For Immediate Release
Contact: Deb Litman
301.777.2787 (ARTS)
Allegany Arts Council seeks public input on public art project
CUMBERLAND—The Allegany Arts Council invites members of the public to participate in a community input meeting regarding a proposed Public Art Across Maryland (PAAM) grant project application. The meeting will take place Thursday, September 16, 2021, at 5:00PM, at the Allegany Arts Council. All members of the public are invited to attend and masks are required within the premises. There is no charge to participate, and RSVPs are not required.
The project being proposed would be visible to pedestrians and bicyclists along the Great Allegheny Passage, one of the most visible and frequently visited areas of our community. The site is one of several identified by the Allegany Arts Council, Allegany County Tourism, and the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation as ideal locations for public art projects. Local artists Chris Sloan, Arnold d’Epagnier, and Bill Dunlap have developed a public art concept for this location and secured permission from its owner, Allegany County Public Schools, to apply for project funding. The Allegany Arts Council will work in collaboration with the artists to prepare a public art grant application to be presented in November.
The public input forum is a required part of all Public Art Across Maryland grant applications and will provide insight and community input into the project’s design process. That feedback will be incorporated into the final project design submitted in the application. If awarded, the project is expected to begin in Spring 2022.
The Arts Council is enthusiastically in support of this project, strongly believing that the presence of public art in communities adds enormous value to the cultural, aesthetic, and economic vitality of the place. Public art has become a well-accepted principle of urban design, contributing to a community’s identity, fostering community pride, and enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors.
###
