Cooperative effort focuses on public art

TROY, N.Y. >> The Arts Center of the Capital Region, in conjunction with the city of Troy, the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, will launch a new project to expand public art around the city, kicking off the effort with a program at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, at the center, 265 River St.

Master Plan for Public Art in Troy: Public Art and the Public Good will feature a discussion with public art consultant Todd Bressi of how cities are implementing art projects and programs that support civic engagement, economic development, neighborhood revitalization, tourism and workforce development, all while reinforcing the notion that the most successful cities are ones that invest in the public good. Bressi is an urban designer, educator and writer who has managed his own public art consulting practice since 2008, while also serving since 2010 as interim artistic planning coordinator and director of muraLAB for the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, and consults with public agencies, civic and community groups, cultural organizations and private developers throughout the United States and Canada. The local project is being directed by Judie Gilmore, an independent arts consultant, curator and writer who works with creative organizations and individuals on public projects, site-specific installations and project and organizational development. She is currently project director for Breathing Lights, a temporary public art installation that illuminated hundreds of abandoned buildings in Albany, Schenectady and Troy last fall.

Admission to the program is free.