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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels July 30, 2004 The final piece of the puzzle Stairway from Granite St. to Calle Guanajuato finishes flood cleanup By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings Construction is in full swing on a public stairway between Calle Guanajuato and Granite Street in downtown that will replace the one destroyed by the New Year's Day Flood of 1997. To add to the beauty and cultural significance of the project, the Ashland Public Arts Commission plans to have artists from both Ashland and Guanajuato, Mexico, design artwork to be installed on the stairway. Photo: Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings A stairway to be decorated with artwork is under construction between Granite Street and Calle Guanajuato. The approximately $95,000 project began in June and should be completed by September, said Don Robertson, director of the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department, which is overseeing the stairway rebuilding. The stairway is the final piece in a flood restoration project. Other project work has included the building of a stone wall in Lithia Park to redirect flood waters back into the stream channel, away from downtown and the front lawn of Lithia Park, and a new bridge over Winburn Way. Currently, the public arts commission is seeking submissions from artists for ideas for permanent artwork to be installed along the stairway, said Bruce Bayard, chair of the stairway arts project for the arts commission. The arts commission is inviting artists from the area and Guanajuato to submit art work. "Since it's at Calle Guanajuato, we thought it would be a great opportunity to enhance the cultural exchange between the two sister cities," Bayard said. The theme of the artwork is water, to symbolize the creek and the flood, he said. While the choice of materials is left to the entrant, the work must be permanently installed and needs to be able to withstand being left outdoors, such as sculpture and concrete work. Artists such as painters are also invited to submit entries, which could than be transferred to another art medium, Bayard said. "It's totally up to the artist of what they want to create based on the theme," he said. Bayard said it's vital for the city to have public art displayed. "Public art is a very good barometer of the health of a community," he said. "The fact that Ashland public art has been hit and miss is something that we're trying to improve upon." Bayard hopes to have artwork chosen by September, with installation beginning in the fall. The commission hopes to raise $15,000 to $50,000 for the project and to receive grants. So far, it has raised about $1,000. The stairway project is being designed by Kencairn-Sager Landscape Artists, based in Ashland. Bayard said the commission also has plans for a sculpture garden, which they hope to have installed by next year. More Information Submit artwork proposals for the Calle Guanajuato stairway project to: City of Ashland 20 E. Main St. Ashland, OR 97520 All materials must be received by 5 p.m. Aug. 31. To donate money to the project, or for more information on submitting art, call Ann Seltzer at 552-2106. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams