[Durham INC] Durham Hosts Community Engagement Session for Police HQ Public Art

Mon Jan 14 15:59:45 EST 2019

[Title: City of Durham Office of Public Affairs Logo]

News Media Contact
Amy Blalock, Public Affairs Manager
919.560.4123 x11253 | 919.475.7735 (mobile)
Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

News Release

For Immediate Release: January 14, 2019

Durham Hosts Community Engagement Session for Police HQ Public Art

Durham Artist David Wilson and National Artist Team RE:site to Create Public Art at New Facility

DURHAM, N.C. - The Durham Police Department Headquarters and Durham Emergency Communications Center will soon be home to new public art, and residents are now invited to give their input to help shape one of the pieces to be created by a Durham artist.

The Durham Police Department, Durham Emergency Communications Center, General Services Department, and the Cultural Advisory Board's Public Art Committee have selected David Wilson, a Durham-based artist, as well as national artist team Norman Lee and Shane Allbritton of RE:site<http://www.resite-studio.com/> to design and install public art at this facility.

The artist selection follows a participatory review process of 172 artist applications from across the United States. In order to ensure that a wide variety of voices were part of the selection process, an Artist Selection Committee was assembled to review submissions and help the City identify artists or artists-teams with the best qualifications to design, fabricate, and install public art for the project. This committee was comprised of a variety of neighborhood residents, local arts professionals, businesses, non-profit representatives, and representatives from relevant City departments.

To help Wilson create his public art piece, community members are encouraged to attend his upcoming Community Photography Event on Saturday, January 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Durham Technical Community College's Main Campus, located at 1637 E. Lawson St., inside Building #10 in the Phil Wynn Student Services Building's Multipurpose Room<https://www.durhamtech.edu/about-durham-tech/map-directions>. Parking can be found across the street outside of Building #1. Attendees will be invited to pose for photographs and complete a short survey that Wilson will use to help shape his final mural design. If community members are unable to attend his event, but wish to give their input, they may also complete an online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9HR978Q or email Wilson at infusedmedia05 at gmail.com<mailto:infusedmedia05 at gmail.com>.

The RE:site team has already come to Durham to collect resident feedback on their public art piece, and their design is now underway. Durham Technical Community College has hosted several community engagement efforts for the RE:site and Wilson public art projects in partnership with the City of Durham.

Engagement activities for these artists to seek resident feedback have included in-depth community conversation sessions hosted at Durham Technical Community College, which were completed over a three-week period in 2018; a digital public survey underway now; and Wilson's upcoming community photography event.

According to Durham Technical Community College Assistant Vice President Connie Gómez-Joines, their school wanted to participate by hosting several of these events to help encourage productive dialogue around public art in this new facility. "I'm excited that Durham Tech and the City partnered together to engage community members in authentic conversations about the different concepts and meanings of peace," said Gómez-Joines. "These conversations will hopefully inspire the design of new pieces of public art that are truly reflective of the Durham community."

For more information about the process for selecting these artists, contact Special Projects Manager Stacey Poston with the City's General Services Department at (919) 560-4197, ext. 21254 or Stacey.Poston at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:Stacey.Poston at DurhamNC.gov>.

About the Artists

David Wilson's work in public art explores the connection between architecture, nature, and the public.  The story of community and place is the primary driver of his installations. Wilson has experience as an artist-in-residence for the Durham County Detention Center and Durham County Youth Home and received commissions throughout the state including the Black Wall Street mural at Phoenix Square, the Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture, Kinston Music Park, and the City of Gastonia. Wilson is currently completing state-based commissions for Chavis Memorial Park, the Arts & Science Council, and the new Durham Admin Building II. He also serves as Public Art Consultant for GoTriangle, assisting in the creation of original art for new transit shelters throughout Durham. The Durham-based artist is also an accomplished fine artist with works in many notable private and celebrity collections.

