On one hand, it’s seven rolls of blue electrical conduit, found at any building supply store, that’s been cut into pieces and mounted on plywood platforms in the park along Main Street next to the Main Library.
On the other hand, it’s the second installation of the “Art in Strange Places” program, an initiative by local artists to create vibrancy Downtown.
“BluGras” was created by sculptor Dolf James and photographer Doug Eng, who took the common materials and added imagination, then put the public art in the park.
“It’s not so much about the object, it’s about the intent,” said Amy Crane, deputy director of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.
The site was selected by James and his fellow artists with the cooperation of the City as a prime location to add color and form to the landscape.
Crane said before “Art in Strange Places” debuted, the park was easy to overlook, even though thousands of pedestrians and motorists pass by it every day.
“When an artist brings something like this into the environment, it’s provocative because it makes you look. Before it was there, you might not even notice the park. Now you can’t miss it,” she said.
“Art in Strange Places” is a series of installations that will be created by local artists and exhibited at various sites Downtown for several weeks at a time.
James is looking for new contributors who want to display their creative concepts for contemporary urban art.
More information is available at www.artinstrangeplaces.com.
356-2466