UNIVERSITY AVENUE PROJECT LAUNCHES MAY 1
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NATION’S LARGEST PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION OPENS WITH
A DAY ON THE AVENUE AND TWILIGHT PROJECTION SHOW OUTDOORS
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Public Art Saint Paul proudly presents acclaimed artist Wing Young Huie’s six-mile tapestry of life in a vibrant community: St. Paul’s University Avenue corridor
St. Paul, Minn., April 23, 2010 - More than three years in the making, acclaimed photographer Wing Young Huie’s "University Avenue Project" will launch Saturday, May 1, with a special day on University Avenue and a twilight projection of more than 450 powerful images chronicling life along St. Paul’s most vibrant thoroughfare.
Presented by Public Art Saint Paul, the University Avenue Project will be the largest public art exhibition in the United States this year -- transforming six miles of the avenue from the KSTP tower to the state Capitol into a gallery both monumental and intimate.
On launch day, Wing’s photos will appear in more than 70 streetfront building venues along the avenue, clustered in "nodes" at several intersections (details below). In addition, the first in a series of large scale murals will appear on the sides of selected buildings.
Wing and project volunteers will be at various nodes on the avenue from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. to greet the public and offer information on the project.
As a celebration of University Avenue, everyone is invited to spend time on the avenue and dine at one of University Avenue’s many restaurants before the day’s centerpiece event: the 8 p.m. projection of more than 450 photos on a giant outdoor screen at the "Project(ion) Site," 1433 University Ave. The projection will be accompanied by a specially commissioned soundtrack of recordings from Twin Cities musicians.
At the Project(ion) site, signed copies of The University Project Vol. 1 book will be available for purchase from 7-9 p.m. The book is the first of two volumes chronicling the project, published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press.
"It has taken the hard work and good will of many people in the community to pull this together, inspired by Wing’s vision and images," said Christine Podas-Larson, president of Public Art Saint Paul. "Through all of our efforts, we’ve created something important for the city of St. Paul and for public art in the United States."
MAY 1 LAUNCH EVENTS
ALL DAY: Photos go up in more than 70 streetfronts clustered in nodes near the following intersections along University Avenue (nodes from east to west):
· Dale Street (Rondo Library)
· Oxford Street (Hubbs Learning Center/Creative Arts High)
· Griggs Street (former Whitaker Buick)
· Fry Street (Ax Man)
· Prior Avenue (Merkato Grocery, Eclipse Records, Twin City Tees)
· Cromwell Avenue (Allegra Printing, Chocolate Celeste)
· Emerald Street (Snap Fitness, Dunn Bros)
ALL DAY: Giant mural photos at:
· League of Minnesota Cities (145 University)
· Rondo Library (Dale Street at University)
· Snap Fitness/Dunn Bros: (2650 University)
ALL DAY: The University Avenue Project Vol. 1 book (Minnesota Historical Society Press) available at local bookstores. Signed copies available for purchase at the Project(ion) site, 1433 University, from 7-9 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Meet artist Wing Young Huie, participating musicians and other project partners at one of four project nodes: Dale Street, Oxford Street, Fry Street, Emerald Street. Volunteers will be at nodes with project information
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.: Dine on the Avenue at one of University Avenue’s many restaurants. Volunteers will have lists of University Avenue restaurants
6:30 p.m.: Gates open at the Project(ion) site, 1433 University
8 p.m.: Twilight projection of the entire exhibition (more than 450 photos) with recorded soundtrack by Twin Cities musicians, at the University Avenue Project(ion) site, 1433 University
AFTER THE MAY 1 LAUNCH
The University Avenue Project will continue to unfold during its six-month run, from May 1 - Oct. 31.
· More photos will be added to University Avenue streetfronts and storefronts, with the cooperation of the University Avenue Business Association.
· More photo murals will go up on prominent buildings, some of the murals measuring as much as 30 feet tall.
· A community cabaret with live performances will be held at the Project(ion) Site on the last Saturday of each month from May through October.
· Projections of Wing’s photos will continue each night for six months.
· Students at schools in the area, from elementary age through college, will use the University Avenue Project as a learning laboratory through a specially designed curriculum.
· In an unprecedented commitment, the Minnesota Historical Society Press will publish the exhibition in two accessible, magazine-like books: Vol. 1 available on May 1 and the second, due in August, including new photos by Wing of people interacting with the exhibition.
"This is not only a six-mile public art exhibition," Wing said. "This is a six-mile classroom that explores the changing cultural landscape of urban life in St. Paul."
Unprecedented in its scope and ambition, the University Avenue Project and its subjects carry messages for every community in a rapidly changing America.
For more information, visit www.theuniversityavenueproject.com
About the artist
Wing Young Huie creates societal mirrors of who and what we are becoming, seeking to reveal not only what is hidden, but also what is plainly visible yet seldom noticed.
Wing, a native of Duluth, Minn., has received international acclaim for his projects documenting his home state of Minnesota. Published collections of his work include Frogtown: Photographs and Conversation in an Urban Neighborhood; Lake Street USA; and Looking for Asian America: An Ethnocentric Tour.
About Public Art Saint Paul
Public Art Saint Paul is the prime mover in creating and caring for art in St. Paul’s civic realm. For more than 20 years, it has engaged artists in shaping the form and experience of the city as collaborators in the design of public places and creators of permanent artworks, temporary installations and public art events.
Education programs reach young people throughout the city as artists conduct residencies in schools, community centers and workshops from the organization’s mobile art lab. New environmental initiatives pair artists with scientists to explore the city landscape, improve water quality and promote sustainable art-making.
Partners
The University Avenue Project is presented by Public Art St. Paul with support from a Joyce Award of the Joyce Foundation, facilitation of the City of Saint Paul and University Business Association, and major funding from The Saint Paul Foundation, Travelers Foundation, F.R. Bigelow Foundation, Huss Foundation, Hardenbergh Foundation, Mardag Foundation, the Katherine B. Andersen Fund and George Mairs. The project also thanks the following for in-kind support: 3M Foundation, Fast Horse, Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, LTD (MS&R), Frattalone Companies, Flannery Construction, and Pioneer Press/TwinCities.com.
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