Tuesday, August 08, 2000
Taxpayers kick in $250,000 for art at Bengals' stadium
Boomer, others to be featured
By Dan Klepal
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Brooke Hill, spokeswoman for construction of Paul Brown Stadium, displays photos that will be blown up to mural size and hung in concourse area.
(Gary Landers photo)
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If the Bengals' performance on the field is unsightly this year, at least there will be something else to look at in the concourses of Paul Brown Stadium.
That's because taxpayers will fork over $250,000 to commission artwork that will be placed in public spots inside the new stadium.
Much of the artwork hasn't been created yet. But 28 pieces are supposed to be on display for the Aug. 19 inaugural game.
The art will feature 26 Bengals' Pro Bowl players, such as Anthony Munoz, Ken Anderson, Bob Trumpy and Boomer Esiason. There also will be two pieces of “civic” art, which are collages of Cincinnati-area landmarks.
Made of a vinyl, mesh material, the initial pieces will be framed and hung from the ceilings. The player murals will be 9-feet high by 13-feet wide, while the civic murals will be about twice that size.
Other stadiums have approached the subject of stadium art differently. At Coors Field in Denver, for example, nearly $1 million was raised privately for sculpture in the plaza. Cleveland used about $1.2 million in tax dollars for art at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
“We have some unique challenges because not all public areas are enclosed,” project manager Dan Streyle said. “So they will be subject to the elements — freezing situations, wind and some rain or snow.”
The plan is to commission about 50 local artists who will create illustrations of various neighborhoods around Hamilton County for display. Construction managers also want pieces of art that show a connection between sports and the art world.
“We need to blend the art with the primary purpose of the stadium, which is sporting events,” Mr. Streyle said. “So there has to be some connection.”
There also might be a photo display showing the history of the stadium being constructed.
“I think it's great,” Hamilton County Commission President Bob Bedinghaus said. “I like the idea of jazzing the place up.”
No publicly financed art will be hung in luxury suites, although some will be placed in the club lounge — an area where only season-ticket holders with high-priced tickets have access.
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