship and with aesthetic quality?
- Is there an appropriate space available for the piece?
- Is the piece insured, assuming responsibility for any damaged caused to, or by the piece?
- Is there a specified maintenance for the care of the piece? Is it relatable to the Public Art Collection as a whole?
Once the board has made its decision on each proposed artwork, the donor will receive a letter signed by the members of the panel with the decision they made, stating their reasons for rejection or directions on how to move forward with the Installation process.
Public ARTWORKS Committee Members:
- Laura Flynn: Co-Chair
- Karen Miller: Co-Chair
- Rosann Pelleschi
- Mark Murawski
- Sandy Hill
- Judy Olinsky
- Laura Templeton
- Tania Thomas
- Yvonne DiRocco
Call to Artists
Public ARTWORKS encourages interested artists to respond to this Request for Proposals to develop public art pieces for consideration. Proposals will be accepted anytime.
We are formally requesting proposals from interested artists to design, construct, install, and maintain public art piece(s),
Public ARTWORKS has been working closely with Lycoming County to ensure that public art along the Riverwalk is consistent with themes that depict the unique history of the Williamsport area, especially those developed under the PA Lumber Heritage Region Timber Trail initiative.
The Lumber Heritage Region and PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have provided funding for the interpretative signage, benches, and Muncy artist Pam Madia Barner's Woodhick sculpture, erected in 2009, depicting our region's rich lumbering era.
In September 2012, an additional 35-foot-wide stainless-steel fish sculpture art piece, created by Mike Patterson of Oval, PA, was installed along the Riverwalk on the levee flood wall in South Williamsport near the Maynard Street Bridge. The piece, entitled "What Lives in There," depicts nine native fish species found in the Susquehanna River. As a result, there are two public art pieces now on the Riverwalk, and Public ARTWORKS is now seeking development of a third art piece as part of this Request for Proposals.
West Fourth Street Public Art
The West Fourth Street Corridor situated between Market and Hepburn Streets located in Downtown Williamsport also provides an excellent venue for display of public art. This corridor is the main travel and pedestrian artery through downtown and is the scene of First Friday and other major community events throughout the year, so public art is very visible and accessible to thousands of people on a daily basis. Several public art pieces already exist along this street.
Basic requirements that must be addressed in proposals:
Clearly indicate for which site you are submitting a proposal (Riverwalk or West Fourth Street). Please note you may submit proposals for both sites, but please separate your proposals into two parts, with a separate scope of work and budget for each of the locations.
Art themes that are encouraged for consideration include:
- Log Boom/Lumber Era History of Williamsport
- Prominent role the Susquehanna River plays in regional commerce and recreation
- PA Wilds Initiative
- Underground Railroad
- Victorian Era
- Marcellus Shale gas exploration
- Outstanding scenic natural settings (e.g., mountains, river, valley)
- Williamsport/Lycoming County as a vibrant hub of Northcentral PA
- Art Town (downtown/neighborhood revitalization driven by the arts)
- Little League Baseball
Note: Artists can research the history of the Williamsport Area and Lycoming County by contacting the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, Taber Museum, and James V. Brown Library as key resources.
The Riverwalk art display will be confined specifically to that portion of the Riverwalk (referred to as the "Sculpture Park") between the Carl E. Stotz Memorial Little League Bridge (formerly known as the Market Street Bridge) and Maynard Street Bridge on the north and south sides of the river. Artwork will not be placed on either bridge structure, as these bridges are owned by PennDOT, not Lycoming County.
All art displays must be permanent and weather resistant and cannot pose public safety hazards.
An artist's rendition of the art piece must accompany your proposal submission.
Provide construction details (i.e., guidelines for space-dimension needs and an itemized list of construction materials to be used, along with a supporting budget and assembly process).
No sexually explicit pieces will be considered.
When the art display is erected, the artist agrees to provide and install a plaque that states artist's name, name of piece, sponsor name as Public ARTWORKS (and any other donors as may be identified by Public ARTWORKS, if applicable), and date of installation.
