Westportparkscould soon be home to public art installations

Jul. 23—"The feeling then, as now, is that art is an essential enrichment for our community, and our audiences," WAAC member Kathie Bennewitz said.

Founded in 1994 by the Representative Town Meeting and made up of 15 members appointed by the first selectwoman, WAAC manages the town's public arts collection and helps inspire more art in the community.

Director of Parks and Recreation Jennifer Fava said she was recently approached by the Westport Arts Advisory Committee to put sculptures within some of the town's parks.

"Westport has a longstanding reputation as an arts town," another WAAC member Dina Upton said.

Bennewitz said over the years, Westport has expanded ita public arts collections through donations.

Upton said while there are collections on display at town and school buildings, the town lacks a public display of artwork.

But outdoor art isn't a stranger to Westport, though. For over 100 years, public art has been an important part of town, such as with the minuteman statue, according to Bennewitz.

"Public art can educate, it can inform and delight," she said.

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Outdoor, public sculptures exist in neighboring towns, like Norwalk and Stamford, she added. New London recently created a sculpture mile on public park land.

Bennewitz said in the past, such as with "Rock, Paper, Scissors" at the library, they have had donations for public art to the town's art collection. Before that, some works in town were commissioned works of sculptures, like the minuteman, which was from the state, she said.

Another option is memorial sculptures that are given through Parks and Recreation, she added.

Upton said since Westport has so many artists within it, the town can use their work within the public parks. Some can be on loan and get transferred to the appropriate park, and cycle through sculptures every few years.

Or, if the town likes the sculpture enough, it can purchase it, she said.

The hope is to highlight artists in and around Westport, and Bennewitz said they have already visited some local studios to get to know the local artists. In the future, displays can feature some nationally known artists, too.

The group also has worked with Planning and Zoning to create a text amendment written so public sculptures won't be considered a permanent coverage and can be relocated, if necessary, she said.

Fava said if they move forward with any of the sculpture additions, it would have to go before P&Z.

Parks and Recreation wouldn't have the obligation to take care of each sculpture, though they would work with the department for landscaping, Bennewitz said

Upton said they may start with one or two parks and then expand, and talk with Parks and Recreation before installing it.

"We would be a community working together to identify what sculptures would go where," Upton said.