EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bikers and pedestrians enjoying the new Bay Bridge bike path and Bay Trail in droves these days are delighted to discover much more than the beautiful views when they get to Emeryville. With 110 pieces of significant public art on display, the one-square mile city boasts the largest open-air gallery in the Bay Area. Thirty of the total have been catalogued by the Emeryville Art in Public Places Program in a new self-guided walking (or biking) tour.
Emeryville is proud of its history as home to artists and innovators. Bikers and hikers can find both links to the entire collection at www.emeryville.org/publicartinventory and to the 30 selected pieces highlighted on the city’s Walking Guide at www.emeryville.org/publicartmap. The handy pocket-size Walking Guide is also available at most of the wonderful cafés and shops around the city.
“It is exciting to me that after over 20 years of building our public art collection, we have an opportunity to share our varied and vibrant public art with thousands of new visitors to Emeryville who are out on their bikes throughout the week, not just on weekends,” says Sharon Wilchar, Chair of the Emeryville Public Art Committee.
Recent additions to the collection include:
- Anita Margrill’s “Peninsula Tell Tail and Overlook,” a 40-foot sculpture on Emeryville’s marina that literally points to the prevailing wind.
- David Ireland’s “Big Chair” anchors the entrance to the Bay Bridge bike path at IKEA.
- “Signs of the Times” by Seyed Alavi , an award-winning utility box art program, is installed at 23 locations throughout the city, with three along the Bay Trail on Shellmound Street at Christie, Shellmound Way, and at the Marriott entrance
- Emery-Go-Round’s bus shelters are graced by a revolving display of temporary art posters, featuring juried local artists in four locations citywide.
- Vickie Jo Sowell, M. Louise Stanley and Jeremy Hamm’s whimsical “Neighborhood Convergence” greets visitors to Emeryville on the Bay Trail connection under the Powell Street Overpass
- Sheila Ghidini’s “Shellmound Memorialization” at Shellmound and Bay Streets offers an homage to the original native settlement at the edge of the Temescal Creek as it enters the Bay.
As if October in Emeryville isn’t beautiful enough, the public is also invited to the 27th annual Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, open October 5-27, 2013. Commemorating Emeryville’s artistic heritage, the exhibition displays a selection of works by 84 artists who live or work in Emeryville. With free admission, the exhibit is open from 11 am. – 6 p.m. at 5699 Bay Street, just off Shellmound Street at Christie. A gala public reception with the artists in attendance is slated for October 4. More information may be found at www.emeryarts.org.
Finally, those who do not ride bikes or don’t want to drive to Emeryville can take heart. Emeryville is easily accessible by BART—especially when they hop on the free Emery-Go-Round shuttle, which runs every 20 minutes through the entire city. The bus schedule may be found at www.emerygoround.com.