Sedona AZ (November 24, 2021) – Between Monday, Nov. 29, 2021 and Dec. 30, 2021 at the Sedona Public Library, the city of Sedona seeks the public’s help in voting for which art pieces to select for three roundabouts along State Route 179 as part of its ongoing Art in Public Places Program.
The artwork will be placed in the roundabouts at Canyon Drive, Morgan Road, Chapel Road and Back O’ Beyond Road. The city was already offered a donated sculpture for one roundabout.
The past few months, the Roundabout Art Selection Work Group, a group of citizen volunteers, were tasked with choosing semi-finalists for each of the three remaining roundabouts. Therefore, the city has five candidates who created intricate maquettes for the public to view and vote on. The sixth semi-finalist was disqualified. The selected artists in the competition are James Muir, Mark Feldtkeller and Susan Kliewer, all from Sedona; Don Kennell from Santa Fe, N.M.; and John Wietfeldt from Phoenix.
It is customary to commission one roundabout at a time, but this was the first time the city sought art submissions for four roundabouts simultaneously.
“We had many outstanding submissions, and it was challenging to narrow down the proposals to five sculptures, but we finally did it,” said city of Sedona Arts and Culture Coordinator Nancy Lattanzi.
How to vote
Since it is not advisable to gather in large groups indoors because of pandemic concerns, the maquettes will be on display at the Sedona Library for people to view and vote for their top three favorites using paper ballots and a ballot box, at their leisure. Additionally, there is virtual access on the city’s website to view short videos about the submissions before voting. Please go to www.sedonaaz.gov/179roundaboutart to “meet” each artist, as they discuss their work and show a 360-degree view of their maquette. There is also information for mail-in voting for those who can’t come in person to the library. Videos of the five artists will also be on display at the library.
Additional information
After the ballots are counted, the Roundabout Art Selection Work Group will reconvene to discuss and evaluate the public vote, combined with their votes, before deciding on the top three finalists. At a later date the top three will be recommended to Sedona’s City Council, who will make the final decision. Once the finalists are notified and awarded their contracts, they have one year to complete their sculpture. Installation is estimated to be completed during 2023.
For any questions, please contact Lattanzi at 928-203-5078 or NLattanzi@SedonaAZ.gov.
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1 Comment
Putting art in a round-about where people are already barely avoiding accidents by not paying attention to incoming traffic is a new form of madness in my opinion. Put the art in place where people have an opportunity to look at it instead. If art must be placed there, how about a nice rock, or at least something so simple it won’t take people’s eyes off traffic.