Artists Selected for Downtown Transit Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jan. 15, 2013

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington Economic and Sustainable Development Department, 349.3534

Artists Selected for Downtown Transit Center

Bloomington, Ind. - Two artists have been selected to create artwork for the exterior of the new Downtown Transit Center, now under construction at Third and Walnut Streets in downtown Bloomington.

Designs by Bloomington architect Matt Ellenwood were selected for the facility's 22 exterior benches and bicycle racks. Ellenwood is an Indiana native with more than 13 years of professional experience designing a variety of projects, from custom homes to urban multi-family housing. A 1999 graduate of Ball State University's College of Architecture and Planning, he has worked in projects as far away as Denver, Seattle and India. He is a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Accredited Professional and an Indiana Licensed Architect. In 2002, as a graduate student at Ball State, his design for a Bloomington Transit bus shelter was selected as the winning entry in a national competition sponsored by the Bloomington Arts Commission.

Thirteen artists submitted bench and bicycle rack designs for consideration for the Downtown Transit Center. Ellenwood's designs, which reference the curves found in the Transit Center's canopy design as well as the wheels - both bus and bicycle - that will utilize the facility, were the hands-down favorites of the selection panel, said Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts. "Matt's elegant and contemporary designs really resonated with the panel," she added. The benches and bike racks also will be fabricated locally by Jerico Metal Specialties which Michaelsen said was an added bonus to Ellenwood's selection: "Matt's experience in projects of this scale and his ability to work with a local fabricator in order to create these benches and bicycle racks right here in Bloomington makes this project that much more a right fit for this community."

Downtown Transit Center Bench Design by Matt Ellenwood

Downtown Transit Center Bicycle Rack Design by Matt Ellenwood

Artist Dale Enochs has been selected to create a mural for the west wall of the Downtown Transit Center. The mural, entitled "Breakaway", is intended to imply movement by the modes of which viewers are the most familiar: trains, bikes, buses and skateboards. The visual movement is accentuated by the overlaying linear elements that vibrate around and through the progressing "wheels". The bright warm colors of the wheels are gradated in order to enliven and add to the forward motion of the work. The mural will be fabricated from powder coated and hand painted aluminum shapes that are attached directly to the wall. The majority of the aluminum shapes stand slightly away from the center's wall in order to create shadow lines around the individual pieces. The mural area is approximately 22' wide by about 6' tall. Enochs' design offers a different interpretation of the transportation theme for the facility, said Michaelsen. "We're excited about the movement, depth and color that Dale's piece will bring to what will be a fairly monochromatic area of the building. In addition, his experience with similarly-scaled projects is invaluable on this project."

Enochs has a BFA and an MFA from Indiana University. His numerous large scale public works can be seen throughout Indiana including the Indiana Governor's Residence, the Indianapolis International Airport and at several sites around Bloomington. His public work can also be found at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and abroad in Hangzhou, China and Osaka Prefecture in Japan. Enochs' work is in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and Canada.

"Breakaway" by Dale Enochs

Michaelsen noted the importance of including public art in this Downtown Transit Center can't be overestimated: "The visual quality of public space such as the Downtown Transit Center has a profound impact on transit patrons and the community at large. Mass transit systems should be positive symbols in the community, attracting local riders and visitors. Good design and art can improve the appearance and safety of a facility, give vibrancy to its public spaces and make patrons feel welcome. Good design and art will also contribute to the goal that transit facilities help to create livable communities. We're glad that Bloomington Transit has been an enthusiastic partner with us in the public art efforts for this facility."

The Downtown Transit Center is scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of 2014.

For more information, contact Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts Miah Michaelsen at 349.3534 or michaelm@bloomington.in.gov.

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