INDIANAPOLIS (July 13, 2015) – Last week, the IndyGo board of directors approved an ambitious long-term program to include public art throughout the Indianapolis transit system.
“Public art invigorates communities, helps create a sense of place and adds to the quality of life for citizens,” said Mike Terry, President and CEO for IndyGo. “We have the opportunity to attract ridership and improve IndyGo’s image by incorporating art into transit facilities and infrastructure projects like the downtown transit center and the Red Line.”
The Art in Transit program is a partnership with the Arts Council of Indianapolis. The collaborative program leverages expertise and resources from both agencies to invest strategically in public artworks connected to neighborhoods and transit.
“Indianapolis has already seen the positive impact of public art in transportation projects,” said Dave Lawrence, President and CEO for the Arts Council of Indianapolis. “The Arts Council helped inspire and support a $3.9 million public art program at the new Indianapolis International Airport, contributing to IND being named as ‘Best Airport’ in North America by Airports Council International for three out of the past four years.”
The vision for the Art in Transit partnership is to build a bold, long-term, nationally recognized $5M public art program. With the IndyGo board approval of the program, the transit agency has committed a $500,000 investment in the arts over ten years. The IndyGo contribution to the arts program will be funded by transit advertising revenue and is intended to match grants and commission new arts projects.
The Arts Council will submit competitive grant applications to arts funders, manage calls for artists, and provide support for project selection and administration.
