Visit Johnson City Public Art at Insta-Crafty (the handmade market) on May 20th from noon to 6pm. We’ll be at the Pavilion at Founders Park in downtown Johnson City.
Stop by the Johnson City Public Art (JCPA) booth at Insta-Crafty and participate in our “Make One, Take One” activity! We’ll have all the materials ready for you to create two unique watercolor art pieces. One of your choosing will be incorporated into a display with the watercolors made by other participants, and the other you will take home with you. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to participate! These will be easy, abstract, and fun to make, and JCPA committee members will be available to assist if needed.
Above is an example of the abstract watercolor you can create at the JCPA table. Make your piece unique by blowing through straws to move the paints!
The JCPA committee will also offer tours of the current sculpture exhibit in and around Founders Park. Tours will begin at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 p.m. at the JCPA booth. Most of the sculptures you will see on the tour are on a rotational schedule; they are leased for two years from the artist and are then replaced by a new round of sculpture. If you haven’t had a chance to see the exhibit, or if you’ve passed by previously but would like to learn more about these artworks, come along on a tour! Each piece has its own story, meaning, and interpretation waiting to be discovered.
On the tour, you will see some of the City’s permanent art pieces like the one pictured here. This sculpture, entitled “He Stopped and Turned to the Light”, was purchased and donated to the City by Lynda Wexler. This piece was created by artist Charlie Brouwer.Other pieces such as the one pictured above are part of our rotational art exhibit. This sculpture is entitled “Stepped Tower” and was created by artist Larry Millard. It is on exhibit in Johnson City from 2017-2019.
Also, take a moment between activities to find out more about JCPA. The JCPA committee engages in a wide array of projects that help to beautify our City and build community around public art. Sign-up sheets will be available for those who would like updates on the latest news about public art in Johnson City. The sheets will be categorized into various art types (i.e. murals, sculpture, etc.) so you can choose to keep posted on your specific area of interest. We’ll also be handing out JCPA stickers and brochures!
Pick up some info on the current sculpture exhibit and the JCPA committee.
We look forward to seeing you on May 20th at Insta-Crafty.
Find out more about other JCPA projects at our informational table! Our committee is involved in a wide range of public art efforts. The quote stone that you see here is one of several on the new “Quote Walk” downtown, a project that will expand in the near future with the addition of ten new quote stones.
Lewis Body, Blacksmithing Apprentice (left), and Jim Masterson, Shop Foreman (right), in the midst of installing the artistic bridge rails at King Commons in downtown Johnson City.
On an overcast day in late December, Lewis Body, Jim Masterson, and Kacy Ganley traveled to Johnson City from the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee to begin installation of the artistic bridge rails at King Commons. Together, they placed each heavy section of railing at three different locations throughout the park. After the main components were locked in place, the floral embellishments were attached, adding an exciting burst of color to the railing design.
During a short break from the installation, Body, Masterson, and Ganley were kind enough to answer some of our questions about their experiences with designing and fabricating this unique railing. Body designed the railing and had taken the lead on its fabrication. When we inquired about the inspiration behind the railing design, Body indicated that he was influenced by several factors – the park’s focus on storm water mitigation, the themes present in the new mural at King Commons, and the general atmosphere and architecture surrounding the site. The blue color that was chosen for the coating was drawn from the shade of blue used in the mural and is meant to represent the waterways of Brush Creek. The paint colors used for the coneflower, iris, and milkweed flowers were custom mixed in house at the Metal Museum in Memphis.
Clamps help to hold the railing in place before it is bolted to the ground.
Masterson commented that one of the most difficult aspects of the project involved aligning the railing layout with the actual layout of the park. He specified that “tracking the different curves” and the “logistics – the building of the whole” arose as challenges.
The bridge railing mimics the shades of blue in the waterways of Ian Brownlee’s mural “Wildabout”.
Body and the team agreed that one of the most exciting parts of the project had been “the challenge of getting it right”. He explained that they enjoyed “fitting [the railing] into its home – where it’s going to be”.
