A sample of Leticia Huerta’s work. The bridge at 28th St. and Decatur Ave. in Fort. (Photo Ralph Lauer)

The Bexar Street neighborhood is about to get some brand new public art in the form of a 477 foot street-scape located on a brick wall along the 6300-6400 block of Bexar Street in South Dallas. Residents of the community will be able share their ideas and stories for the artwork and meet the artist, Leticia Huerta, at a public meeting on Saturday, May 17 from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. at the Turner Courts Recreation Center in Dallas.

The full press release after the jump.

DALLAS: The Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program and the Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) announce a public meeting to bring members of the community together to meet artist Leticia Huerta who has been selected to create new artwork for the Bexar Street Village Streetscape. Huerta is seeking community input in an effort to gather stories and learn about the history and character of the Bexar Street neighborhood. The public meeting will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, May 17 at the Turner Courts Recreation Center, 6601 Bexar Street, Dallas, TX 75215.

The Bexar Streetscape artwork will be located on a brick wall spanning 477 feet of the 6300-6400 block of Bexar Street, at the intersection of Bexar and Carrollton Garrett in South Dallas. The public art project is part of a community development program to revitalize the neighborhood, bringing new housing options, retail and office spaces, neighborhood services and job training to the Ideal and Rochester Park neighborhoods.

“The Bexar Streetscape will serve as a centerpiece for the Bexar Street Village Gateway community,” says Cobbie Ransom with the Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP). “It will create a focal point for all of the exciting development that is taking place in the neighborhood.”

Leticia Huerta was selected for the position through the public art selection process which includes members of the Bexar Street community. She has extensive experience working on public art projects with architects, engineers, city planners and neighborhood groups.

“Leticia is a great choice for the Bexar Streetscape project,” says Maria Muñoz-Blanco, Director of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. “She has completed similar work integrating the environmental and architectural elements on the site and she is sensitive to the cultural and history of the communities where her work is installed.”

For more information or to schedule interviews, please contact Margaret Fullwood at 214-670-4428 or by email at [email protected].

ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PROGRAM (NIP)

Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) is a division of the City of Dallas Housing and Community Service Department. NIP provides a strategic approach to target and leverage public resources to achieve sustainable and visible community redevelopment in targeted areas.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM

The Public Art Program works to enrich the quality of life for the citizens of Dallas and enhance the cultural appeal of the City to visitors by overseeing the integration of high-quality visual art into public spaces. The Program provides opportunities for local and regional artists as well as visual artists from around the globe through commissions of works of public art. The program also supports donations of public art to the City of Dallas that are subject to a review process for acceptance that includes members of the Public Art Committee and the Cultural Affairs Commission. The Public Art Program is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. For more information go to: http://dallasculture.org/publicArt.asp

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) provides opportunities for all Dallas citizens and visitors to have access to the arts and the means of cultural expression. The Office of Cultural Affairs works with its citizen advisory board, the Cultural Affairs Commission, to foster the development of the cultural system in Dallas. OCA provides a variety of programs and services, including the management and operations of cultural facilities, a public art program, cultural funding programs and WRR Radio. More information on the Office of Cultural Affairs’ programs can be found on its website at http://www.DallasCulture.org.