Overview

The Town of Cary is initiating two important planning efforts: the update of its Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Master Plan and its Public Art Master Plan.

The Town is committed to providing high quality public art into its parks, greenways, recreation and cultural facilities, and other civic infrastructure and capital projects for Cary citizens. Comprehensive planning is the basis for Cary’s nationally recognized Public Art Program. When completed, the Public Art Master Plan will provide detailed recommendations for the next 10 years, from 2012 – 2022. These recommendations will include recommended types of public art projects, ordinance/policies, and incorporation into overall planning documents and process for the entire Town.

Public Input & Community Engagement
There will be numerous ways for the public to provide input:

> E-mail – Citizens wishing to share ideas and concerns with the Town regarding the development of Cary's future public art can do so e-mailing: publicart@townofcary.org

> Public Meetings
There will be two important workshops to help shape public art policy in Cary:

CaryArt Experience: A Workshop for the Public Art Master Plan
Thursday, November 3, 2011
7-9 p.m..
Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Avenue

CaryArt Places: A Workshop for the Public Art Master Plan
Saturday, November 5, 2011
9:30 a.m. - noon
Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Avenue

All workshops are free and open to the public. Your input is important.

> Survey – The Town will complete a statistically-valid survey as part of the quantitative needs assessment portion of the plan. This survey will be mailed to a pre-determined number of households in the Cary community. Additionally, the survey will be made available to a larger audience through an “open” web site. The “open” web survey will be designed to expand community input opportunities, since everyone in the community will have access to completing a survey, even if they do not receive one of the random surveys in the mail. The survey will be conducted during late summer 2011.

> Public Art Advisory Board Meetings – Citizens can attend monthly meetings for the Public Art Advisory Board. Each of these meetings provides an opportunity at the beginning of each meeting for public input. Schedule for the meetings is the 3^rd Wednesday of each month – 6:15 p.m. at Cary Town Hall.

> Special Events - A Public Art Advisory Board booth will be setup at the Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival specifically for the master plan to share information, answer questions about the project and obtain input regarding future projects. Lazy Daze is scheduled for Saturday, August 28, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Other Special Events will include: Community Design Charrette, Workshop, and Open House. Future dates will be scheduled and listed on this web page.

Details

The Public Art Master Plan is considered an update of the 2001 plan. The document will have a lifespan of 20 years with detailed emphasis on the recommendations of the first 10 years.

The Town's Public Art Master Plan will represent the Town's commitment to continuing the tradition of providing balanced experiences of public art both functional and decorative that create a sense of place and enjoyment for all residents. This planning effort will recognize current public art national trends as well as the needs within the Town. Additionally allow for the flexibility to incorporate future projects that will address trends and the needs of residents as the Town continues to grow.

Schedule

The Master Plan will take approximately 12 months to complete beginning in May 2011 and completed by May 2012.

Background

The Town’s growing nationally recognized Public Art Program grew from a grassroots effort led by Cary citizens, Cary Chamber of Commerce, and members of the non-profit arts organization Cary Visual Arts. These early efforts led to the development of the Town’s first Public Art Master Plan, which established a sound process for the development, review, and funding of public art projects throughout the Town and established a Council-appointed Public Art Advisory Board comprised of Cary citizens from a variety of backgrounds. This plan also established a community vision for public art based on extensive community participation in planning and series of recommendations for public art for the Town to achieve over the next 10 years.

The Master Plan was designed to address a commitment to excellence in the design of Cary’s built environment in the most efficient and cost effective ways, and thereby recognize public art as a cultural resource to enhance the quality of life for its citizens, stimulate the Town’s cultural growth, and contribute to the Town’s economic development.

The previous Public Art Master Plan was approved in 2001.
2001 Public Art Master Plan

Plan Objectives

1. Provide a geographic balance of potential new sites and opportunities for artwork integration at existing parks, greenways, park facilities and Town-wide planned Capital projects.

2. Evaluate existing and planned land uses and recommend potential additional locations for public art and opportunities to integrate artwork into capital projects.

3. Provide public art recommendations for Parks & Greenways, Community Centers/Special Use Facilities, and Cultural Arts Facilities.

4. Evaluate potential private and government partnerships to encourage joint development of public art projects.

5. Provide innovate planning for public art treating Cary’s downtown and its urban core and the potential to establish a green infrastructure with enhanced stream buffers and parallel greenways linked to pocket parks within the Maynard loop.

6. Provide a comprehensive recommendation for the Town’s greenway system that incorporates public art opportunities as well as define current standards for private developer-built greenways to include public art.

7. Provide recommendation for Town’s Comprehensive and LDO Plans to incorporate the approved Public Art Master Plan into the Town’s overall planning documents and process.

8. Benchmark/compare the Town’s Public Art Program with similar cities in the region and nation in regards to funding, Ordinance/Policy, mission/purpose, collection, program administration, and staffing levels.

9. Review existing policies, procedures and ordinances relating to public art. Make appropriate recommendations for new or revised policies, procedures, and ordinances.

10. Allow for the flexible future development of land, facilities, roadways, and take advantage of unique natural features, community needs and existing adjacent facilities.

Master Plan Consulting Team

Brown & Keener Urban Design, Philadelphia, PA
Mark Keener, AIA/AICP/RA, Director of Urban Design, Principal Project Manager
Linda Weber, AICP, Principal Town Planner and serving as Supporting Principal
Susan Davis, AIA, Public Art Director, serving as Public Art Planning & Implementation Manager
Neil Desai, AICP, Planner, serving as Project Assistant

Contact

Lyman Collins, Cultural Arts Manager
Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department
316 N. Academy St.
Cary, NC 27513
(919) 462-3861
lyman.collins@townofcary.org

Denise Dickens, Public Art Coordinator
Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department
316 N. Academy St.
Cary, NC 27513
(919) 465-4791
denise.dickens@townofcary.org