City of Duluth, Georgia

Duluth’s Gateway Public Art Project Generously Funded by AGCO

Duluth, Georgia (September 5, 2012) – The City of Duluth, led by the Gateway Art Project Committee (GAPC) and Mayor Nancy Harris, seek to commission an artist to design and implement a piece of art to grace the center of the new roundabout located at the intersections of West Lawrenceville Street, McClure Bridge Road and Irvindale Road (There is a fourth roadway that will also connect in the near future). The GAPC was formed in January 2012 at the direction of Nancy Harris to plan and implement the process of choosing a piece, or pieces, of public art to be installed in the center of the roundabout. This initial site-specific project is the first of many public art pieces the City hopes to purchase to enhance the beauty and culture of downtown Duluth and surrounding areas. This location is considered to be a “gateway” into downtown Duluth, in a residential setting, and is expected to become a significant icon in our City and an important symbol to welcome citizens and visitors alike into the most historic area of Duluth.

The gracious donation for this initial project will come from AGCO Corporation (www.agcocorp.com), a leading global manufacturer of agricultural equipment and Fortune 500 company whose corporate headquarters is located in Duluth. AGCO offers a full line of tractors, combines, hay & forage, sprayers, tillage equipment, grain storage and protein production systems which are distributed through 2,600 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide. “It is important to AGCO to be good citizens in the communities where we and our customers operate. We are proud to support the city that has been our home for almost 20 years,” said Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO of AGCO.

Mayor Harris stated, “the partnership with AGCO and the City of Duluth is an example of an involved business stepping up to support the community. We appreciate the fact that AGCO understands the importance of providing citizens with public art that not only enhances the aesthetic value of Duluth, but becomes a lasting statement that AGCO is a business that supports economic vitality in our community.”

The City of Duluth is forming a steering committee to consider a public arts program to include the formation of a Public Arts Commission, funding options, goals and implementation guidelines. City staff has prepared a draft program for the committee to review. If the Commission is formed it would then initiate and coordinate future public art projects throughout the City. “AGCO is making a lasting impression in the City’s vision to implement a public art program for Duluth citizens. This initial piece, sponsored by AGCO, is setting a high standard for the type of art we plan to add to Duluth. We hope that other corporations will follow suit and help the city expand public art throughout the City limits.”

For more information about this public art project please contact Mayor Nancy Harris at nharris@duluthga.net or 770-497-5340. For more information from AGCO please contact Jamy Wright at jamy.wright@agcocorp.com or 770-232-8246. The call to artists and additional information about the project may be viewed at www.duluthga.net/community/publicart.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 at 8:00 pm.