Florence downtown group soliciting funds for public art displays

The Florence Downtown Development Corporation has started its second campaign to solicit Florence residents to support downtown public art by becoming a Rediscovering Downtown member.

Funds raised through memberships last year were around $19,000 and were matched by Sunday alcohol permit revenue collected by the city, according to Florence Downtown Development Manager Ray Reich. That money surpassed the group’s first year goal and funded five sculptures in downtown for under $30,000.

“We have already identified additional places to put some art and one is on the other wall in the James Allen Plaza in a piece we picked by the same artist (Bob Doster),” Reich said. “And we’re working with another artist for a piece that would make for a more grand entrance into James Allen Plaza that features a lot of iron work, so those are the two focuses for the 2014 money.”

Reich said the Rediscovering Downtown membership is similar to memberships other downtown groups have, but focuses just on public art rather than business promotion. The membership levels from $50 for individuals and $125 for families to $5,000 for a corporate gold level and will help the group continue the public art push in downtown while providing members with exclusive perks.

Members receive admission to the annual membership social, a listing in the annual membership newsletter, receive event tickets to be used at FDDC events, brick pavers or granite plaques (for $500 pathfinder level and over) in one of the two downtown courtyards and premium sponsor benefits such as VIP treatment at several FDDC events.
The group hopes to raise a total of $50,000 this year, including the city’s match.
Downtown Florence saw its first pieces of public art last fall including four pieces by Bob Doster, three of which were inspired by the drawings of Florence School District 1 students, and the towering steel, Big Bleu Birdnanna by Hartsville husband and wife artist duo Mike and Patz Fowle.

“That’s what it’s intended to do is to engage a person who either likes it or doesn’t like it it’s art and it has a sense of place in the arts and culture district,” Reich said. “If you go back and look at the master plan for 2010, the plan was that whole corridor on Dargan from the library, that’s the cultural district, so that’s our intent for putting our initial concentration in that area.”

Other downtown groups in the state such as the Vista Guild in Columbia, Bennettsville Downtown Development Association, Conway Alive and Main Street Beaufort have membership options that serve as a promotional, marketing and advocacy arm for downtown businesses.

But FDDC’s public art funding is similar to Greenville’s, though Greenville receives $75,000 annually directly from Sunday alcohol sales and also uses a committee to evaluate and recommend pieces of art.

According to Greenville’s website, there are 63 public art pieces from abstract metal works to statues and a tank and fighter jet.

Doster, who also has a piece of work in downtown Greenville, said last fall that art is an important part of creating a downtown culture.

“When you start adding sculptural elements to downtown, it livens up the whole downtown,” Doster said. “People see this and want to go around and see it, and it just adds to ambiance for downtown and that’s what I hope people get out of it.”

Reich said the public has so far embraced the downtown pieces and that the city has applied for grants to redevelop part of East Evans into an art walk area complete with art pieces and landscaping. The grant is still pending.

This story was written by Gavin Jackson and originally appeared on scnow.com.