Marshall University Hosts Art Careers Mini-Conference on Public Art
Are you curious about public art and its role in revitalizing communities? Marshall University’s School of Art & Design is hosting Art Careers: Public Art, a free mini-conference on October 18, 2024 at the Visual Arts Center. The event brings together regional public artists, including Baltimore-based guest artist Becky Borlan. Borlan was selected through an open call for Reinventing Central City: Huntington, WV public art commission, where she will create two sculptures for Central City Gazebo in the West Huntington Neighborhood. This project, funded by T-Mobile’s Hometown Grant program and powered by RenewAll and the City of Huntington, is part of a larger revitalization effort for the area.
The conference kicks off at 8:30 a.m. with a networking session, followed by a 10 a.m. panel featuring Borlan and local artists Jonathan Cox, Frederick Hightower, Matt Smith, and Nichole Westfall. They’ll share insights into their public art projects and processes. After the panel, attendees can enjoy the Public Art in Process exhibition, running through October 31.
To end the day, participants can help restore The Jewell mural, located in downtown Huntington, with artist Sassa Wilkes and Huntington Pride.For those unable to attend the mini-conference in person, an artist talk featuring Borlan will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. in room 209 of the Visual Arts Center. Both the artist talk and the panel discussion will be streamed online at https://www.marshall.edu/livestream/. No registration is required for these free events.
This mini-conference is made possible by generous support from the Joan C. Edwards Distinguished Professors in the Arts Endowment, the Drinko Academy, and the School of Art & Design, and the College of Arts and Media.
For more details, contact Professor Sandra Reed at [email protected].
This is a great opportunity for anyone passionate about art, community, and creativity!
