Press Room

Call to the Creative: Crescent Village Art Competition

Maude Kerns Art Center and Arlie & Company seek Northwest artists’ proposals for installations in Eugene’s Urban Village

Who:

Maude Kerns Art Center and Arlie & Company

What:

Open call to artists and artist teams living in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho to submit competition proposals for the design and fabrication of original artwork to be permanently installed in the semipublic residential lobbies of the first two buildings being constructed in Crescent Village -- Eugene, Oregon’s first master-planned Urban Village.  Competition budget is $10,000 per lobby wall and proposals may address one or both walls.  All media and materials will be considered.

When:

Completed proposals must be received at the Maude Kerns Art Center office, 1910 East 15th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403, by 5pm February 28th, 2007.  Full application instructions, all necessary forms, and supplemental informational drawings can be downloaded from the Maude Kerns website at www.mkartcenter.org.

Why:

To regionally promote and advocate the appreciation and creation of the visual arts and to add to the uniqueness and vibrancy of Eugene’s first urban village.

Narrative:

While many Seattleites and Portlanders are accustomed to the amenity-rich convenience of city dwelling, Arlie & Company’s Crescent Village will be one of the first developments to bring the advantages of mixed-use living to the southern Willamette Valley. Crescent Village is the kind of place where you can take your morning jog in a nearby park, walk to the grocery store to pick up dinner, and spend warm evenings with friends on the sidewalk patio of your favorite bistro. 

“There is a lot of new development in this area, but Crescent Village is more than just new homes and more shopping,” says Suzanne Arlie, President of Arlie & Company.  “The whole concept of an urban village is that it affords you the ability to better enjoy your neighborhood because you’re not stuck in your car running errands all day.”

Guided by the principles of new urbanism, plans for Crescent Village include approximately 600 residences (single family homes, condominiums and apartments), a variety of retail stores and restaurants, office space, and parks connected by a grid system of pedestrian-friendly streets.  At the heart of the development is the Town Center, featuring a dynamic combination of shops, restaurants, loft-style apartments, and offices in mixed-use buildings.  The first two buildings of Town Center are currently under construction and are expected to open in fall 2007.

Arlie says, “We wanted to create something special for the community…something unique that will become the center of what is currently one of the fastest-growing areas of Eugene.”  The buildings, designed by Eugene architecture firm Rowell Brokaw Architects, will pair earthy color tones and wood accents with angular lines and metal panels in what could be described as “Northwest Urban” style.  Wide, tree-lined sidewalks with plazas and furniture will encourage pedestrian activity and create a vibrant street scene.

Suzanne Arlie hopes that public art will make the experience of Crescent Village even more meaningful.  Art competitions are planned for each phase of construction.  The first competition, for the residential lobbies of the first Town Center mixed-use buildings, is open to artists living in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

“Including the work of regional artists throughout the development will reflect the character of our greater community and give residents and visitors everyday access to the best of northwest culture,” says Arlie.  She continues, “We think art will help people enjoy the experience of being in Crescent Village even more.”

Organizational Background:

Arlie & Company, based in Eugene, Oregon, is a diversified, family-owned real estate development and management company committed to environmentally-friendly development practices.  Suzanne K. Arlie founded the company in 1991.

Arlie & Company largest current project is Crescent Village, Eugene’s first planned urban village. The progressive vision of this mixed-use development meets the community’s goals for compact urban growth and sustainability and encourages alternative modes of transportation.  Key to this “new urbanist” style of development is the creation of intimate, walkable neighborhoods that nurture a sense of community.  For more information, visit: www.arlie.com » or www.crescent-village.com ».

Founded in 1950 and located in Eugene, Oregon, the Maude Kerns Art Center is a non-profit community center for the visual arts whose goal is to promote and advocate appreciation and creation of the visual arts. The Center is dedicated to serving the public through major exhibitions, art classes, lectures, workshops, outreach programs, and intimate performances. Maude Kerns Art Center is coordinating the Crescent Village Public Art Competition.  For more information, visit: www.mkartcenter.org.