[Durham INC] New Signage for Major the Bull Sculpture Coming to CCB Plaza

Fri Apr 5 15:50:40 EDT 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: April 5, 2019

New Signage for Major the Bull Sculpture Coming to CCB Plaza
April 12 Celebration to Unveil New Public Art Signage for Major the Bull Sculpture

DURHAM, N.C. - To help mark his 15th birthday during Durham's year-long sesquicentennial<https://durham150.org/> celebration, the community's beloved Major the Bull sculpture in CCB Plaza will be receiving new, bronze signage, in both English and Spanish, and the Bull City is invited to the celebration.

Hosted by the City of Durham and Liberty Arts, the event will take place in front of the Bull sculpture at CCB Plaza, which is located at the corner of North Corcoran and West Parrish streets in downtown Durham, on Friday, April 12 at 11 a.m. At this event, community members will have the opportunity to meet the artist team behind the sculpture, Leah Foushee Waller and Mike Waller, and hear them speak about creating the Bull, and what the sculpture means to Durham today. Mayor Steve Schewel also will speak and Liberty Arts representatives will be giving out free cupcakes.

The sculpture, titled Major the Bull, was cast in bronze and created from start to finish in Durham at Liberty Arts, a studio and foundry dedicated to enriching our communities with arts experiences that inspire, empower, educate, and entertain. The sculpture and plaza were gifted through a grant by the Central Carolina Bank to the residents of Durham. The statue depicts a bull, a symbol for Durham since the 1800s, and stands 10 feet tall. The monument reinforces the strong qualities of the city and its residents, even in the face of negative perceptions of the area.

Signage will include a bronze plaque in both English and Spanish with information on the artists, creation date, and where the sculpture was created. The Durham Audio Described Art (DADA)<https://durhamadaproject.squarespace.com/> Project will be providing ADA-accessible signage with call-in information for those with visual impairments to hear a description about the sculpture.

Leah Foushee Waller and Michael Waller are two artists who were involved in the early years of Liberty Arts, and founded their business WallerFoushee Studios in 2003, subsequently creating over a dozen public art projects throughout North Carolina in addition to exhibiting their personal artwork. Michael continues to serve on the board of directors of Liberty Arts, and recently launched a solo project "Waller Handmade" - a functional, hand-crafted culinary art venture. In addition to sculpting, Leah has been an art educator for nearly 15 years, teaching art at the elementary and middle school levels. They currently live in Hillsborough, N.C. with their two children.

For more information about this public art installation or its opening ceremony, 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>.

About Liberty Arts
Liberty Arts<https://www.libertyartsnc.org/> serves as an incubator in which artists work together to teach, learn, and inspire. All artists take on public and private commissions, in addition to exhibiting and selling their work at the Liberty Arts Gallery. We are a sculpture studio, foundry, gallery, and art space whose purpose and mission is to enrich our communities with arts experiences that inspire, empower, educate, and entertain. We facilitate the creation of quality, saleable works of art. We attract innovative and accomplished sculptors and artists. We educate aspiring artists and incubate their careers. We inspire enthusiasm in our community for the arts and provide easy access to skills associated with many different mediums. We aim to fulfill our mission in a way that provides an adventure to participants and visitors alike. For more information, follow on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/libertyartsnc/>, Twitter<https://twitter.com/libertyarts>, and Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/libertyarts/>.

About the Durham Audio Described Art (DADA) Project
Durham Audio Described Art (DADA<https://durhamadaproject.squarespace.com/>)<https://durhamadaproject.squarespace.com/'> is a collaborative effort of Duke University, the City of Durham's Cultural Advisory Board, Durham Arts Place, and Arts Access, Inc. within Duke, the collaborations include: Department of Theater Studies, Department of Public Policy, the Service-Learning Program, the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program, Office of Durham and Regional Affairs, the Nasher Museum of Art, The office of the Vice-Provost for the Arts, and the Office of Disability Management.

About the City of Durham General Services Department
The General Services Department<http://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 General Services Department 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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