If you know me well you know that I balance the intensity of ministry by serving Orange County artists and citizens through the work that I perform serving on the Orange County Arts Commission. This commission is an advisory board for the Orange County Board of County Commissioners.
In 2008, based on a request from the Friends of the Orange County Public Library, the Orange County Arts Commission received unanimous approval from the Board of Commissioners to sponsor a public arts project for the new library located on Margaret Lane in Hillsborough. A Call for Qualifications was issued to NC artist, with Orange County artists encouraged to apply. A total of 14 submission were received by the April, 2009 deadline. Four finalists were selected by the committee to present the site-specific designs. Public comment on the finalists' site-specific designs was solicited. The Orange County Library Public Art Selection Committee selected the design submitted by the artist team of Michael Waller and Leah Foushee of Hillsborough, NC.
Arts Commission staff met with the Hillsborough Town Planner, and it was determined by the attorney for the Town of Hillsborough that a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Hillsborough Historic District was needed for this project. On June 16, 2009, the Board of County Commissioners authorized the County Manager to sign the agreement with the artist team contingent upon approval by county staff, the County Attorney, and the Hillsborough Historic District Commission.
The Hillsborough Historic District Commission met on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, and rejected the proposed public art project by the Arts Commission as submitted by a vote of 4-2.
The Orange County Library Public Art Selection Committee met again on October 14, 2009 and decided to move forward with the proposal by sculptor Wayne Trapp of Vilas, NC, one of the 4 finalist. At the November 5, 2009 regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, this revised public art proposal was approved unanimously, pending approval by the County Attorney and the Hillsborough Historic Commission. The Hillsborough Historic Commission meets this Wednesday, February 3, to vote on the new proposal. It is our opinion that the Historic Commission has voted based on the subjective view of the art, not on the structure size and scope, which is what they are charged with.
If you are a resident of Orange County, I am asking you to read the article appearing in today's Herald-Sun, the Library Prospectus, then check out artist Wayne Trapp or his FB page. After your review, I'm asking you to email Margaret Hauth, Planning Director at margaret.hauth@hillsboroughnc.org and Mark Bell, Chair of the Historic Commission at mark@twinchinmeys.org; encouraging them to support this public art project which will greatly enhance the overall experience of Orange County residents who visit the new library and is a collaboration of public and private funds. Thank you for your help.
*Please note when reading the Herald-Sun article that public art is most often meant to be useful or interactive. For example, when a bench is going to be needed the bench can be created in such a way that it is not only functional, but also a work of art. That is public art at its best and was what the original submission was going to be.
