After a year’s research, members of the ArtOneida team have found over 150 works of public art across the county, representing over 130 years of history. You can see 50+ of these works highlighted in their new book, titled ArtOneida, available at Munson Gallery Gift Shop, Signature 81 and online at http://www.sculpturespace.org/help-find-public-art-across-oneida-county/. Even more artwork is shown on the accompanying website, at ArtOneida.org.
This 127-page glossy, full color book highlights public art throughout Oneida County and brings the power of public art to your fingertips. This is the perfect gift for the holidays or as a collectible keepsake. Your purchase of this book goes to directly support the efforts of Sculpture Space.
The book’s chapters take readers across 5 different sections of the county: the Southern, Northwestern, and Northeastern parts of the county, along with the Utica area and the Griffiss International Sculpture Garden in Rome. The ArtOneida team traveled far and wide across the county to find art. Along the way they talked to the artists, their families, and others who treasure this art as a part of their environment. The stories told in ArtOneida share how the artwork is entwined with the rich history of Oneida County.
The artwork ranges from 19th century monuments of local heroes to chainsaw carvings, community murals to contemporary sculpture at Griffiss International Sculpture Garden, and from intricate stained glass to “yarn-bombs.” The works span a range from 1884 to 2016.
On the website at ArtOneida.org, you can find more photographs and information about all the artwork, including an interactive map. Take a look and you might just be surprised to find artwork right around the corner! Or perhaps you can find out more about that sculpture or mural that you pass every day on your way to work. Don’t take it for granted: stop and take a closer look.
This project is sponsored by Sculpture Space, in Utica, as a part of their 40th anniversary, with funding from the Oneida County Partners in Prosperity Initiative.
A unique cultural resource within the City of Utica, the Mohawk Valley and Upstate New York, Sculpture Space promotes interaction between international visiting artists and the local community through installations in public spaces, studio tours and collaborations with other organizations to realize artists’ projects. Up to 20 national and international artists are accepted each year to enjoy two-month residencies, receiving stipends to offset materials and travel costs, subsidized housing, 24-hour access to the studio and technical assistance. The program is in part made possible with support from the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties Inc., area foundations, corporations and generous friends. For more information on Sculpture Space, please call 315-724-8381 or visit www.sculpturespace.org.