Saranac River Trail Sculpture Project

Representatives from the City, Sunrise Rotary, Friends of Saranac River Trail, SUNY Plattsburgh Art Museum and Art Department, and Outside Art: Plattsburgh Public Art Project have been discussing a project to place a rotating collection of sculptures along the Saranac River Trail.

We would like to proceed with a pilot project of 2-5 works by the end of July/early August 2017. Starting in summer 2018, we will feature a rotating roster of sculptures by local, regional, national, and international artists on a biennial basis curated by Drew Goerlitz, SUNY Plattsburgh Art Professor, and Walter Early, Plattsburgh State Art Museum Preparator.

The sculptures themselves will provide yet another amenity for the Trail. In addition, please note that the proposed placement provides visibility from the Amtrak trains when they stop at the station. The passengers are a great audience for demonstrating the importance of art to the City of Plattsburgh.

The immediate installation will consist of concrete pads to which the sculptures can be attached. We have located a number of possible sites (see map). The sculptures and the Trail itself provide connectivity to the Strand and Arts Corridor, the Lake, and downtown.

We hope the Common Council will support this project. Our various organizations are interested in the project, and, ideally, the City can provide some materials and labor for the installation (pouring and securing the pads and then placing the first sculptures on them). At this point, we do not foresee the need for financial support of the project beyond the installation materials and work.

If the City’s support for the installation isn't available, we have discussed among ourselves various other possibilities depending on what parts of the project the City can cover. We do not believe that it will be a large amount of labor and materials, and we have some offers of in-kind services, materials, and cash if it is necessary. Once we have the City’s input, we can finalize whatever resources we need, but we hope that you can support the project and provide the materials and labor for the pilot installation.