Art Committee Sets Deadline For Functional Art Proposals

Candace Braun

The Plaza Art Committee of Princeton Borough has issued a request for functional art proposals at the downtown library to be submitted by December 20. The proposals should include the design and fabrication of the art.

The functional art is to be incorporated into the new public plaza under construction in the downtown redevelopment project. The plaza, which will be built adjacent to the new Princeton Public Library at the corners of Witherspoon and Wiggins Streets, will add a touch of personality to the building and the surrounding area.

Items to be fabricated include tree grates, trash receptacles, planters, and bike racks. These items will be installed under the auspices of the project developer, HKT. After completion, the plaza and all artwork will be owned and managed by the Borough.

A limited number of artists, including qualified artists who live locally and who have prior experience in comparable public art projects, are invited to submit proposals. In addition, other artists in the Princeton region who have demonstrated prior experience in similar projects are invited to request a copy of the proposal request, now available at Borough Hall.

The Plaza Art Committee will evaluate all submissions in January 2004, and make a recommendation to the Borough Council soon after. Installation of the art is expected to take place in the spring and summer of next year.

Functional art for the plaza and the formation of a Plaza Art Committee were approved by the Council on October 7. Committee members are: Stanley T. Allen, Wendy Benchley, Judith K. Brodsky, Penelope Edwards-Carter, Jane Faggen, Yina A. Moore, Jeff Nathanson, Anne Reeves, Nancy Ukai Russell, Maureen Smyth, Armando Sosa, Susan Taylor, Gail Ullman, and Richard Woodbridge.

For more information, contact the Plaza Art Project manager, Jeff Nathanson, at (609) 510-4236 or email art@princetonboro.org.