The public process to approve the design of the Midtown Square development was stuck until developers incorporated a plan for large installations of art panels hoped to help the project better reflect the culture and the history of the Central District. With the old strip mall torn down and the construction underway at 23rd and Union, details of the artists who will create those works have been announced.
A panel representing “several Central District based organizations and African American artists,” has selected eight artists for “a commitment of more than $225,000 in dedicated local artwork for the new project,” developer Lake Union Partners announced this week.
“As artists responded to the theme, Reverence and Discovery, which was how the community feedback was interpreted, it became more and more clear just how dynamic the arts program at the location could be,” Vivian Phillips, Midtown Square arts plan consultant, said in the announcement. “The selected artists represent a range from seasoned to emerging, a diversity of ages, all with some level of connection to the Central Area, and a range of concepts that work together to illustrate a proud history and an inspired future.”