Monday, April 19, 2010

When Mayfaire Town Center wanted to find talented artists to develop public art installations for exhibit at its specialty shopping and dining complex, it looked no further than art students at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Final sculptures will be judged Tuesday, April 20 at 2:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Cultural Arts Building.

Working with art faculty member Andi Steele, Mayfaire developed "Project Design," which will provide the opportunity for art students to develop and submit formal designs, create their sculptures, present them to be judged by a jury and, for two of the students, to install them for 12 months for public viewing on the Mayfaire property. The two will also receive a cash reimbursement to assist with the cost of their creations.

"With thousands of visitors to Mayfaire every day, this is a rare chance for budding artists to make their mark in the Wilmington area," said Paige McKenzie, director of marketing for Mayfaire. "The students are being challenged to develop artwork concepts for public space, learn about the history of public art, and through the process, experience what it is like to commission art within a public venue."

WHO: UNC Wilmington art students and Mayfaire Town Center

WHAT: Judging of "Project Design" sculptures created by UNCW art students

WHEN: 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 20

WHERE: UNCW's Cultural Arts Building, sculptures will be installed on the grounds

WHY: Two sculptures will be chosen to be installed for public viewing at Mayfaire for 12 months

HOW: Mayfaire gave the students the following artistic direction for their sculptures:

• Sculptures with a minimum height of 3 feet and a maximum height of 12 feet
• Illustrate animals and objects indigenous to Wilmington
• Metaphors for the persistence of human curiosity
• Sculpture with skewed perception

Media are invited to attend and cover the judging of the sculptures. Please let Dana Fischetti at UNCW know if you plan to cover the event.

Media contacts:
Dana Fischetti, UNCW Media Relations, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu

Paige McKenzie, Mayfaire Town Center, 910.256.5131 or paigemckenzie@mayfairetown.com