The Arts Council of Fairfax County is pleased to announce Imagine Art Here: Tysons Tiles with artist Julia Vogl — a community engagement project and temporary public art installation at multiple sites in Tysons from May 18 through August 3, 2015.
Tysons Tiles will be visually compelling ground murals that will raise community awareness of potential for public art and the arts at Tysons. Data collected from over 1,000 individuals will be visually translated into a vibrant design creating awareness about the arts, using arts to enhance place making, and provide vision for future enhancements in Tysons.
“The project will reach out to a wide range of audience groups including residents, employees, and visitors,” said Julia Vogl. “Tysons Tiles will foster public engagement, collect data on the communities’ habits involving the arts, and demonstrate the potential of future opportunities for the arts. And let’s not forget about having fun,” Vogl continued. “Tysons Tiles will be art you can engage and participate in; you can contribute your views, see, read, feel, and even walk on it!”
Between May 18 and May 24, 2015, Vogl will be visible with her custom designed art trolley at 20 different locations around Tysons, including, parks, office lobbies, eateries, classrooms, the malls, and Metro, inviting various demographics of the community to take part. The first 1,000 respondents will receive a free limited edition artist pin correlating with the individual’s responses. The data will be digitally recorded using a custom designed app and later amalgamated for the culminating art installations at two locations in Tysons —Greensboro Park and McLean Metro Station. Respondents who participated in the trolley interactions will be able to locate their tile in the ground mural installations and learn more about their community. The art installations will be on public display June 25 until August 3, 2015.
Imagine Art Here: Tysons Tiles has been made possible through a lead “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) with matching funds from corporate sponsors Washington Real Estate Investment Trust, The ASCENT, Intelsat, The JBG Companies and JBGR Retail, The Meridian Group, AlumiGraphics, INADEV, and Severn Graphics.
“The positive response from our local corporate community is a testament to the excitement and magic the arts can provide — sparking innovation, dialogue, and community pride,” said Linda S. Sullivan, president & CEO, of the Arts Council of Fairfax County. “Tysons Tiles is a great public-private partnership,” Sullivan continued.
The input from Imagine Art Here: Tysons Tiles initiative will inform the Master Arts Plan (MAP) being spearheaded by the Arts Council of Fairfax County on behalf of the county. The goal of MAP is to expand community access to and engagement in the arts and culture by planning cultural facilities and public art throughout Fairfax County that reflects its diversity, considers existing facilities, and responds to future growth.
To obtain more information on Imagine Art Here: Tysons Tiles, trolley locations, and the culminating art installations visit http://www.artsfairfax.org/map/imagine-art-here. To find out more about the artist Julia Vogl visit http://www.juliavogl.com.
About the Arts Council of Fairfax County
Founded in 1964, the Arts Council of Fairfax County, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization designated as Fairfax County’s local arts agency. It is the only umbrella organization serving and representing all forms of art in Fairfax County. The Arts Council of Fairfax County is the voice of the arts, dedicated to fostering dynamic and diverse local arts, ensuring that arts thrive by providing vision, leadership, capacity building services, advocacy, funding, education, and information.
The Arts Council is funded in part by Fairfax County, corporations, foundations, individuals, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
