City Of West Palm Beach Advances Coronavirus Artist Relief Initiative

From the City of West Palm Beach:

September 28, 2020

The City of West Palm Beach has launched a new initiative which aims to provide financial relief to 15 local artists while simultaneously debuting new public art displays throughout the City.

On Monday, September 21, 2020, City Commissioners approved the City’s Art in Public Places (AiPP) program’s initiative called “The Commons: 15 Artists, 15 Spaces” initiative. The 15 artists will receive a stipend and a public, City location to use as a platform for their temporary artwork display. The artists’ works will offer their personal perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The selected artists, who responded to the City’s call for submissions, and their installations are:

• Emilio Aponte Sierra Paretti, COVIDA, at 314 Clematis Street
• Anthony Burks, Sr., Let’s Go Fly A Kite, at Currie Park (A one day art event)
• Gregory Dirr, Spirits of South Florida, at Dreher Park near Palm Beach Zoo
• Dana Donaty, YES- Holding Space, at Jose Marti Park
• Robert Fehre, Bhadrasana – (The Gracious Pose), at Monceaux Park
• Nicole Galluccio, Garden of Joy, at Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach
• Ates Islidak, SPACES: A Documentary on 15 Artists 15 Spaces
• Peggy Lowenberg, “Abstract Pop!” at the Great Lawn (A one-day art event)
• Ken Mullen, Reclaiming the Distance, at South Olive Park
• Missy Pierce, “Disconnected”, at City Center
• Trina Slade Burks, The Powerful Me, at Coleman Park
• Amauri Torezan, Place like Paradise, at Chamber of Commerce (3rd St. & N. Flagler Dr.)
• Erick and Mayling Marquez, Once There, at Dreher Park near the South Florida Science Center
• Andrew Ulloa, A Frame in Time (City of West Palm Beach Instagram)

The artworks will be installed by the end of 2020. The temporary pieces will be exhibited through May of 2021.

Two of the artists will host one-day events of public participation in an activity related to their creation, while the others will use a wide selection of media to create their visions. Eight of the artists involved in this project are first-time participants in West Palm Beach’s AiPP program.

“The City has offered COVID-19 assistance to many residents and business owners affected by COVID-19. As the local artist community has also been greatly impacted, we are pleased to make this program available in support of local artists. Their works will encourage artistic discovery, infuse creativity into our City’s neighborhoods, and celebrate our city, as we work together to overcome the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James.

AiPP projects, including “The Commons”, are funded through a 2014 ordinance requiring private developers to contribute to public art by commissioning artwork on their site or contributing to the Public Art Fund with the understanding that, by doing so, they contribute to the vitality and desirability of the City. Per the Ordinance, the Public Art Fund, which is separate from the City’s General Fund, and can be used for only the selection, commission, acquisition, installation, and maintenance of public art. The Ordinance allows for a broad spectrum of artworks in our city. The proposed artworks and location are reviewed by the City’s AiPP Committee, which is comprised of private citizens, for recommendation to the City Commission for final approval.

This press release was produced by the City of West Palm Beach. The views expressed are the author's own.