29 Jan GOLDEN BLOCKS PUBLIC ART PROJECT PHASE 2

Call for Artists:
GOLDEN BLOCKS PUBLIC ART PROJECT PHASE 2
Augusta history project seeks two local artists for paid positions

DEADLINE: February 15, 2021 by 10:00 am

The Greater Augusta Arts Council and the Lucy Craft Laney Museum are thrilled to announce that the application for The Golden Blocks Project Phase 2 is open immediately for applications. This project is made possible by a collaboration between the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, the Greater Augusta Arts Council, and the City of Augusta Department of Housing and Community Development, with additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Golden Blocks Project will partner two (2) artists with the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History staff to creatively bring the knowledge housed within the Museum into public spaces in Augusta, Georgia’s Laney-Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods. The project sponsors envision creative projects that strengthen the Laney-Walker and Bethlehem communities through artistic works created in public space. 

The selected artists may utilize visual art, performance, and/or word-craft to create their work, and will be encouraged to work together to play off of each other’s skills. To be eligible, any interested artist 18 years old or older must visit the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History to understand its mission and resources, and to familiarize themselves with the surrounding area. Selected artists will receive a $7,000 stipend. 

This endeavor is named the “Golden Blocks Project,” in reference to the historical nickname of the neighborhoods around Laney Walker Boulevard. The project will create new public art that references the historical and cultural significance of these areas.

During the time of segregation, the area nicknamed the Golden Blocks was the heart of Augusta, Georgia’s Black business community. Federal “Red Line” policies prevented citizens from receiving bank mortgages within certain areas that were predominately non-white populations, and businesses elsewhere in the city were legally allowed to discriminate against Black patrons due to Jim Crow era laws. In the Laney-Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods, Black-owned banks, insurance companies, theaters and other businesses worked to offset this discrimination and thrived, creating a strong sense of community. Phase 2 of the Golden Blocks Public Art Project will focus on the schools that could be found in the communities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

For more information, contact the project manager, Pax Bobrow, at [email protected]. 

Read the full Call for Art: Call for Art GB2 – Application Instructions Inside

PLEASE NOTE: THE APPLICATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS INFO IS IN THE LINK!