SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento has a number of improvements to its public spaces on the horizon in the form of art.
Donald Gensler, Project Manager for the Arts in Public Places program, works in the Office of Arts and Culture for the city of Sacramento.
“Our office, the Office of Arts and Culture, is funding a number of projects in a lot of different areas. I’m thrilled to be a part of that in our art in public places program,” said Gensler. “Just recognizing the larger creative economy here in Sacramento that is vibrant and rich and can bring people in from outside of Sacramento but can also nurture the talent and incredible work that’s happening in Sacramento.”
Twenty-seven artists were chosen by a panel to create art along the Del Rio Trail. Phase One includes 20 local artists who will showcase their work this summer at a park along the trail, as well as in an exhibition.
Phase Two of the project involves seven artists chosen from around the nation to create art along the trail. It's funded by the California Department of Transportation as part of a Clean California grant.
Two mural projects under Highway 99 also received funds from Caltrans. The mural along 21st is being led by the Franklin Neighborhood Development Corporation, and the one at 2nd Avenue is a collaboration between the artists and community organization Sol Collective.
“It’s exciting to see our Department of Transportation engaged in these opportunities to connect with people through art and culture and recognize so many of us are in our cars and in these kinds of spaces so often that it's a kind of natural partnership to work with our Department of Transportation to create these types of community-based and community-engaged projects,” said Gensler.
The Sacramento Tree Foundation and Parks Department is working with the city of Sacramento on The Hanami Line, a project that’s been in the works for nearly 10 years. It’ll bring a grove of cherry trees to Robert T. Matsui Park as a way of celebrating the cultural contributions of Japanese Americans to the area.
A request for qualifications (RFQ) is open now for an artist to design, create and install a sculpture at the park near the Museum of Science and Curiosity.
At Sutter's Landing Regional park, a 200 x 25-foot wall will be the home of a new vinyl mural based on the topic of the American River watershed.
An RFQ for an illustrator will launch in April and Gensler says an artist will hopefully be selected by May or June 2023. This project is funded by the state.
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