Resident Arts, a local art organization in the area, is in the process of approving the plans for a large-scale mural.
This was originally planned to be on the retainer wall on Old 63, south of Broadway, but recent City Council developments changed their location. The new location is currently unknown at this time. This project will be in partnership with the City of Columbia’s Office of Sustainability, Department of Parks and Recreation and the Hinkson Creek Restoration Project.
The mural process began when The Union of Concerned Scientists awarded Resident Arts with a grant of $10,000 to aid in the creation of public artworks that convey the importance of science in everyday life.
“A call for a proposal for a project went out during the spring,” Madeleine LeMieux, founder and director of Resident Arts, said. “Seeing as I was already thinking about a project with these themes, I felt like it fit really well with what I was hoping to achieve.”
The next step was to determine the look of the piece. The original idea was completed after three different concepts were discussed as well as community and partnership feedback sessions were held. However, because the City Council rescheduled the group’s hearing, the organization had to move walls and reevaluate their design. The new hearing is set for Oct. 1. If the hearing is rescheduled again or if the project is not passed, Resident Arts will lose the $10,000 grant given to them.
“Initially, there was no council action that was necessary,” LeMieux said. “However, due to some community member concerns and additional considerations regarding certain aspects of the project, like whether or not [moving to] a more public location would require additional rights of use, the hearing was rescheduled and more public feedback was requested. The council just doesn’t have processes in place for a project like this.”
If passed, the community will also have the opportunity to help in the making of this project. Due to the large scale of the mural, Resident Arts has opened up applications for volunteers on their (website)[http://residentarts.org/art-for-science-project/]. This is to make the process of painting more efficient as well as to let the people of Columbia have a bigger role in the creation of the project.
“I think the volunteer aspect is so important because I personally believe that community art is more meaningful,” LeMieux said. “People feel more of a sense of stewardship towards the art and I find they’re more likely to report vandalism and overall care more about the site.”
Once completed, the piece was originally going to read, “There are no passengers on spaceship earth, we are all crew” with the letters measuring approximately 8-feet tall. However, City Council push-back may change not just the location of the wall, but also its message. Whatever message the wall ends up having, the hope is that it will be a reminder to all of Columbia of the role science plays in their lives for years to come.
“I was excited about the idea because of the connection between art and science in this project,” LeMieux said. “I feel like science is under attack and I think this mural is a great opportunity to use art as a communication tool to spread the message that science is a non-partisan topic that can relate to everyone in their everyday life.”
_Edited by Alexandra Sharp | asharp@themaneater.com_
