Press Release September 11, 2014

Fleur-de-Lis Sculptures Installed in Downtown New Rochelle

Five-foot Sculptures Created by Fifteen Different Artists

Fifteen fleur-de-lis sculptures -- five-foot- tall fiberglass sculptures, each individually decorated by a local artist -- were installed this week around downtown New Rochelle , a final commemoration of the city’s 325th anniversary celebration. The project is a collaboration between the New Rochelle Council on the Arts, the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and the City of New Rochelle, which selected the following 15 artists to participate: Patrick Bancel; Melissa Calderon; Alvin Clayton; Michael Cuomo; Julie Delgado; Susan Doban; Jason Gorsline; Kevin Leong; Rebecca Mills; Janet Rutkowski; Jesse Sanchez; Dezi Sienty; The Think Fabricate Team (a collaborative design studio); Aston Lemelle Thomas and Dana Zambrano (Burch). Each of the selected artists received one of the fiberglass forms – fabricated by Fiberglass Farm of Belfast, ME -- to decorate, as well as an honorarium of $300 to cover the costs of implementing their designs. (The distinctive shape was chosen to represent New Rochelle’s French roots: The city was founded by Huguenots in 1688 and the fleur-de-lis is part of the city’s seal.) The works were installed by the City’s Dept. of Public Works at sites around downtown New Rochelle, anchored to “green” bases built and donated by Grasso Brothers General Contracting from Pozzotive ® a new sustainable concrete product which is used in LEEDS projects. Pozzotive ® dramatically reduces greenhouse emissions and the need for virgin mined materials while saving valuable landfill space.

The intent of the project is to commemorate New Rochelle’s 325th anniversary and celebrate the city’s history by showcasing local talent; the sculptures are meant to enliven the downtown and delight visitors. A brochure outlining a self-guided walking tour of the fleur de lis installations can be picked up at the New Rochelle Public Library and is also available online at www.NewRochelleDowntown.com , which will host a map of the sculptures and a profile of each artist.

The project continues the Art in Public Spaces Program initiated by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA). The program’s first project was “Steal Away”, an outdoor mural by Jeff Schlanger that was installed at the Lawton Street parking lot in 2008. Other public art installations include colorful banners in the atrium of the New Rochelle Public Library (the result

of a design competition sponsored by NRCA); mosaic benches installed at the Ward Acres Community Garden, a collaborative project between NRCA and the garden group; and a collaboration with the organization Groundswell and the New Rochelle Public Schools that resulted in a wall mural painted by local teens at the corner of North Avenue and Lincoln that was unveiled at ArtsFest. For more information visit the NRCA website at www.newrochellearts,org.