40 Below to create sculpture garden
Group asks artists to help transform industrial area along West Fayette.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
By Rick Moriarty
Staff writer
Got a durable, weatherproof sculpture taking up space in your closet? A group trying to turn an old industrial area on West Fayette Street into an art center might have a place for it.
40 Below's arts task force wants to place sculptures on a large strip of green space along the railroad tracks on north side of West Fayette Street, between Armory Square and South Geddes Street.
The group is putting out a call for sculptures that are in storage or that artists want to make specifically for the site.
40 Below is calling the site Lipe Art Park after entrepreneur and inventor Charles E. Lipe, who made gears for the Franklin automobile in a building that still stands at the corner of West Fayette and South Geddes streets and is used for artist studios.
The sculptures must be durable and weatherproof. They'll be put on display from June to September.
Owners of the sculptures won't get paid anything, but they won't have to pay anything, either.
"The benefit to the artists is, they're going to get a lot of people looking at their artwork," said Ty Marshal, a local musician who is chairman of the Lipe Art Park project for 40 Below.
Signs in the park will identify the artist who created each piece, he said.
40 Below is a group of artists and professionals both under and over 40 years of age that was formed to make the central Upstate region a "more vibrant place to live, work, learn and play."
One of its goals is to start public arts projects that create a sense of identity in Syracuse. The arts task force is a group of artists, community leaders and interested volunteers.
The West Fayette Street area has been targeted because it is full of vacant or underused warehouses and former factory buildings that could be adapted for use as artist studios.
Marshal said the effort also will have economic benefits because it will encourage companies to find commercial uses for the buildings, too.
"I'm a big believer in art as a tool for economic engines," he said. "Art attracts developers and beautifies the area."
40 Below has six sculptures lined up for the park. It's hoping to get four more.
Marshal said most will be too heavy to steal. But the sculptures may be secured, just in case.
Anyone who would like to submit a sculpture for inclusion in the display can e-mail Marshal at
lipeartpark@gmail.com
This item was published on 04/07/2007
