SAN DIEGO, February 25, 2016 — The Jacobs ersizdrzbk
Center for Neighborhood Innovation is inviting the public to provide input on three conceptual designs being considered for gateway public artworks along a restored portion of Chollas Creek near Market Street and Euclid Avenue in Southeastern San Diego’s Diamond Neighborhoods. The design concepts will be available for public review and comment on Saturday, March 5, from 11 am to 4 pm, and Sunday, March 6, from 12 noon to 3 pm, in the Community Room of the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center at 404 Euclid Ave., San Diego, CA 92114.
The Jacobs Center received a $30,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to fund the selection of the artists/artist teams as well as the planning, conceptual design, and selection of the preferred artwork(s). The Jacobs Center is actively looking for funding for the fabrication and installation of the gateways. A committee of community representatives and experts in arts and culture, education, and land planning reviewed 40 applications from across the county and one from Spain and short-listed three artists/artist teams to propose design concepts for the project. The proposing artists/artist teams are:
- Local conceptual and installation artist Roman de Salvo
- Public artists and husband and wife team Jim Hirschfield and Sonya Ishii from North Carolina
- Stone sculptor Madeline Wiener from Colorado
The artists conducted a site visit on January 13 and held an initial meeting where they engaged with community stakeholders and sought inspiration for the art works. The resulting conceptual designs followed the recommendations in the Jacobs Center’s Art + Design Plan and Activating Chollas Creek Plan.
The same selection committee that short-listed the artists/artist teams will review the input collected during the public comment period and will make a recommendation to the Jacobs Center on a preferred design. The Chollas Creek gateways are part of the Jacobs Center’s overall creative placemaking approach to community revitalization. In addition to including public art, the restored Chollas Creek will enhance the local environment, provide residents with an inviting gathering space, and become the focal point for the Jacobs Center’s future redevelopment plans. The Chollas Creek Restoration Project is anticipated to be complete in late spring of this year.
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About the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation
Founded in 1995, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation is focused on building communities and lifting lives. As a creative catalyst and incubator, the Jacobs Center works with the community to revitalize Southeastern San Diego’s Diamond Neighborhoods. This means transforming nearly 60 acres into sustainable developments that provide residents with greater access to resources and amenities that improve their quality of life. Additionally, the Jacobs Center works with community organizations to increase residents’ economic opportunities, leadership skills, and educational success.
Learn more at www.jacobscenter.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.