Set-up is underway…
Masterson, Ganley, and Body have been involved in the fabrication of railings, gates, sculptures, and doors during their time at the Metal Museum. Their pieces are found throughout the southeast but range as far as California and Hawaii.
Milkweed flowers “pop” from the center of a railing segment.
Now, we can enjoy their work right here in Johnson City.
Coneflower with a green backdrop. Do you see the bees on either side of the flower?Purple iris add another dimension of color.
Next time your downtown, stop by King Commons and check out the beautiful work completed by these talented artists and craftsmen!
The much-anticipated artistic bridge rails have finally been installed on three bridges at King Commons! These beautiful railings were designed and forged by a talented and creative team of artists at the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The work was commissioned early in 2017 after a selection committee gathered to review qualifications of more than 40 project applicants. The proposal submitted by Jim Masterson and his colleagues was accepted and the magic began.
The railing designs were largely based on several themes that are interwoven throughout the park at King Commons, which relate to conservation, pollination, and storm water mitigation. The major theme represented by the railings is pollination, as designer Kacy Ganley explains that a portion of the railing design is “emulating the flight of the bee”. Hand forged native flowers add an additional dimension of color and artistic flair to the railing design, with milkweed, iris, and coneflowers included in many of the railing sections.
The preliminary sketches for the railings reveal four bees in the design, flying across the length of the segment. Native flora is represented in the middle section (this sketch depicts the milkweed flower).
The theme of pollination aligns with the current “What’s the Buzz” program, a partnership between the Johnson City community and East Tennessee State University which focuses on the promotion and development of pollinator-friendly public spaces. Native plants like those included in the railing design are vital to the survival of bees and other pollinators, and are especially important as pollinators are experiencing a decline in numbers due to pesticide use, habitat loss, climate change, and other factors.
The bright blue color of the railings is representative of the network of waterways in the area and the flood mitigation efforts that were undertaken through the construction of King Commons. Ganley tells us that the color also emulates similar shades of blue that were utilized in Ian Brownlee’s mural at King Commons, providing a sense of cohesiveness throughout the artistic elements in the park.
The process leading up to installation was long but rewarding. Fortunately, the Metal Museum kept us posted on progress along the way, allowing us to get an inside peek at the railing’s construction. And their photographs really tell the story!
Rows of pickets are lined up after forming.The railing begins to take shape…do you see the bumblebee?A stack of coneflowers prior to assembly.Life-like, feathery iris await their painting job.Getting the milkweed flowers just right.A fully assembled railing segment showcases the milkweed flower.
We’ll be bringing you more on the railings in our next post along with photos of the completed bridge rails in their permanent locations at King Commons, so check back with us soon!
Are you scrambling to find those perfect holiday gifts for your family and friends? If so, we might be able to help out! The Splash: Art and Craft Showcase Market will be coming to downtown Johnson City just in time for the holidays. Join us for some light refreshments while you shop for unique gifts made by local artisans.
The market will be held at the old JC Penney building on Dec. 1st – 3rd:
So…where exactly is the old JC Penney building? It’s located on E. Main St. to the left of the Hands On! Museum.
A wide variety of fine arts and crafts will be available at the market. You are sure to find something to please everyone on your list!
Photographer David Avigdor will offer high quality matted prints and framed, matted prints of his stunning photos.Give beautiful accessories this holiday season – stop by artist Karlota Contreras-Kotterbay’s table and check out her handmade jewelry!Look for the BeeSymmetry Pyrography table to find a wide array of high quality and intricately hand-burned items including jewelry, kitchen utensils, keepsake boxes, photo frames, inspirational signs and wall art!Oh the wonders of wood! Artist Denise Pritchard’s turned wood bowls, pens, kitchen items, wood keepsake boxes, jewelry boxes and tables will be available at the market.Artist Cari Muse specializes in block-printing textiles. You’ll find her work on table runners, cloth napkins, kitchen towels, card sets, t-shirts, and more.For detailed, hand pulled linoleum block prints, stop by Courtney Farquharson’s table with her exquisite handmade cards and hand-printed notebooks.
