Duluth Announces Roundabout Art Semifinalists Named

It’s been a difficult task because of the awesome quality of the entries, but Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris and the Gateway Art Project Committee have selected 18 semifinalists out of 85 submissions from artists to design the art for the new Roundabout. The semifinalists were chosen on the basis of letters of intent and qualifications submitted by Oct. 10.

The list of semifinalists was announced by the city today (Nov. 9).

The permanent piece of original art will be installed in the grassy center of the Roundabout, located at the intersections of West Lawrenceville Street, McClure Bridge Road and Irvindale Road, a major entrance or "gateway" to the city. The proposed Hospital Connector will link to the Roundabout in the future.

The semifinalists now must submit their design concept electronically by 5 p.m. EST Dec. 19 to continue to be considered. They will then be given an honorarium to produce a mock up or model of their design. Finalists are scheduled to be notified Jan. 11 with their interviews and presentations with the GAP Committee slated Feb. 19.

Martin Dawe of Atlanta-based CherryLion Studios, who is listed among the finalists, designed the Living Honorarium that was dedicated on the Duluth Town Green on Sept. 11, 2011.

The winner would be notified March 1, and the artist contract would be presented to the Duluth City Council for approval March 11. The contract would include an installation schedule for the art.

AGCO Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, has donated $100,000 for the art, and the city has budgeted $2,000 for landscaping around it. The GAP Committee plans to cover the remaining costs, including additional landscaping, signage, and lighting, through fund-raising efforts.

The committee has about 20 members including artists, art professionals, city officials, an AGCO representative, and others.

The GAPC was formed by Mayor Harris in January 2012 to plan and implement the process of selecting a piece (or pieces) of public art to be located in the center of the Roundabout. This project is the first of many public art pieces the city hopes to commission to enhance its beauty and culture.

See the list of semifinalists on Duluth Patch