News
June 13, 2017Downtown is Pawsome Sculpture Installation June 14, 2017
The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the City of Albany announces the official installation of the first 10 sculptures for the Downtown is Pawsome placemaking exhibit. The public art project will ultimately feature 20 three-foot-tall sculptures based on Albany’s famous canine resident and local landmark Nipper the Dog, colorfully customized by regional artists and placed on display at locations throughout Downtown from June 2017 through May 2018. The project will officially launch with an opening at the Downtown is Pawsome Garden Party on Friday, June 16th, at Tricentennial Park (rain location: Albany City Hall Rotunda).
The sculptures will be installed at the following locations from approximately 8:30 to 10:30 AM on Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 in preparation for the exhibit’s official launch at Friday’s Garden Party. Media may meet with BID and City staff at 488 Broadway, outside Albany Center Gallery and Stacks Espresso, at 8:30. If interested in covering the installation process, please contact Jason Bonafide to find real time location information on Wednesday: 518.256.5755 (cell) | 518.465.2143 x11 (office) | jbonafide@downtownalbany.org
| Sculpture Name | Artist | Location | ||
| “Een grote delft blauwe doggo” | Jessica Mansmith | Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center | 25 Quackenbush Square |
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| “Second Chances” | Bob Anderson | Wallenburg Park entrance | N. Pearl between Clinton Avenue & Orange Street | ||
| “Mark” | Sarah Bassett & Hannah McGrath | Tricentennial Park | Broadway between Steuben & Columbia Streets | ||
| “Scooby Doodle” | Upside Collective | Hudson River Way Pedestrian Bridge | Broadway & Maiden Lane | ||
| “Steampunk Nipper” |
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80 State Street | ||
| “Bright Side” | Melanie Lucia Clarke |
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| “Almos” | Diane Cubit | S. Pearl & Howard Streets | ||
| “City Lines” | Mitchell Biernacki | Broadway, between Beaver Street & Hudson Avenue | ||
| “New Neighbor Ned” |
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| “Tulip Festival” |
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Albany Coliseum | 153 S. Pearl Street |
Ten more sculptures will hit the streets in early July, featuring artwork by:
- Matthew Bartik | Pattersonville, NY
- Kit Collins | Medford, MA
- Kristen Dahms | Ballston Lake, NY
- Sandra Dwileski | Albany, NY
- First Church in Albany | Albany, NY
- John “Gianni” Gaudet | Albany, NY
- Gretchen Geser | Delmar, NY
- Betsy Gorman | Valatie, NY
- Ali Herrmann | Lenox, MA
- Scotty Somerville | Albany, NY
More information, including walking tour maps, will be available on the BID’s website at downtownalbany.org/downtownispawsome on Friday, June 16th.
The Downtown is Pawsome exhibit will kick off with a Garden Party on Friday, June 16th, in Tricentennial Park (Broadway and Columbia Street). Historian, author, and former Assemblymember Hon. Jack McEneny will be presented with the 2017 Norman S. Rice Arts, Culture and Education Award at the event. The Garden Party is presented by the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society and the Downtown Albany BID; proceeds from the event will benefit programs of the Humane Society, as well as the continued revitalization of downtown Albany. Tickets for the Garden Party may be purchased at www.downtownalbany.org/pawsomegardenparty.
In 2005, the outdoor placemaking program (formerly “Sculpture in the Streets”) was established to connect Downtown employees, residents and visitors with the places they share by reinventing public spaces with various art forms. From regional creators to world renowned artists like Seward Johnson and George Rickey, the exhibits have attracted thousands annually. Similar past projects included the installation of customized pianos as part of Luke Jerram’s internationally touring Play Me, I’m Yours series in 2014 and giant Dutch clogs celebrating Albany’s history in 2012, all enhanced by the Capital Region’s local art community.
