| The Danville Project |
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Organization: Vemont Arts Council The LRC solicited and reviewed applications from 20 artists with strong and varied experimental backgrounds in the arts. They hoped to come up with a plan that, through the arts, would capture the history, hopes, and dreams of Danville today and tomorrow. Out of the 20 that applied, landscape architect David Raphael was chosen as Lead Artist and sculptor Andrea Wasserman picked to be Creative Consultant for the project. The artists, along with Vermont Transportation then-Project Director Gary Dubray, and Consulting Engineer Gary Santy, P.E. of Dufresne-Henry, Inc. first met with the LRC to determine the needs and scope of the project. In mid-November 2000, an open-forum community meeting was held in Danville to collect input from residents of the town to incorporate into an initial design proposal. A conceptual plan was unveiled to residents at a hearing in September 2001. With continued input from local residents and business owners, the artists helped the community to develop various aesthetic solutions, including grassy verges between the road and sidewalk, new decorative signage and streetlights, and sculptural stone elements that articulate the rural village ambience of the site. The initial design proposal also outlined the scope and limits of the capital construction project and all who would be affected. In 2002 the Danville Select Board approved the preliminary proposals for landscaping, planning, lighting and artistic elements. The final design plan was presented in 2002 and plans are underway to complete the project components. The Danville Project demonstrated that artists serving at the early stages of a project can help a community define and express their goals. Nuts and Bolts: - A Request for [Artist] Qualifications was published in May 2000, and the Council received over 20 applications from artists with strong and varied experiential backgrounds in sculpture, landscape architecture, painting, photography, printmaking, and public art.- The LRC reviewed applications in Danville in July 2000. After narrowing the field and conducting on-site interviews, the Committee selected two artists: David Raphael was selected to be Lead Artist and Andrea Wasserman serves as Creative Consultant. - Throughout Summer and Fall 2000 the Design Team, consisting of the artists and engineers, met with the LRC to develop an understanding of the needs and scope of the Project. Additional meetings of the LRC were held on a regular basis during the first two years of the Project.- In mid-November 2000, the first open-forum Community Meeting was held in Danville to gather input from the residents of the Town, for incorporation into a Preliminary Design Proposal. Subsequent Community Meetings over the next 18 months helped refine the proposals, culminating in a Preliminary Design Proposal that was reviewed by the LRC in mid-January 2001.- As mandated by Vermont statute, a 502 Hearing was held in Danville in September 2001, defining the scope and limits of the capital construction Project to all affected residents, business owners, landowners and holders of Title, and soliciting comments for consideration and incorporation into the proposed plan.- In early Spring 2002 the Danville Selectboard gave approval to the preliminary proposals for landscaping, plantings, lighting and artistic enhancements and work began on the Final Design Plan.- The Final Design Plan was presented to the Selectboard and to the greater community in late 2002, after which time pursuit and development of permits essential to the project, and fabrication of working models and prototypes and construction drawings of the individual enhancement elements begins. Successes: - Formation of a Local Review Committee (LRC) in Danville in March 2000; members representing nine distinct constituencies from the greater Danville community were appointed by the Selectboard to oversee the Project. - Expanding the public dialog about art, aesthetics and community to better understand the creative and artistic process.- Supporting opportunities for artists to make and present their work for the public benefit.- Exposing all the partners, constituents and stakeholders to an influx of new ideas.- Maintaining consistently excellent lines of communication between artists and communities.- Increasing local and regional opportunities for expanding tourism and cultural heritage.- Demonstrating that it is possible, practical and cost-effective to create beautiful, safe and productive work for the public benefit and to incorporate it into the demands of infrastructure. Keys to Success: - Vital partnerships between community members and local government, the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Vermont Arts Council were established early on in the project. - The creation of a Local Review Committee ensured the participation and buy-in of Danville stakeholders. - An intensive series of community meetings over the course of 18 months and occasional meetings over the following two years kept the channels of communication open between residents and the design group. - The vision of the project incorporated community involvement, preservation and promotion of the community's identity, noted as a specific need from the outset. How Can You Do It? - Involve the potential stakeholders as early as possible with an eye towards partnerships that may be unconventional but that directly serve the interests of the potential project. - Keep stakeholders engaged during the process to preserve and capitalize on momentum and interest. - Design and maintain a process that is inclusive, sensitive, rational, engaging and ongoing. |