What was once just an alley space now serves as an art pocket park for inspiration, reflection and relaxation. Paducah Mayor Gayle Kaler says the idea to utilize small spaces came to her three years ago. Friday, 117 ½ South 2nd Street in Lowertown is officially open as the Market Square Art Park.
“Paducah is a cultural hot spot, so this just enhances that and it enhances the work of our local artists. We are very pleased that we could use local artists in many of the elements that we put into this pocket park, that's why we deemed it an art park, and we hope to do some more things like this around town. Because we have other areas that can be included,"says Kaler.
Kayler says a building on 5th and Broadway was recently demolished, and is an ideal location for a future pop up park.
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Director of Planning for the City of Paducah Steve Ervin says "This is a fun project that we try and take on in the city” and focuses on tying in creative elements that the area can offer.
“ It’s about creating these creative places and trying to incorporate all the creative talent that we have in our community...taking an alley and turning it into an art park," says Ervin. In June 2015, the City accepted a $44,371 bid from Midstates Construction Company for the park’s construction. Funding for the contract came from the city’s general funds account according to Ervin. The rest of the park project was funded via donation.
Other than seating areas and landscaping, the park features metal art panels designed by Char Downs, fiber art banners created by Freda Fairchild, glazed ceramic art tiles by John Hasegawa, and the sculpture, Fluid Progress, by Michael Copeland and Lu Colby. Copeland and Colby are Paducah School of Art & Design sculpture students. Future projects could include a rotating mural and additional sculptures to provide “more movement” to the space.
PSAD student and contributing artist Michael Copeland was at the ribbon cutting.
"In our day to day lives in the hustle and bustle of whether you are out on vacation in Paducah or checking things out or you live here in the community and running around in your day to day, we don't take enough time to actually sit down and consider what is around us, who is around us and what is going on. Art has a way of allowing us to reflect and see our own lives from a different perspective. To look at things a little bit differently than we would normally. It's the idea of stopping and smelling the roses, yet at the same time it's gaining a little insight into the human experience," says Copeland.
Fabric contributor and local artist Freda Fairchild says the project was challenging.
“I played with ideas about what it would look like and I imagined the light coming through. And most of my work is layers, so you can see through things. So I did a bunch of different designs and I presented them and they chose one. But then I had to do research on what to make it out of and it turned out that boat canvas is the most long lasting, reliable, doesn't fade...So I had to work on something that sailboats are made from so that was a huge challenge and it took a lot more time and energy and then I had to imagine...So I was a little unsure but now I am happy with it," says Fairchild.
Durwin Ursery developed the park’s initial schematic designs with J. Patrick Kerr, Architects completing the final designs.
The cast iron bench donated to enjoy the design contributions was sponsored by the El Arbol Garden Club.
