June 13, 2014
community+public arts: DETROIT (CPAD), a program of the College for Creative Studies, is partnering with the Detroit Future City Implementation Office and The Greening of Detroit to work with artists and four Detroit communities to transform vacant and underused spaces into New Urban Places. The new program combines visual and performing arts, culture, and green space to express unique community visions as part of a creative ecology for Detroit’s neighborhoods.
One large community-based public art project will be created in each of four target neighborhoods: Brightmoor and Cody/Rouge on Detroit’s northwest side, the North End in central Detroit, and Jefferson/Chalmers on Detroit’s southeast side. New Urban Places projects will be in line with the Detroit Future City Strategic Framework, utilize the arts expertise of the College for Creative Studies, and include the green infrastructure capacity of The Greening of Detroit to create demonstration projects for neighborhoods interested in using art to activate vacant spaces and remediate blight. The New Urban Places partnership is supported by a generous grant from The Kresge Foundation’s Detroit Program.
In support of this initiative, CPAD is issuing a Request for Qualifications for Detroit visual artists with connections to Detroit communities and experience or interest in green infrastructure. Artists will need to complete the RFQ by 5 PM (EST) Friday, July 18, 2014.
To assist interested artists with completing the RFQ process, CPAD will be hosting two information sessions to learn about the New Urban Places program. Sessions are scheduled for:
June 17th, 6 – 8 PM
Virgil H. Carr Center, 311 East Grand River, Detroit
June 24th, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Patton Recreation Center, 2301 Woodmere, Detroit
CPAD is completing its sixth year bringing artists and communities together to create high-quality public art projects that allow communities to express their unique character and potential through the arts, and has completed 22 projects in six Detroit partner neighborhoods.