Posted on Jul 31, 2016 in
FEATURES
This bronze sculpture in Sugar Land Town Square’s public plaza depicts a guitar player sitting on the ledge of a fountain.
Sugar Land recently installed two sculptures in Sugar Land Town Square’s public plaza as part of a 10 piece collection donated by Sugar Land resident Samuel Levin to the City through the Sugar Land Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to leave a legacy by enhancing Sugar Land’s quality of life.
The first bronze sculpture in the plaza depicts a guitar player sitting on the ledge of a fountain facing City Walk. The second represents two girls taking a “selfie” near a bench with City Hall in the background. Both show activities common in the plaza. Other statues are located at Sugar Land Memorial Park, Oyster Creek Park and Fire Station 4 in First Colony. A future installation is planned for Highlands Park.
Two girls taking a “selfie” in Sugar LandTown Square with City Hall in the background.
“Years of citizen feedback has identified a strong interest to expand public art in Sugar Land. As early as 2008, a citizen-led Vision Task Force identified the importance of the arts,” said the City of Sugar Land’s Cultural Arts Manager Lindsay Davis. “Planning and public investments can already be seen throughout our city. Through partnerships with many great community organizations, the City has had the opportunity to invest in the Sugar Land Auditorium, the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land, the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation and Sugar Land Town Square. Additionally, we continue to plan for future venues such as the Smart Financial Centre.
“We know we must continue to build on our achievements to ensure the arts remain a common thread throughout Sugar Land. With this goal in mind, we recognized the need to establish a formal decision-making process to help prioritize future funding requests and needs in an effort to ensure public dollars continue to be invested in the most appropriate and successful ways.”
The public art donations were reviewed and approved by two citizen committees – the Parks, Art, Recreation, Culture and Streetscapes (PARCS) board and the Sugar Land Legacy Foundation – before final approval of City Council. The inclusion of sculptures in the Town Square plaza aligns with the continued vision of the City and the Legacy Foundation’s commitment to establish cultural arts amenities that enrich the artistic, cultural, educational and historical character of Sugar Land. The City proactively established the Legacy Foundation in 2010 to support the acquisition and development of capital facilities for activities such as the arts.
The City’s Public Art Plan reflects the public’s strong desire for art that beautifies the city, has a place-making quality and supports places where people gather such as Sugar Land Town Square. “Our Cultural Arts Strategic Plan and Implementation Guide was approved in 2014 to serve as a roadmap for future cultural arts opportunities to enhance Sugar Land,” explained Davis. “The strategic plan called for the development of a public art plan that will help establish a vision for public art across the city, identify opportunities for projects and recommend policies and procedures for managing public art.”
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