Master Plan for Public Art Presented to Town Council

A master plan for public art in Chestertown has moved a step closer to becoming part of the town’s comprehensive plan.

The plan was presented to the town council by Doug Bothner, Senior Associate at Ziger/Snead Architects during their meeting Monday, September 15

Funded by one of only two NEA grants given in Maryland this year, the plan developed out of two public charettes with residents, business owners, non-profit entities and Ziger/Snead Architects, who were hired to lead the charettes and to conceptualize the gathered data into a cohesive plan.

Chestertown Zoning Administrator Kees de Mooy summarized the history of the project from its earliest concept as a “playscape” in Wilmer Park to the current conceptual overview of public arts areas and walkways connecting the marina, Wilmer Park and Stepney Manor to the projected Mabel Mumford Park near the new roundabout and key entrance ways into the community.

• Doug Bothner from Ziger/Snead described the trajectory of the plan’s development using PowerPoint slides and a narrative focused on the public recommendations gathered from the public charrettes.

The plan, although comprehensive in its goal to synthesize art and community, remains flexible in its final presentation. Town, college and private properties each have significant roles in the process and will have to decide on their willingness to support the wider effort.   For instance, the Stepney Manor property—across from Wilmer Park, is Washington College property. The house is privately owned.

Lani Seikaly, President of RiverArts, Alex Castro, Lecturer in Art and Director of Sandbox Washington College Program and Carla Massoni, owner of Carla Massoni Gallery each offered supportive statements.

Each spoke to encourage a wider understanding of public art and how it functioned in a community. A “playscape” in Wilmer Park, for instance, would not be “pressure treated wood and colorful plastic slides,” but an art installation designed by a prominent artist that would engage children in both aesthetics and play.

Mayor Chris Cerino said that the project has been talked about for a decade and and that he would like to see something completed during the next calendar year.

De Mooy said that approximately $10-$15,000 of the original grant could be used for seed money and that it could encourage private donations.

Town Manager Bill Ingersoll pointed out that the public arts plan could be inserted into the town’s comprehensive plan as “accepted by the town council, not necessarily adopted or enacted and if it changes, it changes…..collected thoughts put in a place where people can find them.”