Announcements

SMAC RECEIVES NEA GRANT

Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission’s (SMAC) Art in Public Places Program has received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant to produce “Broadway Augmented,” an innovative 15 month public art project that employs cutting edge technology to create ten virtual public artworks in one of Sacramento’s most eclectic transitional neighborhoods.  SMAC leads this partnership with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), the Center for Contemporary Art Sacramento (CCAS), and the Greater Broadway Partnership (GBP) – the Business Association for the neighborhood in which the project will take place. The project will inform the Broadway Vision Plan, (a preliminary master plan for this major Sacramento neighborhood), by laying the groundwork for the funding and commissioning of a permanent work of public art, and by giving SMAC, City Planners, and area designers a unique opportunity to experiment with and develop this very new technology as an innovative tool to assist in the planning and development of future projects in the City.

Ten artists will be chosen by a curatorial team to create a design for a site-specific public artwork along the Broadway corridor. These designs will then be translated by a technician working closely with the artists into three dimensional computer-generated models viewed in the real-world environment using a smart phone or iPad. It works like this: the public downloads and launches an Augmented Reality (AR) application (app) on their smart phone. The custom app will be available for download for Android and Apple devices. Once this is completed, they follow a map within the app that indicates where the virtual artworks are located. They aim their device’s camera at a particular location (shown on the map) to view the artwork for that location in real-time. For example, a plain brick storefront may be transformed by an intricate mural. Audiences will then have the opportunity to react to the works through a simple survey. The results of the survey will ultimately inform both the Broadway Vision Plan and the commissioning of a permanent work of public art along the corridor.

This is truly a groundbreaking project for SMAC. In a dynamic public/private partnership, SMAC will produce a temporary public art project, while introducing new technology that will help inform an important urban planning and design process, and create a citywide discussion about public art and its ability to engage a neighborhood in planning their community. .

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REPAIRING "SOJOURNER" by Elizabeth Catlett

In early January a much beloved and important public artwork at the Sacramento Convention Center Sculpture Garden was vandalized.“Sojourner”, a 7’ tall limestone sculpture by Elizabeth Catlett, was knocked off of its base and broken into several pieces.

SMAC Staff has just confirmed that insurance will fund the repair and the restoration project can now be initiated. A time table has not yet been established. To learn more click here. 

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MAY IS PHONE ART MONTH - Share your Photos of Sacramento

The Sacramento City Council has declared May to be Phone Art Month.  Post your photos of Sacramento throughout the month of May at the Facebook page. 

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Public Artwork Replaced at Autumn Meadow Park

“Welcome” by Jacquelyn Giuffre was commissioned by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and installed in 2006 at Autumn Meadow Park in North Natomas at the corner of Northborough Drive and Dunlay Drive. 

The artwork’s cast resin with glass inlay had begun to deteriorate from exposure to the elements.  Kreysler and Associates, who fabricated the original work, recreated the artwork taking direction from the artist in order to maintain the equivalent artistic esthetics.

On April 17, 2013 “Welcome” was returned to the park, and its new material, polyester terrazzo over fiber reinforced polymer, will stand strong against Sacramento’s sun and rain.

Photo of child using glue

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Sacramento airport installation by artist Dennis Oppenheim