It’s been a long, arduous journey, but Art Walk Extension in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts opened Friday. And if it’s true that art is in the eye of the beholder, it’s probably also true that the success of a major urban development project is equally subjective. The end result of Art Walk Extension frustrates some people and delights others.
Art Walk Extension, which city officials say has cost roughly $9 million, began with the redevelopment of University Avenue from North Goodman Street north to Union Street, and North Goodman from University Avenue east to College Avenue. Sidewalks have been remade to resemble metropolitan boulevards replete with outdoor sculptures, benches, and lighting.
Some of the highlights include artist Cliff Garten’s “Needle and Spindle” illuminated sculpture on North Goodman, a reference to the manufacturing work once associated with the area.
A sculpture by Tom Otterness is planned for the Memorial Art Gallery’s new outdoor Centennial Sculpture Park. Work by Deborah Butterfield, Wendell Castle, Albert Paley, George Rickey, and many other well-known artists will also be displayed.
And an interactive piece titled “Traveling Through Stillness” is slated for East Avenue in front of the Rochester Museum and Science Center. A changing, two-dimensional outdoor gallery is planned for the front of the Anderson Artist building on North Goodman Street.
Planning for Art Walk Extension began in 2008 with about $3.8 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and about $1.8 million secured by Representative Louise Slaughter in federal transportation funds.
The project also received some city funding, as well as grants from the National Endowment of the Arts and through State Senator Joe Robach’s office.
Art Walk Extension grew out of the monumental success of ARTWalk. Often referred to as an outdoor museum trail, ARTWalk was a largely grassroots effort. It also involved major reconstruction of University Avenue from North Goodman Street eastward, as well as a mix of sculptures, bus shelters, and artistic enhancements to sidewalks and street lamps. Many residents and business owners credit ARTWalk for launching the revitalization of the city’s NOTA area.
But what initially was supposed to be phase two of the original ARTWalk project imploded over serious differences in visions. While ARTWalk emphasized the talents of local artists, Art Walk Extension became a much larger project. And some of its organizers and participants wanted to open the call for artwork to artists from around the country.
The split between the organizers of ARTWalk and Art Walk Extension has never been amicably resolved. The city’s senior engineer on Art Walk Extension, Paul Way, would not comment on the turmoil. He says the project is an overwhelming success.
“This really is a regional attraction,” Way says. “It really will be a huge draw for people to come to the area.”
But Doug Rice, one of ARTWalk’s founders, is less supportive.
“The finished project has many good attributes,” he said in a written statement. “Unfortunately, community engagement isn’t one of them. This was a project that arose from the efforts of a large group of Rochesterians who created an open-air chartered public art museum called ARTWalk. Once the federal money for the project was allocated, the city did not recognize or respect our accomplishments and not only relegated us to the sidelines, but co-opted our name and 10 years’ worth of tireless volunteer labor for the project.”
Eric Kunsman, owner of Booksmart Studio on Anderson Street, participated in the planning meetings for Art Walk Extension. He says he wishes Rice and the other members of ARTWalk would consider rejoining the larger project.
He says he understands Rice’s concerns, but that the project did have support from volunteers and the local arts community.
“I participated because I wanted to make sure that I did have a voice,” Kunsman says. He says he can look out on the street and see the fruition of the ideas that he and others introduced in early planning meetings.
And the area as well as local artists will benefit from the work of nationally known artists, he says.
“People will come to see their work, as well as the work of local artists,” Kunsman says. “What if we had put all of this effort into this and nobody came?”
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2012.
“A sculpture by Tom Otterness is planned for the Memorial Art Gallery’s new outdoor Centennial Sculpture Park.”
Am I the only one who feels that for the MAG to commission a self-confessed sadist, a man who killed a dog , filmed its death agonies and called the final product a work of “art” , to produce cutesy sculptures to entertain the kiddies is just plain warped?
Correction to your timeline: planning for the extension actually began in 2006 with formation of the ARTWalk II committee, a group of ARTWalk board members and interested community stakeholders. I know, because I was part of the organizing meeting. We worked hard for a couple of years getting out the word in the community about the project and trying to juice people’s creativity and excitement to get some initial design ideas flowing. Toward that end, we held a series of meetings with key stakeholders and also 4 community meetings — one for each “leg” of the extension, and one focused on the key Goodman/University intersection. I was involved in all those meeting and coordinated a couple of them. A lot of time and energy was invested that might be easily overlooked and needs to be acknowledged.
2008 is when paid consultants began working on the project. I moved out of town shortly thereafter, so haven’t been further involved, but am delighted that after a lot of good work by a lot of good people — going back a full half-dozen years — opening day is finally at hand!
Something is very wrong. The new kiosks on University Avenue are UGLY. The design has no connection to (1) the style and vision of the the ARTWalk that I knew from its inception, (2) the plans for the future that emerged at the ARTWalk II charettes we had with the city and other stake holders, or (3) the picture the architects and designers presented to us at the last community meeting. If these kiosks are the result of the conflict, I worry about what is yet to come. We cannot let this assault to our neighborhood continue to jar our senses. We have to correct this aesthetic failure? Who knows what we have to do?
I find it truly hard to believe that there can be an entire article on the opening of the ArtWalk Extension and absolutely not one mention is made of either Poets Walk or Story Walk, major components of the newly opened expansion. There was certainly ample opportunity to include them when the subject of “Sidewalks” was raised by the writers of this article, but no, included were only references to the lighting, benches and sculptures.
When I spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the ArtWalk Extension on Thursday afternoon, I mentioned that I was there to represent words and literature, the art form that is almost always overlooked or forgotten when the subject of Art, (capital A), is addressed. What is so unique and heartening about the new ArtWalk Extension, I said at that event, was that poetry and words were included and play such a major role in this exciting addition to our city’s literal, and figurative, cultural landscape.
City’s complete neglect of the two Walks in your reporting does much to support my contention. Very disappointing from a media outlet that relies so heavily on words to get your message out.
Joe Flaherty
Executive Director
Writers & Books