More Public Art Heading to Easton This Summer

In just a few weeks, the Cottingham School building may be transformed into a giant aquarium.

Pine Street between 7th and 8th streets may become a Chinese garden based on the four elements.

Giant photos of Easton images taken by children could brighten up the chain link fencing at St. Anthony's church.

Those are just a few of the imaginative proposals that made it to the second round of the proposals for National Endowment for the Arts-funded art to be placed in various locations in Easton's Downtown and West Ward neighborhoods. The grant provides $200,000 for the project, which was 21 chosen nationally out of about 600 applications, city officials have said.

Out of about 70 entries, 31 remain and 12 to 16 will be chosen by week's end, said the outdoor art show's curator, Lucienne Di Biase Dooley at the last of three meetings to gather public input before the winning entries are chosen.

About 30 people were present at the slide show of proposals held at the Lafayette Williams Center for the Arts Tuesday evening.

“The next step is to narrow down to 12 to 16 projects for the sites,” she said. The number will depend on cost factors, as the different proposals vary in cost and scope.

The temporary exhibits will be on display from May 7 through October, and the Art of Urban Environments committee will be working with the Easton Farmers' Market and the city's Main Street Initiative to hold support events, such as concerts, clowns and other entertainment during the event's duration Di Biase Dooley said. Support PR materials will also guide visitors to the various art installations.

“We have a printed brochure and website coverage,” said Michiko Okaya, who is director of the art galleries for Lafayette College and serves on the committee. “This is essentially a self-guided walking tour.”

“We're trying to have an event every week to coordinate with the festival,” Di Biase Dooley added.

Thirty sites were originally selected for possible installations, but with budgeting and proposals for only 12 to 16, some sites will still be available for art, Okaya said.

Local artists and regional groups are welcome to submit proposals for the unoccupied sites, she said. Interested artists should use the application on the event's website and provide clear and full detail of their proposal, as there will be only one round of judging due to time restraints. The deadline is March 25, and the event jury will make their decisions between March 28 and 31.

However, there is no budget to pay additional artists for the event, she added. Funding additional accepted projects will be the responsibility of the artists.

The Art of Urban Environments committee is also seeking volunteers for a variety of tasks and support events, Okaya said.

While there are no more public meetings planned for input, the jury will consider email comments for another day or two.

Those wishing to register an opinion or volunteer should contact Art of Urban Environments through their website.