Published in the Oct. 15-28, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Downtown Morgan Hill is undergoing a renaissance. The heart of our community during the past decade has evolved into a place where more and more residents and visitors gather to enjoy the fine restaurants, unique shops and personal services. And to enhance the experience for people who live, work and play downtown, artistic works can add to the ambiance. That’s why we are pleased to see the city has set up a program providing mini-grants for downtown art and placemaking endeavors.
Our downtown already has some excellent examples of artistry. Most notably is Marlene Amerian’s popular “Waiting for the Train” sculpture at the intersection of Depot and Third streets. This exquisite bronze statue shows Hiram Morgan Hill, his wife Diana and their daughter patiently waiting for the arrival of their train. Two other art works in the downtown area include the mural of Morgan Hill scenes on the Second Street side of the former South Valley Bikes building and a stylized mural on the outside wall bordering the pedestrian walkway between the Good Fork and Tryst Fashion Apparel.
The Downtown Art and Placemaking Mini-grant Program offers funding between $500 and $10,000 for local artists and community groups who want to make the downtown a more interesting and fun place to be through art and culture. Anyone can apply for the grants and individuals do not need to be an artist but simply have a good idea for an artistic work and the interest and time to bring it into creation. The art projects are intended to be temporary and placemaking projects and are expected to be on display from March 1 to Sept. 1, 2015. The deadline to apply for the mini-grants is Nov. 3 and an informational workshop will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 14 and 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 17575 Peak Ave.
Art and culture can help to reveal and enhance the underlying identity of Morgan Hill by highlighting our unique values and character. Art helps add to our quality of life by reflecting a sense of place in our community.
Achieving a sense of place — the essence of the placemaking endeavors now being implemented by our city — is not a static concept but rather a process that evolves and develops over time to reflect the spectrum of social values in our community. Works of art can help articulate the historic, cultural, and economic context of our downtown. They can also reinforce and enhance our downtown’s identity, making it a place that looks and feels unique.
We can’t wait to see what ideas are developed to add to the public experience of our downtown.
The possibilities abound, and we encourage this experiment to help make Morgan Hill’s downtown a more interesting and unique place for everyone to enjoy.
