by Mark Lawson

On Tuesday, November 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m, in Riverside High School’s cafeteria, the Urban Ecology Center will present the four finalists for the proposed public art component to their expansion plans. Each finalist will present their concepts in this public forum. Questions and comments from those in attendance will be entertained. Previously in the Currents, it was reported that the Urban Ecology Center (UEC) located across the river in Riverside Park, is about to expand their facilities dramatically with the construction of a new building and other new amenities to the park. Included in this expansion is a public art component which will serve the following goals: • To awaken perceptions to the natural world, • To provide a transition from the urban environment to nature, • To establish a sense of place by identifying the Center and the park by focusing on their history, culture, and ecology, • To mark entrances/exits and provide wayfinding functions throughout the park. Four finalists — Peter Flanary, Susan Falkman, Richard Taylor, and Jeremy Wolf — have been chosen by the UEC Art Committee to present their ideas at the public forum. Their approaches to this project are diverse, thoughtfull, and rich with relevance to the goals of the UEC. If all goes according to plan, we should see some great new art in the park across the river sometime soon. From this pool of talented artists, one or perhaps two will be chosen to bring their concepts into actuality in Riverside Park. This forum provides neighbors and other interested parties the opportunity for input into the decision making process. It also provides the artists with potentially valuable feed back on their concepts.