Arts Council of Fairfax County selects artist Julia Vogl for interactive public art project Imagine Art Here.
Image Caption: Forecasting Me, London, 2013; Copyright: Julia Vogl
The Arts Council of Fairfax County selected London-based artist Julia Vogl for the public art and engagement projectImagine Art Here in Tysons. Over 130 national and international artists responded to a public call-out and Ms. Vogl was selected by a panel comprised of an architect, an artist, a county planner, public arts administrators and county Master Arts Plan Task Force members from the community.
Ms. Vogl’s art specializes in visualizing public feedback. “My art engages communities, giving them a voice and platform to reinvestigate their surroundings,” said Ms. Julia Vogl. “Imagine Art Here will be a “social sculpture” which will gather public feedback on future cultural opportunities in Tysons and Fairfax County,” Vogl continued. Imagine Art Here will utilize public art to gather critical information on how to enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors in Tysons, while at the same time fostering creativity, collaboration, and creating a distinct sense of place that brings everyone together.
Image Caption: Home, London, 2012; Copyright: Julia Vogl
From March through May 2015, the artist will conduct a series of community engagement sessions at several sites near the new Silver Line Metro stations culminating in a large scale installation in June through August 2015. Imagine Art Here will elicit a vision for the arts in Tysons and collect resident, workforce, and retail visitor feedback on the type of arts programs, facilities, public art and related amenities desired.
Imagine Art Here has been made possible through a lead “Our Town” grant of $50,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The grant requires a 1:1 match, for a total project cost of $100,000 or more. “We are beginning our private sector fundraising,” said Linda S. Sullivan, president & CEO, of the Arts Council of Fairfax County. “We have a few exciting early pledges and more to raise.”
The input from Imagine Art Here initiative will inform a Master Arts Plan (MAP) being developed by the Arts Council of Fairfax County on behalf of the County. The goal of MAP is to expand community access to and engagement in the arts and culture by planning cultural facilities and public art throughout Fairfax County that reflects its diversity, considers existing facilities, and responds to future growth. In 2010 the Board of Supervisors tasked the Arts Council, with the collaborative leadership of the Master Arts Plan (MAP). A MAP Task Force consisting of Arts Council Board members, community representatives, and government officials was formed to assess existing cultural assets in the county, growth trends and community needs, and the engagement of community input that will inform a plan for future arts facilities and public art.