The “urban heat island” problem is a phenomenon where cities experience much higher temperatures compared to surrounding rural areas due to large amounts of heat-absorbing surfaces like concrete and asphalt. This can lead to increased energy costs, health issues related to heat and reduced air quality. Sitting in one of Toledo’s hottest neighborhoods, UpTown Green is no exception.
When UpTown Green was built 13 years ago, exposure to the sun was hard to deny. A shade structure was put in place, but the mesh of the structure failed. Currently, the shadeless lot provides no break from the sun, although people still gather for social services and unhoused support, food bank distribution and exercise classes.
In 2021, The Arts Commission created a committee to make a sculpture project that would become an artistically designed shade in UpTown Green. They sent out an RFQ for local artists, with the focus on identifying artists that hadn’t been commissioned to create public art before. The winning artist would also be given mentorship to bring their project to life.
After three artists presented their proposals to the community, the winning artist, Mercé Culp, approached the design with a sculptural, imaginative way of presenting a functional shade structure. She was living in the neighborhood at the time.
With The Arts Commissions mentorship program, Culp can add a large-scale sculpture to her artist’s resume, while simultaneously providing a functional art piece to a neighborhood that she has deep roots in.
Culp has been able to work with The University of Toledo in their fabrication lab and with Flatlanders to work with pieces and materials to refine the design. Thanks to a grant from The Ohio Arts Council, Culp has engaged with an engineer to work on the practical aspect of the design, yet another example of exposure to a wide range of professionals to complete this project.
Currently, The Arts Commission is busy putting together bids for structural pieces of the design.
When The Community Foundation sent out their request for grant proposals focused on neighborhoods around the Overland Solar Array through the Toledo Neighborhood Foundation, the UpTown Green project fit well within the parameters of improving the quality of life in specific areas through grantmaking. The City of Toledo, The Ohio Arts Council and The Arts Commission round out the funders of this ambitious project. The project is on track to be completed by the end of the summer, aimed at the historically hottest part of the year in northwest Ohio.
The concept of functional public art is baked into the DNA of The Arts Commissions. Shade equity is considered as providing green, shaded spaces in urban areas directly contributes to the well-being of that population in a host of different ways.
Nathan Mattimoe, Director of Art in Public Places at the Arts Commission, expands on this.
“We can put up shade and sails, but part of our philosophy at the Arts Commission is that every neighborhood deserves the best quality project, the best aesthetic and that the public art represents their community. All neighborhoods deserve nice things.
In bringing art into neighborhoods, the goal is always to do the best work possible. We’re going to enhance the neighborhood instead of installing art despite the neighborhood. We’re very intentional in that sense.”
To learn more about The Arts Commission and to follow the progress of The UpTown Green project, click here.