"Blue Heron Through the Ages" by James G. Moore of Colorado, part of Avenues of Art in GilletteDuane Evenson, mayor of Gillette and arts advocate.
His presentation: "Public Arts and Public Officials' Role."
Elected 2002 and took office in 2003. Asked what I could do for Gillette that could be pleasing to the eye and not be trees or grass or something green. Gillette has a beautification program and is always working on that.
February 2003 went to strategic planning session and astounded when officials supported me with appropriation to start "something." Started MAC, Mayor's Arts Council, in Gillette.
Formed MAC with cross-section of community. Charge: "Create something pleasing to the eye that's not green." Avenues of Art created.
There are 28 new pieces of art coming to our community this year. Funding for program is used only for the program. Twenty-five percent of sales goes back into fund. Grants received from WAC for printing costs. Find many of these artists at the annual Loveland Sculpture Show, one of the largest in the U.S. Artists lave work on display for one year. If sold, art stays on display until the end of the contract. Often buyers donate the work back to the city.
Artist reception is always the last Friday of June. Installation of artwork is the last Saturday of June. So artists are there to go to reception and see art installed. Public is invited. A local welding company helps us install all of the pieces on that one Saturday. Each artists receives a stipend of $500 to defray costs of bringing the art. Money provided by local sponsorships. Get them reduced costs at local hotels.
"Flight" by Ana Lazovsky of Israel is the only international piece and Avenues of Art features work by artists from Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, New York and many other states.
City insures the work. Important due to weather risks and vandalism. One piece, "Morning Spirits" by Susan Geissler, was hit by a car during a winter storm. Took it to Loveland to be restored and Geissler came in to repaint. Reinstalled at new site. Same piece wrapped in shrink wrap and set on fire. Had to take it down and take to the foundry in Loveland and artist flies in to repaint. Crimestoppers stepped in to provide reward but nobody caught so far. Now piece sits in front of the Catholic Church, which is appropriate as it shows an old priest (or monk). Local person bought the piece and donated it to the church.
"This program has grown and expanded into something I never could have imagined in the beginning," Evenson says.
Do "People's Choice" award every year for new pieces.
Avenues of Art brochure and map available at http://www.ci.gillette.wy.us.
City always does follow-up with survey. Artists often respond that "it's a pleasure to work with people in Gillette" as everyone is involved in the process.
Other MAC projects: Christmas Pin Design Contest, Artwork selection by City Hall and Children's Memorial Garden.
Fifty pieces bought overall by MAC, city and private donors.
Mayor Evenson wraps up his talk with a plea for ideas on how to bring arts community together into an arts council. Notes that it's tough to get arts groups to all worjk together for a common goal. "My next goal is to unite arts community in Gillette."
