NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 17, 2004

Contact: Doug Rice
ARTWalk Exec. Director
(585) 256-3336
artwalk@rochester.rr.com

ARTWalk announces “Open Call” for sculpture at Atlantic Avenue and Beacon Streets

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—ARTWalk in conjunction with the Atlantic-Beacon Sculpture Committee (ABSC) announces an “Open Call” for all artists and/or sculptors to submit designs for the Gay Community Sculpture Project. The permanent sculpture will be installed at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Beacon Street in the heart of ARTWalk and the Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA) in the spring of 2005 and is intended to represent Rochester’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.

The artist's interpretation of his or her sculpture shall reflect upon one or several of the following themes:
• Rochester’s LGBT’s contributions to the community in the arts, business and social services.
• Commemoration of the gay rights movement beginning with the 1969 NYC “Stonewall” event and other human rights related movements with roots in the Rochester area.
• A strong reflection of the Rochester LGBT community in promoting gay pride, diversity, harmony and solidarity among all people in society.

A $10,000 commission provided by individual donations matched by the Mayor’s Sector Targeted Funding Initiative (STFI) program will be awarded to the winning. The winning sculpture will be announced at ARTWalk’s festival ARTWalk Alive September 19, 2004, and will be installed by Spring, 2005. A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) is available on ARTWalk’s web site www.rochesterartwalk.org. Informational planning meetings will be held Saturday, May 22 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the GAGV Community Center (179 Atlantic Avenue, Rochester) and Wednesday, May 26 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Writers and Books (740 University Ave, Rochester). A sign language interpreter will be provided during the May 26 informational meeting. Artists are encouraged to attend one of the informational meetings.

Design submissions are due by Friday, July 9, 2004. For more information about ABSC, check out www.ABSC14607.org. For more general ARTWalk information, call ARTWalk at 234-6670, artwalk@rochester.rr.com, www.rochesterartwalk.org.
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