Two 40-foot sculptures soon will be headed to the River District.
The large winged sculptures, created by artist Vicki Scuri, will be located at the corner of Richards Boulevard and North 12th Street near Mirasol Village and Loaves and Fishes.
Titled “Uplift,” they are part of the City’s metamorphosis-themed public art project, which also includes seven new community murals along the North 12th Street corridor in the River District.
“Thank you to our partners, artists and community members who helped bring these projects to the River District,” said Councilmember Jeff Harris, who represents the district. “I’m very pleased to see the River District enhanced with art that embraces the area’s past and creates visual interest for the future.”
The City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture is leading the metamorphosis-themed public art project in partnership with Sacramento Housing Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development’ (HUD) and local artists collective Trust Your Struggle.
“The sculptures and murals serve as a form of creative placemaking,” said the City’s Art in Public Places Project Manager Donald Gensler. “Artists work with local government, communities and stakeholder organizations to design and support projects that work to implement community driven change and growth defining neighborhood spaces through shared history, art and culture.”
The sculpture project is funded largely through a $400,000 federal grant from HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) program. The CNI program seeks to create not just housing but to also focus on supporting the neighborhoods and communities where people live through art, culture, and increased social services initiatives.
“Uplift suggests the spreading of wings,” Scuri said. “It symbolizes a positive transformational change, implying metamorphosis and renewal and spirit. The wings frame the city and entry to the River district.”
The project is part of the City’s “Creative Edge” plan to bring art and culture to all Sacramento neighborhoods and communities.
The artists and organizations for this project were chosen after a competitive application and panel selection process managed by the Office of Arts and Culture and the Sacramento Arts Culture and Creative Economy Commission.