The Frederick Arts Council announced an initiative in partnership with the Ausherman Family Foundation and numerous community stakeholders to develop a public art planning process for Frederick County today.

The process, under the guidance of public art planning consultant Todd Bressi, will allow Frederick to continue deepening its sense of place through public art, develop a coherent set of procedures for placing public art throughout the county, and help create a set of sustainable funding streams for the construction and maintenance of the county’s public art.

“This is an enormously exciting prospect for everyone in Frederick who believes in power of art to strengthen communities” said Louise Kennelly, Executive Director of the Frederick Arts Council.

Todd W. Bressi, whom the Arts Council and the Ausherman Family Foundation have engaged as a facilitator and guide in this process, leads an innovative design practice that explores the intersection of city design, place planning, and public art. He has received accolades for the planning processes he helped initiate in Athens, GA; Montgomery County, MD; Santa Rosa, CA; and Alexandria, VA, among others.

“It’s time to be purposeful and strategic about public art in Frederick,” said Marvin Ausherman, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Ausherman Family Foundation. “With the right procedures in place, we will be able to collaborate to use public art as a way to express our community’s identity, making Frederick even more of a special and unique place.”

This initiative builds on an established tradition of public art in Frederick which is already well known for pieces such as the Community Bridge, the array of murals downtown, and Sky Stage public art and amphitheater that attracts visitors from near and far.

“We are looking forward to engaging with the community on this which is a first step toward a comprehensive public art plan,” said Michael Campagnoli, president of the Frederick Arts Council.

The process will take place over the next 10 months in which the consultant and the Arts Council will survey community needs and construct planning procedures based directly on that feedback. The development of the process and the final process itself is intended to be a collaborative effort, with checkpoints for public engagement at every stage.

To read Frederick News Post coverage on this project, click here.