Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/320439
Chapter 4 ! Community Outreach 17 0 4 ! Community Outreach This Public Art Master Plan is the result of an inclusive, community - based process, involving residents, local officials , and art professionals. The process consisted of five elements: focus groups, public forums, public opinion survey, workshops, and interviews. Written comments and emails were also accepted a nd incorporated into the discussions for the Plan. The focus groups, public forums, and public opinion survey were held in June and July 2011 , and facilitated by GreenPlay, the Master Plan Consultant for the upcoming Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resourc es Plan, with assistance from Brown & Keener, the Public Art Consultant. In November 2011, Brown & Keener hosted and facilitated two public workshops called CaryArt Experience and CaryArt Places and interviewed over 20 local officials and municipal staff regarding the public art and capital planning programs. The public outreach process generated numerous suggestions for future public art projects and programs: • Focus group discussions expressed an interest in new, integrated, and playful art projects that are linked to the history and culture of Cary. Participants suggested public art themes such as Cary's cultural diversity and the region's technology through both functional and integrated projects (e.g., sidewalks, bus wraps, fire hydrants, etc.) A r otating art display was suggested with the theme "Art on the Move." Several responses indicated a desire to find art in "unexpected ways." • Through a public opinion survey, respondents indicate d parks were the most popular place to discover public art, fo llowed by public gardens, downtown sites, and public buildings. Greenways were ranked significantly lower than these areas for public art. It is believed that this is because people usually travel too quickly through these greenways. In addition , people prefer to keep the greenways in a natural state. In response, this plan suggests integrated or functional public art along the greenways in limited places , such as benches, wayfinding signs, and gateways placed at trail gaps or intersections. • The parti cipants found some of the goals and principles of the 2001 Public Art Master Plan to be unclear. • Participants have an interest in a broader selection of public art projects than are currently offered in Cary , and in diversifying the Town's public art col lection in appropriate settings and venues. • In discussing the corridors and gateways of Cary, the majority of participants favored public art in traffic circles, on bridges and a t gateways. Suggested art types included lighting on bridges and installati ons a t gateways. Participants also suggested that the scale of public art should be appropriate to its location and should reflect the function of the road. The pedestrian - oriented downtown area could accommodate a variety of scales, from pocket parks an d small - scale discovery art to larger landmarks. Where major intersec tions and gateways are vehicule - oriented, the public art should especially be scaled accordingly. Examples of gateway locations included: • High House Road and Route 55 • Davis and High House Roads • North entrance on route 55 and West Gateway along High House Road • East Gateway on Chapel Hill Rd. • Kildare Farm Road • Roundabouts in the downtown area • For civic and cultural facilities there was a general consensus that these were desirable venu es for public art: the arts center and related facilities, amphitheater, museums, libraries, and community centers were all included . Additional suggestions included ball fields, the arboretum, and a sculpture at every school. Recommendations for themes an d public art types included video