Category: Public Art

Groundbreaking for Freedom Cornerstone

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Work has started on the Freedom Cornerstone site, located on the southeast corner of the greenway at Gate City Blvd. and Murrow Blvd. The site will be transformed into the fourth and final cornerstone of the greenway project, which focuses on the theme of Freedom - an integral part of Greensboro's history and future. Internationally renowned artist, Radcliffe Bailey, was selected to commission this major piece of public art. His design includes many components that are rich in symbolism and historical significance, including references to Middle Passage, the Underground Railroad, West African culture, and the experience of enslaved people in the southern US. The art will also incorporate elements of poetry, music, and sound. Read more about the Freedom Cornerstone and Radcliffe Bailey's design here.

Walking Tours Return

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As we approach the cooler Fall temperatures, we are excited to share that walking tours are back! These free guided tours of the Downtown Greenway are a great way to explore and learn al the intricacies of the greenway. Join us to learn how the greenway came to be, Greensboro's history, surrounding neighborhoods, public art installations, environmental stewardship, community stories, economic impact, future projects, and more! Tours will start and finish at LoFi Park (500 N. Eugene Street) and be led by Program Coordinator, Chelsea Phipps, or Project Manager, Dabney Sanders. Each tour is approximately 3 hours and will cover the entire 4-mile loop, including the three miles of completed greenway and also the future section to be constructed along the western side. Space is limited for each tour, which are offered monthly on Saturday mornings from 9 am - 12 noon, during September to December. Register online to reserve your space.

New Neighborhood Bench in East Greensboro

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The Downtown Greenway’s newest public art piece was installed in August 2022, as the neighborhood bench for East Greensboro. Vigilance is located at the corner of Murrow Boulevard and East Market Street. The piece features a central candle column surrounded by three triangular benches, all adorned in mosaic work with colorful ceramics and mirrors. Created by artist Theresa Arico, the sculptures also include embedded verses throughout from Amanda Gorman‘s poem The Hill We Climb. It is a powerful work of art and absolutely stunning! Stop by the corner of Market & Murrow to experience it for yourself, and let us know what you think. Theresa shares that mosaic is her favorite form of creative expression because it allows the use of both new and recycled objects to create a new vision and purpose. The ability to reassign value in cast-off objects that would typically contribute to the waste stream is important to her. Reinvention and second chances are important aspects of our human story as well. Theresa’s primary focus is creating or contributing to an environment that is nourishing and healing, and she hopes her work infuses others with hope, inspiration and passion. Theresa is based in Chapel Hill, NC and is an active member of the Orange County Artists Guild.

Opening Celebration of Cairn’s Course at Westwoods

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May 22 marked the official opening of Thomas Sayre's piece called Cairn's Course at WestWoods along the railroad corridor on the western side of the Downtown Greenway. We also celebrated the soon to start construction of the final 1 mile of the 4 mile loop of the Downtown Greenway that will start later this year.  If you were unable to attend, click here to watch the Facebook Live event. Read recent article about the project by Dawn Kane in the News & Record.  

Work continues on the West Woods site

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Works continues on the West Woods site along the railroad corridor on the Downtown Greenway! This monumental earthcasting is unlike anything else along the Downtown Greenway or in Greensboro.  Three “cairns” of stacked concrete “stones” that were dug from the earth nearby will serve as a beacon to this former industrial site that is adjacent to Greensboro College’s Theatre Arts Campus at 501 Guilford Avenue. Watch the video from work on the site.  Click here to read Dawn Kane's article in the News & Record.    

Work is complete on Morehead Park Bridge Supports called ‘Bridging the Gap’

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Re-painting of the bridge supports at Morehead Park is complete! Local artist Darlene McClinton and team have added new life to the bridge supports and named it Bridging the Gap. Click here to read News & Record article by Dawn Kane. Watch the Live for 45 Session on December 9 at noon with Darlene and part of her creative team on their experience: Jennifer Meanley-UNCG Art Professor/MFA program, Neidy Perdomo- Local Graphic Designer, James Raleigh - Local Artist.    

Call to Artists issued for next 3 art projects on Downtown Greenway

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 A call to artists have been issued for the next three art projects on the Downtown Greenway. We are commissioning 9 benches to be created by North Carolina artists and recognizing neighborhood connections along the Downtown Greenway.  Each artist will be assigned a location and will work with the appropriate neighborhood to determine the character of that neighborhood and use that for inspiration in the design. CALL TO ARTISTS: A call to artist has been issued for the next 2 neighborhood benches on the Downtown Greenway.  Click here for the call to artist for the Dunleath Neighborhood Artists Bench.  Click here for the call to artist for the East Market Street Neighborhood Artists Bench. The deadline for both submissions is January 8, 2021.  There are several special features that have been commissioned to either mark an area of historical significance or to take advantage of a particular opportunity. CALL TO ARTISTS: A call to artist has been issued for the Summit Avenue Bridge Art Project. Click here for the call to artist.  The deadline for submission is January 11, 2021.

Virtual Downtown Greenway Golf Cart Tours

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Want to check out the Downtown Greenway on a virtual golf cart tour? Project Manager Dabney Sanders takes you on two golf cart tours of the Downtown Greenway.  The first tour is of the open sections that you can explore now on foot or bike. Find out the history behind some of the pieces of public art, the innovative efforts to go green, and some of the economic growth that has developed along the Downtown Greenway. The second golf cart tour is of the sections under construction and along the railtrail on the Downtown Greenway that will soon be under construction. And a SPECIAL sneak peek of artist Thomas Sayre's fascinating work on the West Woods art project on Phase 4. Click here to take the golf cart tour of the open sections. Click here to take the golf cart tour of the sections under construction and along the railroad corridor.

Work on West Woods Project Moving Foward

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Artist Thomas Sayre is working hard on fabricating pieces for the West Woods Project along the railroad corridor on the Downtown Greenway. These wire structures will be placed inside the dug holes before the iodized concrete is poured in. And the round terrazzo stone with a stainless steel bug inlay will be placed within the concrete spiral walkway that leads to the cairn structures. We anticipate that Thomas will start installation the first of October, weather dependent, with completion of the project in November. In case you missed the article by Dawn Kane in the News & Record on Thursday, click here.    

Call to Artists for Morehead Park Mural Project

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Repairs to the bridge supports were made overhead at the Morehead Park trailhead parking area on the Downtown Greenway along Spring Garden Street in 2019 and early 2020. Unfortunately all of the paint design on the bridge supports was removed as a part of that process.  The Greenway Public Art Selection Panel has issued a call to artists to commission a replacement for this work.  Click here for how to submit a proposal. Submissions will be due on September 10, 2020.