These are just a handful of the artists and items that will be available at the Splash market, so make sure to come by and see the rest! All proceeds from this event will go directly to the arts and crafts makers. And a silent auction (shhh!) with artworks from participating artists will take place all weekend with proceeds benefiting Johnson City Public Art (JCPA).
The Splash market is free and open to the public, so stop by and get ready for the holidays!
For more information contact Nancy Fischman at nancyfischman@gmail.com or Sarah Dorr at sarahjdorr@gmail.com
The presence of public art in Johnson City, Tennessee is growing! Since the Johnson City Public Art (JCPA) committee was instituted in 2012, appointed members have established a cohesive and collaborative support group for public art within the City. This group, along with support from City staff and other citizens, has “unveiled” many exciting projects, many of which you will find throughout the downtown area.
Founders Park has been filled with several rounds of leased art sculpture since 2013, and a brand new round was installed in May of this year. Not sure where all the sculptures can be found? Visit http://jcpublicart.com/map/ and view the “Biennial Sculpture Exhibition” map. When you have a free moment, grab a warm drink and take a leisurely stroll through the park and downtown area, where you will find these unique art pieces that may amaze, inspire, and maybe even confuse you just a little!
The piece entitled Specimen by artist Joey Manson sits across the street from the old General Mills building at the western entrance to Founders Park. Manson states that this piece “abstracts a moment in a natural cycle of a plant emerging from dormancy”.
But wait, there’s much more to discover in downtown! Another exciting new piece is the mural at King Commons (the new park in front of the Johnson City Public Library) entitled Wildabout by artist Ian Brownlee. Brownlee spent much of the summer working on this masterpiece, and it is now complete! Filled with native flora and fauna as well as architectural landmarks from our area, the mural design provides you with a sense of place and is sure to capture your attention. Read more about Brownlee and his mural at http://jcpublicart.com/mural-at-king-commons/.
The mural Wildabout is located on a wall adjacent to the Atlantic Ale House and faces the new King Commons park.
In addition to the mural, the King Commons park will soon become home to another public work of art –hand-forged iron bridge rails! Designed and constructed by Jim Masterson and his team at the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, these rails will showcase native flowers that play a large role in pollination in our region. Stay tuned – we’ll let you know when you can visit these in person!
Here’s a peek at one of the railings in progress that depicts beautifully crafted milkweed flowers. It will be painted before its installation.
Other fun projects are still ongoing. One of these involves wrapping traffic control boxes (those art-deprived large metal boxes that sit at road intersections with traffic lights) with art designed by local schoolchildren.
Beside the Johnson City Public Library at the intersection of North Roan St. and Fairview Ave. you’ll find Mother Goose on the traffic control box – on a wrap designed by artist Cameron Poplarchik.
JCPA also assists citizens with community initiated art projects. A group of community members from the Tree Streets have undertaken a street mural project, which will involve painting the intersection of Pine and Cherry St. to aid in traffic calming (and, of course, it will also help to brighten the place up a bit!). Are you interested in starting up a public art project? Read more about the process at http://jcpublicart.com/community-initiated-art/.
The mock-up of the street mural that will be painted in the Tree Streets shows the bold splash of color that will be added to the project site.
Let’s see, so what else can we tell you about public art in Johnson City?? Well, suffice it to say, there’s more. There’s much more to see and as always, many more projects in the making! JCPA is also busy working on events to promote public art in our area. One of the most recent events was a sculpture walk to view and discuss the latest leased art sculptures. For a recap of this event, visit JCPA committee member Chasidy Hathorn’s blog Sweet Sorghum Living.
We’ll be back with more updates on events and projects, so stay in touch! We’ll be bringing you details of JCPA’s first Splash: Fine Art and Craft Showcase Market that will take place Dec. 1-3 at the old JC Penney’s building downtown!
