______________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 5, 2025
CONTACT:
Office of Communications
City of Savannah Launches Public Art Master Plan
SAVANNAH – The City of Savannah and partners Designing Local, Ethos Preservation, and W Projects will host a special event for the community launch of the Public Art Master Plan on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.
The Public Art Master Plan will develop a comprehensive vision for integrating public art into the Savannah community. This initiative responds to the City’s goal to improve access to the arts for all residents with the goal of establishing a public art program and ordinance for the City of Savannah.
“Supporting Savannah’s arts and cultural vitality has long been a priority for the City,” City Manager Jay Melder said. “The Public Art Master Plan will build on the work we have done and provides us a roadmap for creating a public art program representative and inclusive of our entire community. We have a thriving community of talented artists in Savannah. The potential for public art that inspires and enhances our community is exponential.”
Designing Local is a recognized firm specializing in arts and culture planning shaped by a team of urban planners, landscape architects, and public art administrators. The Designing Local team began city-wide community engagement events for each Aldermanic District in January and will continue meetings through March.
“The City of Savannah has a wealth of distinctive communities which have unique histories and personalities,” Director of Cultural Resources Stuart Miller said.” Public art provides a way for residents to tell their stories through artwork that both commemorates and inspires. Through surveys and community meetings, we are asking residents to advise us on how public art can embellish their respective corner of the city.”
Residents can provide their input through an online survey and find a list of virtual and in-person engagement workshops at savannahpublicart.com. Information and feedback gathered will help with initial findings and provide the landscape for how the community would like to see public art realized within the City.
What: Public Art Master Plan Community Launch
When: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Savannah Cultural Arts Center, 201 Montgomery St.
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Media Availability
For media inquiries, please contact the Press Secretary at Joshua.peacock@savannahga.gov. Director of Cultural Resources Stuart Miller is available for interviews.
About Designing Local
Designing Local is an Ohio-based certified woman-owned business dedicated to helping communities connect people to place through culture. Founded in 2014, our firm was born from the belief that design, art, culture, historic preservation, and other important unique attributes of communities are often overlooked in the planning process. We bring an authentic curiosity and passion to our work.
For over a decade we have specialized in providing arts and culture planning, urban design, historic preservation, community engagement, and landscape architecture services to communities across the nation. Our clients typically consist of municipalities, institutions, private developers, and non-profit entities. Many of our projects blur the lines between all of these interrelated services and markets, creating a broad yet cohesive vision for our clients that sets the stage for collaborative implementation of the plan.
About Ethos Preservation
Based out of Savannah, Georgia, Ethos offers a wide range of preservation planning services. Rooted in the idea of Preservation With Purpose, Ethos believes that communities are shaped and enhanced by historic buildings, that integrity and honesty should be at the core of business practice, and that no job is done without the work of a team.
Together, principals Ellen Harris and Rebecca Fenwick have over two decades of historic preservation experience in both the public and private realms, specializing in National Register work, historic resource surveys, municipal preservation planning, developer guidance, historical research and report composition, grant and incentive applications, and community engagement.
About W Projects
W Projects is an experiential marketing company based in Savannah, Georgia, specializing in creating dynamic and engaging experiences for clients. Tapping into existing and emerging trends in art and culture and employing influential creative resources, they strategically develop unique, memorable campaigns tailored to achieve clients’ objectives.
For over a decade, W Projects has produced both digital and in-person campaigns in the United States, Europe, and Asia, from intimate engagements to large-scale interactions. By developing relationships and leading collaborative teams, their projects incorporate local and national leaders, city agencies, sector experts, community organizers, prominent artists, and more.