As readers may remember, Madrona, or rather half of it, was one of the winning neighborhoods eligible for a $50,000 Cleanscapes grant. The $50,000 had to be used toward a community improvement project in one of the winning neighborhoods, to be submitted and approved upon by the designated CleanScapes committee.
BOOM (Business Owners of Madrona) originally submitted a proposal to install a kiosk with neighborhood maps on the corner of 34th and Union, where Amara is located. But the Cleanscapes committee had to turn it down, as that project would have been on private land and the goal of the grant is to improve public land. However, the committee gave BOOM three days to submit a new proposal.
Outgoing BOOM president Nikola Davidson led the whirlwind effort to submit a new proposal, which is currently going through the approval process with the other neighborhoods’ efforts.
The new proposal is titled “Madrona Bronze Street Rings” and would involve embedding nine bronze rings in the sidewalk throughout the neighborhood. Each ring, inspired by the shape of the BOOM logo, would include text explaining historical facts about Madrona, and possibly a historical photo embedded in amber.
According to the proposal, “The rings will create a physical interaction and visual connection throughout the Madrona business district and will encourage walkability among the neighborhood.” Small bronze leaves would also be embedded to “tie all the rings together and encourage people walking along the sidewalks to follow the leaves to the next ring.”
The winning projects won’t be announced until later this fall, likely in November. In the meantime, what do you think of the sidewalk art proposal?
Too cute. Like those dancing feet on Broadway. Especially when you remember that the history of Madrona is the history of the Black Panther Party.
The money would be better spent on REPAIRING the sidewalks, which in many places are being broken by expanding tree roots.
…And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power…
i’m sorry but this just seems dumb …. adding plantings along 34th, working on the sidewalks that are bumpy from tree roots . seems like there are better ways to make Madrona better
Like others, I just don’t see how installing bronze rings in broken sidewalks is an improvement to the community. Business community, maybe – this proposal, from the shape of the rings mirroring BOOM’s logo, to the ‘visual connection throughout the Madrona business district’ (does this mean following ring to ring leads one from storefront to storefront?) seems designed to benefit businesses more than the community at large.
Ya, that’s really going to improve the neighborhood.
Is that the best they can come up with is an overpriced art project featuring the retailers in the area? Apparently they haven’t been reading the news.
Clearly this is not a product of community desires. When you don’t have something that you really want, let it go. Some community which is more prepared can use the dough.
I think it’s a great idea. People love the broadway dance steps. Sidewalk art DOES tie together a community, and give it a sense of place.
Sidewalk (or other public) art CAN tie together a community – not all does, depends on the art. Seems to me the most successful – like the Broadway dance steps – continue to delight with each encounter – whether through their interactive nature (like the steps) or shifting perpective. Installing bronze discs in a sidewalk does not automatically make for successful art or place making. And 50K is a lot of money to spend on a hastily conceived idea.
I think it would be a very nice addition to the neighborhood — BOOM has shown good taste and judgment in their ventures (the neighborhood map, the Halloween Scavenger Hunt, the summer party).
People are such nay-sayers — it sounds like absolutely no-one else cared to submit a proposal for any neighborhood improvement but here, on this forum, people have plenty of opinions.
I like the foundation of the idea (embedding information in the physical landscape), but I wish that it was more useful than just decorative.
Maybe embed information about current Madrona, like
1. A map to the beach from where you’re standing
2. A map of where you are in the neighborhood and the extent of parks, businesses, etc.
I dunno. 50K seems like an awful lot to spend on something like that these days.
I don’t understand why they couldn’t put the kiosk at Cupcake Park on 34th or the park across from Dulces. Or what about making that park across from Dulces a dog park? It seems to mainly be used by dog owners anyways.