Allbritton and Lee, co-founders of RE:site<http://www.resite-studio.com/>, explore notions of community, identity, and narrative in the context of public space. According to the artists, they create dynamic, multi-layered works that draw on a site's cultural landscape to generate strong narrative concepts that resonate with local meanings, but also transform and transcend the familiar to converge in a site-specific context. The Houston-based team has been awarded public art commissions across the country, including police and fire departments. In 2003, Lee was named a finalist in the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition.

About the City of Durham Police Department

The Durham Police Department<https://durhamnc.gov/149/Police-Department> is a progressive law enforcement agency committed to public safety and reducing crime by providing the best quality of service, fostering public confidence and maintaining the highest standards of excellence as a community partner for positive change. The agency proactively fosters strong police-community partnerships that have earned various awards and distinctions in the arenas of mental health outreach, victim services, community engagement, youth enrichment and technology and resource innovation. To learn more, follow on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/DurhamPoliceDepartment>, Twitter<https://twitter.com/DurhamPoliceNC>, Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/durhampolicedepartmentnc/>, and Nextdoor<https://nextdoor.com/agency-detail/nc/durham/durham-police-department/>.

About the Durham Emergency Communications Center

The Durham Emergency Communications Center<https://durhamnc.gov/435/Emergency-Communications> is the primary public safety answering point for the City and County of Durham. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan<https://durhamnc.gov/183/Strategic-Plan>, the center helps to ensure that Durham is a safe and secure community by providing around-the-clock 911 access and services to the residents and user agencies in and around Durham County. Services include emergency and non-emergency requests for assistance; dispatch of police, fire, and emergency medical services; and other city/county support agencies. The geographic service area encompasses 296 square miles with approximately 250,000 residents. The center has earned the internationally recognized APCO Project 33 Certification from the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, Inc.; Emergency Medical Dispatch Accreditation by the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch; and accreditation by the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement  Agencies. To learn more, follow on Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/Durham911>.

About Durham Technical College

Durham Technical Community College<https://www.durhamtech.edu/> champions learning and student success, delivers outstanding teaching and service, and develops career skills for the people of Durham. The College aims to be an active community partner in educational, workforce, and economic development.  Durham Tech's mission and strategic goals clearly commit the institution to engaging with our communities in ways that not only help those served, but also allow members of the college community to learn. Durham Tech extends the walls of our classrooms and the boundaries of the campuses, providing students, faculty, and staff with hands-on, real-world experiences while helping others.

About the City of Durham General Services Department

The General Services Department<https://durhamnc.gov/733/> builds and maintains City properties to make Durham a great place for people to live, work, and play. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan<https://durhamnc.gov/183/Strategic-Plan>, the department's core functions include the acquisition and sale of properties, design and management of new construction and renovation projects, building maintenance, landscaping and urban forestry services, cemeteries management, sustainability and energy management, cultural and public art program management, and supporting the nonprofit Keep Durham Beautiful<https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/>.

About the City of Durham Public Art Committee

The Public Art Committee<https://durhamnc.gov/453/Public-Art-Committee> serves as an advisory body to the Durham City Council and the City Manager, and its functions include assisting the City's Office of Economic and Workforce Development on matters relating to public art; implementation of the Public Art Policy; and reviewing proposals for public art projects brought to it by the City administration; and making recommendations to the Cultural Advisory Board<https://durhamnc.gov/452/Cultural-Advisory-Board> regarding project approvals. To further help artists connect with opportunities, the City has a Durham Calls for Artists<https://durhamnc.gov/2984/Durham-Calls-for-Artists> page on its website, which lists a number of upcoming opportunities for artists in and around Durham. Artists and other stakeholders who would like to be notified of current and future art-related opportunities and news can now sign up for alerts through the Cultural and Public Art mailing list<https://goo.gl/forms/dr4ZJmVUJB2D75bq2>. For more information about the City's Public Art Program, visit the City's public art web page<https://durhamnc.gov/453/Public-Art-Committee>. Artists interested in more information about the Public Art program may also contact Special Projects Manager Stacey Poston with the City's General Services Development at (919) 560-4197, ext. 21254 or by email<mailto:Stacey.Poston at durhamnc.gov>.

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[Title: City of Durham Office of Public Affairs Contact Information]

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