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Date: 4/17/2023
AMHERST — The area around the playground at Kendrick Park will become home to the creative renderings of a local artist.
The joint venture involving the Amherst Public Art Commission, Business Improvement District and the New England Foundation of the Arts will provide a $10,000 grant for the installation of a piece to stand in the park.
The open call, part of NEFA’s “Making it Public” program is putting the word out to members of the Black, Indigenous and peoples of color, also known as BIPOC, community to solicit entries for the project.
“We want this to have a storytelling component,” said BID Executive Director Gabrielle Gould.
Much of the emphasis on selection criteria will be based on the candidates’ membership and part in the BIPOC community.
Also necessary is a connection, either past or present with the town of Amherst.
Despite that requirement, Gould said the art piece is not about the town.
“We don’t want a town element, it’s about the local artist…their legacy,” she said. “We’re not trying to make a political statement; we’re trying to make an artistic statement.”
While there are specifications and dimension requirements for the actual piece itself, Gould says the community connection and social background of the artist is critical in the final selection.
“It’s really open to a wide arena of artists,” Gould said.
The project calls for the structure itself to be 3-dimensional and made of durable, weather – resistant materials.
“It must be ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessible,” Gould added. “We want a conversation piece.”
A panel creation is currently underway, designed to be made up of diverse members of the community who will also serve as judges. A scoring system used by the panel of judges will award points based up their perceptions of the project’s ability to meet standards relating to impact, community engagement and the overall representation of the artist themselves.
Proposals and submissions will be accepted through 12 p.m. on May 14.
Final installation and a community unveiling are planned for November.
Additional information and application instructions can be found at www.amherstdowntown.com.