NJN - New Jersey Public Television and Radio


DATE:	:June 16, 2006

CONTACT:	Arlene Carollo (973) 377-3300; ACarolloZGF@optonline.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Art in the Public Square
On NJN’s State of the Arts
Friday, June 23 at 8:30 pm; and Wednesday, June 28 at 11:30 pm

STATEWIDE – For centuries, art was created for the public to enjoy – the churches and public squares of Europe are testimony to that tradition, as are the pyramids of Egypt and the ceremonial costumes of Native American dancers. In the mid-20th century, Americans began to call out for a renewal of the public art tradition. Public areas, from buildings to subway stops, had become grim and utilitarian. Art was needed – and in a movement that began in Philadelphia in 1958, cities, states, and even the federal government began to pass legislation that would insure that new building projects would include a percent of their construction budgets for art. In this State of the Arts encore presentation, producer Susan Wallner takes a look at the remarkable renaissance of public art in New Jersey, giving both historical breadth of context and a fascinating in-depth look at individual works. Art in the Public Square airs on Friday, June 23 at 8:30 pm, with a rebroadcast on Wednesday, June 28 at 11:30 pm.

In 1978, Governor Brendan Byrne signed into law New Jersey’s Public Buildings Art Inclusion Act. Since then, up to 1.5 percent of the total estimated cost of public building and renovation projects has been allocated to the development of works of art. The result: an unprecedented number of highly visible contemporary artworks throughout the state, created by both internationally renowned and emerging local artists. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts has administered this program since it was signed in 1978.

According to Governor Byrne, “It was important to integrate the arts into our public lives in 1978 and it's even more important now. With all the challenges to our values, it’s essential that we create a meaningful link between New Jersey’s citizens and their environment that reminds them of our history and culture while enhancing our public spaces.”

Art in the Public Square takes a look at many of New Jersey’s “percent for art projects,” — as they are called — both completed and in process, including:

• Batsto State Park’s tile and iron wall relief by Lambertville artist Katherine Hackl, which she based on research into local pine barrens history and ecosystem.
• mosaics based on the Meadowlands at the Senator Lautenberg Transfer Station in Secaucus by noted public artist Mac Adams, a native of England who currently resides in Montclair, NJ.
• “Confluence,” a fountain and other artworks at the Capital Plaza in Trenton by Clyde Lynds, a nationally known sculptor with a studio in Wallington, NJ.
• the ground-breaking Civil Rights Garden in Atlantic City by Washington, D.C. based artist and designer Larry Kirkland. This large public garden, the first memorial to the Civil Rights movement north of the Mason Dixon Line, incorporates quotations from civil rights pioneers chosen by Rutgers historian Clement Prince engraved into massive columns of black African marble.

Artists are interviewed and shown at work in their studios and on site, and the vitally important community selection process is explored. Tom Moran, director of the Visual Arts Program for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, describes how the process has evolved over the years. Artists are now brought into the process in the very earliest stages of development. In this way, their work can be fully integrated into the overall design –— rather than merely put on a pedestal as a finishing touch. An example is the new Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, where a stained glass atrium will serve as the public face of the new facility. The artist has been chosen and begun work, although the finished building is still years in the future.

State of the Arts, the award-winning, half-hour arts magazine airs every Friday at 8:30 pm, followed by an encore presentation each Wednesday at 11:30 pm.

The current episode of State of the Arts can be viewed online at www.njn.net. Individual stories will be available to view following their broadcast by visiting the program online at State of the Arts.

Funding for State of the Arts is provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The series producer is Susan Wallner and the executive producer is Nila Aronow.