Clearly outline a budget to develop and install the piece and show what financial investment (and other in-kind contributions such as labor and materials) will be made by the artist vs. financial and other in-kind support needed from Public ARTWORKS, as a partnership approach.
Provide a maintenance plan and describe artist's level of commitment required to ensure long-term preservation of the outdoor art piece.
Provide a project development schedule that achieves full installation by (Public ARTWORKS reserves the right to adjust this schedule if warranted by circumstances such as funding, permits, weather conditions, etc.)
Provide references (names and phone numbers) of other organizations that Public ARTWORKS can contact in order to verify that you are capable of successfully carrying out the proposed project.
Submission Procedures
Contact Lycoming Arts for details.
Downtown Art
This is the gallery of all the current public art in downtown Williamsport.
Riverwalk Art
The Susquehanna River walk is a four mile stretch of trail along the banks of the Williamsport, South-Williamsport and Loyalsock township parts of the Susquehanna River. This $2.5 Million project, completed in 2009, consists of The Timber Trail, referencing Williamsport's history as the lumber capital of the world. Along the trail you will find a number of plaques with a history of the region including the railways, and the West Branch Canal system, in addition to the area's lumber boom.
The Wood Hick, by Pamela Barner
The Woodhick, a bronze sculpture crafted by Pamela Madai Barner of Muncy, PA, represents the typical working lumberjack of that era. The Woodhick was the first piece of art to be placed on the river walk. This project was funded by Lycoming County through a grant obtained from the Lumber Heritage Region.
Artist Statement: “Visual art has been prominent in my life since early. It is a lifelong pursuit. I had been encouraged, supported and spurred on by my parents, especially from my mother who was an artist. Since youth, I was taught to see things differently- through the eyes of an artist. Early lessons had me watching the news, not to learn of what was going on in the world, but rather to study the anchor's face since he or she was a relatively fixed model. My fascination with the human form continues though I enjoy other subject matter as well. I marvel in the creative process and the flow that occurs when the spirit of creation takes over. I find a deep connection with each piece of my art as I easily become absorbed in the creative process. Whatever the medium I work in, I hope to create a visual connection that will stir emotion, thought, wonderment, spirit and energy in myself as well as in the viewer. My style grows and shifts with time and experience. My drive remains consistent, purposeful and focused. In each developing moment I see that I am supported by observing the viewer observe and connect to my work. - Pamela Barner
What Lives in There, by Michael Patterson
Artist Michael Patterson of Oval, PA, created the stainless steel sculpture called What Lives In There. The sculpture, which was unveiled on September 25, 2012, is mounted on the floodwall on the Susquehanna River Walk in South Williamsport, near the Maynard Street Bridge. The sculpture was funded by a grant from the First community Foundation and a Legacy donation from Jane and Charlie Darrow in honor of Ann Combs Darrow. Sculpture is visible on the concrete wall along the Riverwalk on the left (when traveling south) of the Maynard Street bridge. Turn left into the parking lot of Riverfront South.
Artist Statement: "This is what lives in there - right there in the river on the other side of the fence - musky, shad, carp smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish, sucker, sunfish and eel. I chose the theme because I love fish and fishing. Creating a piece showing species of fish native to the river was a perfect way of connecting the river walk to the river. When I moved to the area in 1969, the river was little more than a garbage dump and was nearly devoid of aquatic life. The river was a mess. Now the river is much cleaner and the fish depicted in the sculpture, except the shad, are in abundance. People should remember, however, that demands are being placed on the river by growing communities and the river should be treated with care and honor." - Michael Patterson
Williamsport Regional Airport Art
There are two beautiful public art pieces featured in the Williamsport Regional Airport close by.
Standing Figure, by Brian Flynn, was sponsored by Public ARTWORKS and The Williamsport Regional Airport, and installed on October 11th, 2007 at the Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville, PA.
Undercurrent, a polished aluminum-and-plexiglas wall sculpture by former Penn College art professor Fred Gilmour, is installed in the passenger concourse. The work, commissioned by Lycoming Arts' Public Artworks committee, mimics a flowing current—fitting for an airport hub—using shimmering clear and blue elements.