Eastern Teams up with Willimantic Whitewater Partnership on Community Art Project

Willimantic, CT (12/21/2017) — Written by Lynn Stoddard

Three world-class design teams from Connecticut have been selected to prepare detailed design concepts for public artwork that generates renewable energy for the future Willimantic Whitewater Park site.

The invited design competition arose from a collaboration between Willimantic Whitewater Partnership, the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Office of the Arts and the Land Art Generator Initiative.

From proposals submitted by 15 multi-disciplinary teams, the selection committee chose Pirie Associate Architects of New Haven, Gray Organschi/Howeler & Yoon Architecture of New Haven and Boston and Swiftwater Hub of Mansfield and Hartford to develop detailed designs. The designs are due at the end of February. In March, one winning design will be selected and the winning team will develop working blueprints. More information about the project can be found at http://www.landartgenerator.org/lagi-willimantic.html.

Members of the public are invited to attend an information session and community forum on Jan. 17 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Room of the J. Eugene Smith Library at Eastern Connecticut State University. All interested community members are encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas regarding the project at this public event.

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 5,300 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 163 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 26 other states and 20 other countries. A residential campus offering 40 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked the 25th top public university in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2018 Best College ratings, Eastern has also been awarded "Green Campus" status by the Princeton Review eight years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

Media Attachments

The proposed location of Willimantic's whitewater park. Partners include the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), Willimantic Whitewater Partnership, Eastern's Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE), and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.