throughout the City in Chelton and Hildana Parks,
and throughout the Shaker Town Center area.
Each of these pieces, while enhancing the
beauty of the space, serves as a reflection on the
importance of public art.
“A really important thread was making sure
that the public art reflected a diverse range of
perspectives: young and old, men and women,
people of color, reflecting the diversity of Shaker
itself,” Schwarz says. “The idea of public art as a tool
for fostering social cohesion is a real and legitimate
trend, as communities face new challenges and
political divisions and all of the other things going on
in the world. If you’re able to use art and art-making
as a way of bringing people together, that provides
dividends beyond beautification.”
Woven into all of these initiatives is an emphasis
on community engagement and authenticity.
Speaking about the community tours the CUDC led,
and the surveys for the Public Art Action Strategy
that they authored, Schwarz reflected, “For such a
small community, Shaker Heights has devoted a
really astonishing amount of time and energy to
preserving and reinforcing its image and identity.
We did get a strong sense that people were
looking for something fresh, to say this is new,
this is Shaker, but this is a new kind of vision for
what Shaker could be.”
The community engagement work and
professional lens brought to these initiatives by
the Task Force are critical to realizing the full
potential for public art. Says Braverman, “Their
work and leadership enhance our public spaces
and lead to the unique Shaker identity. The many
hours volunteered by this group of community
leaders have a positive and long lasting impact
on our community.”
reflection on the importance of public art.
WWW.SHAKER.LIFE | FALL 2019 41
enhancing the beauty of the space,
Opposite and above: In the
Spring of 2019, Julia Jamrozik and
Coryn Kempster worked on their
installation “Sidechairs,”
a series of what they call “social
infrastructures” on four sites around
the Van Aken District.
The artists used commercially
available outdoor chairs in
unexpected ways. The playful
configurations invite interactive
occupation by the public and create
an everyday form of performance
art. Jamrozik and Kempster are
Canadian designers, artists, and
educators who have collaborated
since 2003.
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