Contact:  

   Julia  Wood,  Director  of  Donor  Services  Community  Foundation  of  Central  Georgia  

(478)  750-­‐9338,  ext.  105  jwood@cfcga.org  

 NEWS  RELEASE  For  immediate  release:  January  3,  2013  

 

 Developing  a  comprehensive  plan  to  attract  public  art    

to  Macon  and  Bibb  County  continues.    Macon,  GA  –  Cesar  Trasobares,  a  public  art  consultant,  was  brought  to  Macon  in  August  2012  through  the  Community  Foundation  of  Central  Georgia’s  Knight  Neighborhood  Challenge  program  to  help  develop  a  plan  and  process  to  attract  significant  public  art  to  Macon  and  Bibb  County.    Following  the  recommendations  of  his  visit,  a  Public  Art  Committee  has  been  established,  and  they  are  moving  forward  with  a  plan  for  public  art.    The  next  three  steps  in  the  process  are:  

(1) The  Public  Art  Committee,  along  with  community  input,  will  develop  a  site  inventory  of  possible  locations  for  public  art  in  Macon.  

(2) The  Public  Art  Committee  is  drafting  a  public  art  ordinance  for  the  city  and  county  to  consider,  which  would  accommodate  future  public  art  projects.    The  ordinance  will  define  the  process  of  judging  the  artistic  merit  of  public  art  projects.  

(3) The  Community  Foundation  of  Central  Georgia  is  eager  to  receive  proposals  through  the  Knight  Neighborhood  Challenge  program  from  artists  or  arts  organizations  to  do  public  art  projects  in  the  College  Hill  Corridor  as  pilots  for  public  art  in  Macon.    If  you  have  an  idea  for  public  art,  we  strongly  encourage  you  to  set  up  an  appointment  with  the  staff  of  the  Community  Foundation  now  to  discuss  your  idea,  by  calling  478-­‐750-­‐9338.    If  there  is  enough  interest,  we  may  create  a  spring  2013  deadline  for  public  art  applications.    Otherwise,  the  next  scheduled  KNC  deadline  is  5pm  on  June  30,  2013  and  the  application  is  available  at  www.cfcga.org/knc  

 The  Knight  Neighborhood  Challenge  has  already  funded  a  few  public  art  projects  including  the  Macon  Arts  Alliance’s  Trail  of  Bears  and  Façade  Squad’s  wall  mural  on  the  former  Milady  Cleaners  building  on  College  Street.    It  is  our  hope  that  developing  a  more  detailed  and  comprehensive  plan  will  encourage  additional  public  art  both  in  the  corridor  and  in  Macon-­‐Bibb  County  at  large  in  the  years  to  come.    

 

For  more  information  on  the  Public  Art  Committee,  if  you  have  an  idea  to  improve  or  enhance  the  College  Hill  Corridor,  or  if  you  want  to  learn  more  about  how  you  can  contribute  to  a  project  in  the  College  Hill  Master  Plan,  please  contact  the  Community  Foundation  of  Central  Georgia  at  478-­‐750-­‐9338.    You  can  also  visit  our  website  at  www.cfcga.org/knc.        About  Knight  Neighborhood  Challenge  The  Knight  Neighborhood  Challenge  is  a  broad-­‐based,  competitive  grant  program  that  funds  the  best  ideas  –  small  and  large  –  that  give  College  Hill  a  sense  of  place,  spruce  up  its  parks  and  public  spaces  or  enhance  the  arts  and  entertainment  scene.    The  effort  also  aims  to  get  residents  involved  in  College  Hill  through  an  array  of  civic  and  cultural  projects.    Successful  projects  will  respond  to  community  needs  and  opportunities  within  the  five  areas  identified  in  the  College  Hill  Alliance  Master  Plan.  They  will  be  programmatic  in  nature,  will  have  a  well-­‐developed  plan  for  sustainability,  will  involve  teamwork,  will  be  citizen-­‐led  and  will  be  inclusive.  They  may  not  be  political  or  discriminatory.    Guidelines  and  online  applications  are  available  at  www.cfcga.org/knc  and  the  next  deadline  is  December  31,  2012.    About  Community  Foundation  of  Central  Georgia  The  Community  Foundation  of  Central  Georgia  was  founded  in  1993  by  a  group  of  citizens  interested  in  encouraging  philanthropy  and  strengthening  communities.    Since  then,  the  foundation  has  awarded  more  than  $50  million  in  grants  through  its  donor-­‐advised,  unrestricted,  designated,  field-­‐of-­‐interest,  scholarship  and  organizational  endowment  funds.    As  a  local  center  for  philanthropy,  the  Community  Foundation  of  Central  Georgia  works  with  individuals,  families,  corporations,  private  foundations  and  nonprofit  organizations  to  carry  out  their  charitable  objectives  and  address  emerging  community  issues.    It  is  one  of  more  than  700  community  foundations  in  the  country.          About  John  S.  and  James  L.  Knight  Foundation  The  John  S.  and  James  L.  Knight  Foundation  advances  journalism  in  the  digital  age  and  invests  in  the  vitality  of  communities  where  the  Knight  brothers  owned  newspapers.  Knight  Foundation  focuses  on  projects  that  promote  informed  and  engaged  communities  and  lead  to  transformational  change.      

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