The City of Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs invites the public to join in the unveiling of the newly restored Noguchi Playscapes, located in Piedmont Park. The unveiling will take place Monday, June 1, 2009 at 11:00 am. Mayor Franklin will address the attendees, sharing the City’s progress in public art funding and dedication to its parks. The Playscapes was designed by world-renowned artist and sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). Completed in 1976, Playscapes is the only play environment of its kind by Noguchi in the continental United States.
The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum is very pleased at the hard work and dedication that the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs put into this important restoration. We are honored that they recognized the importance of Isamu Noguchi and his contribution to Atlanta in the form of the Playscapes.
Jenny Dixon
Director, Noguchi Foundation
Playscapes is located at the western edge of Piedmont Park, near Piedmont Avenue, just north of the 12th Street entrance. The unveiling ceremony will recognize the completion of the restoration that began in the fall of 2007 and has been managed by the office of Cultural Affairs/ Public Art Program (OCA/PAP). The OCA/PAP hired the conservation teams of Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. and Williams Art Conservation, Inc. to restore the Playscapes.
This is an exciting project that took years of planning to complete. Through Opportunity Bond funding we were able to see this project to fruition. It’s good to know that generations of children will be able to enjoy interacting with the Noguchi Playscapes again.
Dianne Harnell Cohen
Commissioner, Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs
On May 1, 1976, Playscapes was officially opened in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park with a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by then Atlanta Mayor, Maynard Jackson. The High Museum raised funds to commission the project and donated the Playscapes to the City of Atlanta once completed. The museum maintained a presence at the site through its Department of Education which conducted classes at the site. The City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program has provided stewardship over the Playscapes since the work was gifted. The city of Atlanta is fortunate to have an artwork from such a prominent internationally acclaimed contemporary artist.
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About the Office of Cultural Affairs: The City of Atlanta's Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA), a division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, was established in 1974 to encourage and support Atlanta's cultural resources. The initial mission was to solidify the role that arts and other cultural resources play in defining and enhancing the social fabric and quality of life of Atlanta citizens and visitors.
Today the OCA is working to enhance Atlanta's reputation as a cultural destination. The OCA supports programs that educate and expose the public to a rich and diverse range of cultural expressions through a variety of initiatives.
About the Public Art Program: The Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program operates on the premise that art enhances the quality of life for our citizens by encouraging a heightened sense of place, increasing our community's prestige and enlivening the visual quality of Atlanta's built environment. The program promotes a public initiative of outreach and education while working to preserve the city's cultural heritage.