Public Art Reston is seeking regional artists and artist-led teams to submit qualifications for their next underpass project at Fairway Drive in Reston, VA. This will be the third permanent public artwork commissioned by the organization for one of Reston’s 26 underpasses. Fairway Drive underpass links residential areas with a pool, a community center, as well as Reston’s historic Lake Anne Village Center. The underpass is also across from Lake Anne Elementary, a Title 1 school. Underpasses are identified as key sites for public art in the Public Art Master Plan for Reston.
The artist/artist team will develop site-specific artwork that involves the local neighbors in the creative process. For these community-driven projects, demonstrated experience with audience engagement is an essential selection criterion. Indeed, project scope includes direct engage with local stakeholders to develop the concept of the artwork while conducting workshops with Lake Anne Elementary students. Such participation is a hallmark past projects like Valerie Theberge’s Emerge (2010) and Ben Volta’s Thoreau’s Ensemble (2019), which combined included 700+ participants in art making.