Frank Besse, JRC urban core director, and Leslie Calimeri, Chautauqua Art Gallery owner, presented an overview of the project to City Council members at this week’s work session meeting.

The “ArtScape” project will allow artists of all ages to participate in a juried art competition to have artwork displayed on banners throughout downtown Jamestown.

“The basic premise is to add a project to downtown that would improve the beauty, the walkability and engage the community in, I think, a unique way,” Besse said. “We are going to do a public solicitation for regional artists to submit their artwork, and we will use that artwork to beautify downtown hanging banners on light posts, which will be throughout the downtown.”

According to Besse, the “primary focus” of the outdoor gallery will be Second St. and Third St., however, he indicated that other locations could be considered as well.

An ArtScape banner is pictured on a light pole on Third Street. Submitted photo

Besse expressed optimism that the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation will “hopefully” receive a grant in the next couple months to assist with the launch of the ArtScape program. Additionally, JRC and the Chautauqua Art Gallery will be asking local businesses to support the beautification project.

“It’s just a simple but kind of unique project that will add a little bit of vibrancy, especially in the high season around summertime,” Besse said. “We’ll leave this up through the fall and winter and hope the banners will withstand the weather challenges here.”

Besse said the program has been thoroughly discussed with Dan Stone, Parks Department manager, regarding any “logistical hurdles,” as well as the quality of the banners needed to ensure that banners will not be “blowing down Third Street.”

Providing context for the program, Calimeri explained that she participated in the ArtScape program as an artist in northern Virginia, where she lived for a time prior to returning to Jamestown.

Calimeri said the Arts Council in Winchester, Virginia, has served as a resource for the ArtScape program, since the program has been “perfected and polished” in that community since its inception in 2011. From her previous experience with the outdoor gallery concept, Calimeri said the program provides both a “public art statement” and an opportunity for “community involvement” in art.

As part of community involvement, Calimeri said the ArtScape project will partner with local businesses, providing opportunities for businesses to sponsor banners and showcase their support for public art in the community.

While Calimeri and Besse hope to receive a grant to help launch the program this year, Calimeri indicated that the goal would be to eventually rely on a public and private support system through local businesses. According to Calimeri, the estimated cost for the printing of each banner is about $100.

The ArtScape program will also feature a brochure and a walking tour to increase community involvement in the program.

“People would be able to go around and see the banners on the map along with other public artwork,” Calimeri said.

In addition to the walking tour, Besse said each artist’s original artwork will be displayed at the Chautauqua Art Gallery.

“We’ll have a show of the original artwork at the gallery that the public and the sponsors will be invited to, and we’ll be able to publicize it both in person and have it all accessible online as well,” Calimeri said.

Following the ArtScape presentation, City Councilman William Reynolds, R-Ward V, asked Calimeri what the process would be like for determining what artwork will be displayed downtown on the banners.

Calimeri said the program will make the “call for entries” as broad as possible to reach as many members of the community as possible. She said the intention of the ArtScape program is to be “very inclusive” by displaying artwork from professional artists, novice artists and other community members.

“They’ll submit their artwork,” she said. “It would be great our first year to have 30 to 50 banners throughout the city. They will be juried by several local professional artists as well as business owners that will be involved in that jury process. Hopefully, they’ll go up in June, that’s our ideal timeline. We’d like to keep them up through the end of the year if possible, and then go from there.”

Calimeri explained that the artwork selected for display on the banners should be “beautiful” and “appropriate” for outdoor display, stressing that the artwork will be carefully selected by professionals.

Asked by City Council President Anthony Dolce, R-Ward II, if Calimeri and Besse would consider reaching out to high school students as part of the ArtScape program, Calimeri said that she has already been in contact with the Jamestown Public School district and would welcome artwork submissions from both high school and middle school students.

City Council members also asked Calimeri and Besse whether the ArtScape banner program would conflict with the ability of other organizations utilizing banners downtown for events or with the periodic display of patriotic flags.

“We do understand there are several other organizations that use banners from time to time in Jamestown,” Calimeri said. “We would anticipate either connecting and working around their needs or having our banners possibly be moved for a week or two at a time.”

Besse added that the goal of the program would be to change the banners each year to display new artwork so that the banners would remain in good condition and would not be displayed until they were “destroyed.”