Your vote counts on public art
"Flying with Friends" by David Boyer. Dimensions: 28.5' x 15'. Made with steel and stainless steel. (Photo/HOLLY PASZCZYNSKA)
"Swimming with Friends" by David Boyer. Dimensions: 28.5' x 15'. Made with steel and stainless steel. (Photo/HOLLY PASZCZYNSKA)
Photos by HOLLY PASZCZYNSKA “Forever” by Wendy Zhang. Dimensions: 4.6 meters x 7.52 meters (approximately 15’ x 24.5’).
"Concept B" by John Davies. Dimensions: 16' x 18' x 20'. Made using steel finished with primer and coating and incorporating low-voltage LED lighting.
"Concept A" by John Davis. Dimensions: 16' x 18'. Constructed with Corten steel plate with surface rust, and incorporating low voltage LED lighting into the interior of the basket. (Photo/HOLLY PASZCZYNSKA)
"Fish" and "Turtle" by Allen and Mary Dee Dodge. Made from welded stainless steel and enameled metals. Each will stand about 10' tall.
"Aqua Vitae" by Ken McCall is 21' x 12' and made from powder coated steel arches with acrylic panels.
"Flumine Vitae" by Ken McCall is 36' x 9' and made from powder coated steel arches with acrylic panels.
The Cycle of Life” (left) is 17’ x 9’ x 9’ and “The Garden of Forking Paths” is 20’ x 12’ x 9’. The artist, Ilan Averbuch, will create them using Corten weathering steel and recycled granite stone.
By early next summer, drivers on Seltice Way between Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls should be better adjusted to the two new, two-lane roundabouts that sparked some confusion and last-second lane changes when they first opened.
Next May or June, public art installments will be the centerpiece of each roundabout, and the city of Coeur d’Alene and the city’s Arts Commission are asking what you would like to see there.
“We want the public to weigh in on the choices. The selection committee will take into account what the public has stated,” said Troy Tymesen, city administrator.
Maquettes are currently on display in the lobby of City Hall, located downtown at 710 E. Mullan Ave. Anyone can view the pieces, leave comments and vote on their favorite until Friday. The submissions will then be set up in the library next door for public viewing until Sept. 10, and then will be displayed in a location to be determined later.
Once public comment has been received, a special selection committee will vote on a recommendation for the city after reviewing public comments, the artists’ resumes and references, and conducting interviews.
“They will look at a theme ... to make sure that it aligns with what they want to demonstrate for the decades that this art will be up there,” Tymesen said. “They will look at the longevity and the sustainability because maintenance is an issue, at how this art will hold up in our climate and with the different seasons that we have.”
The project is titled “The Connecting River.” It will place the two sculptures in the roundabouts at the intersection of Seltice Way and Atlas Road, and Seltice Way and West Idlewild Loop/Grand Mill Lane, approximately 1 mile apart.
Guidelines for submissions include not containing any advertising or religious, political or sexual content; must not be distracting to drivers or be confused with any traffic signals or signage; and must follow all city building code rules. The artists were asked to consider things like Coeur d’Alene’s and Post Falls’ founding history, the history and impact of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and the importance of the Spokane River and Lake Coeur d’Alene to Kootenai County.
Coeur d’Alene City Council members will finalize the winner at their November board meeting before issuing a contract with the selected artist. The council has a $160,000 budget to cover all costs of production, transportation, consulting, insurance, installation and artist’s costs. Funding for the project is provided by urban renewal dollars from ignite cda’s River District.