City unveils plans for art installation in Town Madison
MADISON – The city of Madison with Madison Visionary Partners revealed and approved plans to install a sculpture in Town Madison at the July 13 Madison City Council meeting.
“I’ve wanted to see Madison create something like this since when I was city administrator. About 7 years ago, I attended an Alabama city-county managers conference, and I saw pictures of this large, Lafayette sign. It’s made up of 7-foot tall letters that serve as a landmark in that community,” said Marc Jacobson, a member of the Madison Visionary Partners board of directors. “The sign is regularly repainted by local organizations to celebrate events, promote causes, and showcase community creativity. That installation has become both an iconic gathering place and a popular photo destination.”
Hendrix Design will design and install Madison’s version of the sculpture spelling the word ‘Madison’ near Toyota Field. The sculpture is slated to be 6.5 feet tall and 30 feet wide and made from fiberglass and steel. It will be visible from I-565 and will create a photo opportunity for viewers to stand in the place of the ‘I’.
The project is expected to cost $125,000. A total of $57,000 in donations to the project were presented to the city council by Senators Tom Butler and Arthur Orr and Madison Visionary Partners.
“We anticipate benefits will include increased foot traffic in Town Madison, greater visibility for nearby restaurants, retail, hotels, entertainment venues, repeat visitation driven by the new artistic themes and the seasonal activities that surround it, expanded social media exposure for Madison as a destination, enhanced community pride and sense of place, and meaningful opportunities for local artists, students, non-profits, and community organizations to participate,” said Jacobson.
Artists and local groups will rotate decorating the sculpture. In honor of America’s 250th birthday, the sign will start out with a patriotic design.
Groundbreaking will take place this summer, and installation will take place in the fall.
