Community Meeting for Downtown Greenway Railroad Underpass Public Art Collaboration

October 11, 2010

Sorry you missed the October 27th Public Input Meeting for the Downtown Greenway Railroad Underpass Public Art Collaboration. The public input period closed on November 5th and we are now collecting input to share with the artists so they can begin their design work.  Stay tuned for more information. 

Community Meeting to be held October 27 to Gather Public Input for Downtown Greenway Railroad Underpass Public Art Collaboration

 Sculptor Jim Gallucci and Lighting Designer Scott Richardson will meet with residents to discuss this public art project funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

A $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts has made possible the creative renovation of an abandoned railroad underpass that will be a key link between the recently completed first phase of the Downtown Greenway and the next section to be constructed of the 4 mile trail that will eventually encircle downtown Greensboro. This artistic collaboration will include innovative lighting, sculpture, graphics, and landscaping to create a unique outdoor public art space.  The public is invited to attend a community meeting on October 27, 2010 from 12-2:00pm or 5-7:00pm at the Carriage House at Blandwood to learn about the project and to give their input to the artists involved in the project.

Click here to see the meeting flyer.

The vision for this currently inaccessible underpass, which travels underneath the still active Norfolk Southern operated North Carolina Railroad rail line, includes the design and fabrication of twelve decorative iron gates to be placed in existing arched doorways along the underpass, through which will be seen graphic panels that will tell part of the story of Greensboro’s history. Local sculptor Jim Gallucci will design and fabricate the gates, and innovative, artistic lighting, designed by local lighting expert Scott Richardson, will illuminate the entire area. Both Gallucci and Richardson will attend the meetings to meet with the public and discuss the project in more detail.

Situated within 1/8 mile of an already commissioned $150,000 public artwork scheduled for installation in June 2011, the underpass will be a gateway to and from an art plaza that will serve as one of four cornerstones of the Greenway. It will connect the plaza to a trailhead with parking, making this site a key link within a ¼ mile stretch of the trail known as the Morehead Linear Park. Once complete, the railroad underpass will become an important link for many reasons. For residents of southern Greensboro, the underpass will offer a pedestrian and bicycle friendly access to the city center. Greensboro College students will use the trail to access the college’s planned sports park. And the trail as a whole will eventually serve as both the hub and a connector to the entire network of trails in the community, both existing and planned.  It will also position Greensboro as the only city in North Carolina, and one of a very few in the country, that will have a greenway trail to encircle and define its downtown.

From its earliest planning stages, Downtown Greenway coordinators determined that visually appealing public art of various types and scale would be an important feature of the Downtown Greenway. Upon its completion the Downtown Greenway trail will wind its way through several neighborhoods, each with its own unique history and story to tell. Public art, paid for through a combination of grants, private donations, and corporate funding, will be scattered along the trail, and will help tell the story of these neighborhoods and our city. As the trail travels through distinct neighborhoods, historic sites have been identified, and an artist, chosen specifically for the commission, will meet with neighborhood residents to gain a full understanding of the significance of each particular site before beginning their creative work. In addition, functional site pieces such as bike racks and signage will be designed to make them both useful and visually appealing. The installation of four major, large-scale public artworks, along with historically significant, site-specific artwork, as well as site pieces that are both artistic and functional, will enhance the visual quality and beauty of both the Downtown Greenway and Greensboro itself.

 

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