The public is invited to meet the artists and view proposals for the Contrabands and Freedmen’s Cemetery sculpture on July 7 at the Durant Arts Center.
The Alexandria Commission for the Arts and the Office of the Arts will host a reception from 5 - 6 p.m. at the Durant Arts Center, located at 1605 Cameron St.
The finalists are:
Erik Blome, Crystal Lake, Ill.
Mario Chiodo, Oakland, Calif.
Edward Dwight, Denver, Colo.
The public may record written comments at the display, or e-mail comments to aca@alexandriava.gov through Aug. 6.
The three finalists emerged from a pool of applicants from 19 states and three countries. The artists were selected by a panel including representatives of the Friends of Freedmen’s Cemetery, descendant family members, Old Town/Hunting Creek Civic Association, the Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage, Alexandria Historical Society, the Public Art Committee, and subject matter experts including an historian, design professional and sculptor.
The winning artist will be announced in September. The sculpture will be installed in the spring of 2013 at the cemetery, located at 1001 S. Washington St.
The cost of the sculpture is funded in accordance with the terms of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge settlement agreement between the city, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Virginia Department of Transportation.