The Northside Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today (TNT) Planning Council and the Syracuse Public Art Commission seek to commission a sculpture to be located at one of two potential locations within the historic Northside neighborhood of Syracuse, NY. The artwork will enrich the Northside landscape and reflect the unique characteristics of the neighborhood fabric.
There are two sites that have been identified for public art on the Northside and each has its own character. The first site, known as Alvord Park, is located at the busy intersection of Grant Boulevard and Court Street, two well-traveled residential/commercial streets.
This area of the Northside was the site of one of the earliest settlements in what would become the First Ward of the city. Known as the Court-Woodlawn section, it is a dense urban neighborhood, maintaining a 70% homeownership rate. The neighborhood is comprised of single and multi-family homes that date from the early-nineteenth through the early-twentieth centuries. The Court-Woodlawn task force works to promote the area, where the residents have a strong work ethic. They take pride in their community, in homeownership, and in the neighborhood’s unique diversity.
The second site, located at the intersection of Lodi Street and Hawley Avenue and known as Finnegan Park, is a gateway to the Hawley-Green neighborhood. The Hawley-Green area was settled in the 1840s and had developed into an affluent neighborhood by the 1880s. It is home to one of the city’s finest collections of high-style Queen Anne and Victorian Era houses that have been lovingly restored by a growing artist community. Hawley-Green is known as a liberal, free-spirited area. One of the neighborhood’s anchors is the Syracuse Cultural Workers office and store, located adjacent to the park. The ArtRage Gallery, a center of cultural and political activity, is just north of the park at 505 Hawley Avenue. Artwork installed in the park should reflect the spirit of the people who live in this neighborhood and who have played a role in its exciting renaissance.
The total project budget is $6,000 for design, fabrication and installation. The piece will become part of the City of Syracuse’s permanent art collection. Two locations have been designated as possible sites; the artist may design for one or both sites. For more information or to download a copy of the RFP, please click here (clicking this link will open up a PDF).
