Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture

The Cedar Rapids area has a rich tradition of public art projects. With art displays like Overalls All Over, Fly Wright and Sculpture on Second, visitors have been given great free family friendly activities in the downtown area.

In May of 2008, the downtown streets will see a project unlike no other come to life. Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture will be unveiled on May 16, 2008 and will remain on the streets until April 30, 2009.

Produced by the Cedar Rapids Downtown District, Cedar Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau and with generous support from the Visual Arts Commission and the Scott Byers Family, Grounds for Art will feature 30 different sculptures on downtown Cedar Rapids streets. Sculptors from around the nation have submitted their best work in anticipation of being chosen for the display.

Sponsors have the unique opportunity of selecting a piece of sculpture to be considered for “best of show”.  After all the artwork has been selected by sponsors, a jury of area art aficionados will judge the pieces with one selected as “best of show”. The sculpture will then be purchased, courtesy of the Visual Arts Commission, and placed permanently in Cedar Rapids after the show is complete.

Artists will receive an honorarium for displaying their art in the show. Most artists will have their sculpture available for purchase during the display. Any unsold pieces will be then returned to the sculptor at the end of the show. Sponsors are only responsible for the participation fee and not for the entire cost of the sculpture.

The goal is to make Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture one of the largest outdoor sculpture events in the nation to attract visitors and media from across the region. Sponsors will benefit from the national exposure with name mentions in print, sculpture plaques and direct link access to their website via www.groundsforart.org.

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS

Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture is a unique, community-wide free event. Your support of this event is designed to create immediate and significant benefits to Cedar Rapids and to your organization.

Interest in this Project

With the documented success of the Overalls All Over, Fly Wright and Sculpture on Second projects, Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture has the potential to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the state, region, and nation, bringing significant amounts of dollars and attention to local businesses. It will serve to educate and entertain families, area college students, tourists and the community year round.

Special Benefits for our Corporate Sponsors

Joining us as a corporate sponsor in this high-visibility project is an effective way to demonstrate your role as a community leader and is an excellent, affordable way to market your organization. There will be numerous opportunities to weave Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture into your existing promotional materials, web site, company events and other related publicity.

In addition, a high profile local, regional and national media presence will create wide-ranging opportunities to recognize your support and partnership. Finally, every selected sculpture will carry recognition of its partner/sponsor and the name of its artist. This one time investment for the year long promotion will draw attention to you as a community partner and is a wise investment as a part of your media mix.

MEDIA BENEFITS

Locally, regionally and nationally, Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture will engage an aggressive and comprehensive media relations plan to create and sustain high visibility for Cedar Rapids, the artists and the sponsors who will make this project possible. Your sponsor name will be included in these efforts, providing additional benefit for your participation.

• Sponsors will be included in all media kits, publications, brochures, web site and in other information distributed to the media and the public. We will aggressively target newspapers around the country with news releases, articles and photos. Using news feeds and distribution services, hundreds of papers around the country will know what’s happening in Cedar Rapids and who helped make it possible.

• We will reach television newsrooms around the country by producing, coordinating and distributing satellite news feeds and interviews about the project. Sponsors and partners will be part of this story.

• Reporters and editors from newspapers, TV and radio will be exposed to sponsor names when they visit our Web site for news releases. Providing continually updated information of the Web site will increase traffic and contact with sponsors.

• A television and radio campaign in the Chicago area has been purchased in conjunction with the kickoff of the event. The campaign will drive people to the website, exposing visitors to sponsor names and links.

• Project highlights will be distributed by a local advertising campaign including walking maps, project brochures, and www.groundsforart.org

Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture Sponsor Opportunity

Each participating sponsor will have their name associated with the sculpture in an outdoor public Downtown Cedar Rapids location.

$1500 Corporate Sponsor: Your cost to get involved with this year long promotion. Your sponsorship includes the honorarium paid to the artist.

As a Corporate Sponsor, you will have the opportunity to select which sculpture you would like to sponsor. You are only responsible for the Corporate Sponsor fee of $1500. Sponsors will have the first opportunity to purchase the sculpture. If the sponsor does not choose to purchase the piece, any visitor to the project, other sponsor or individual may purchase the piece. All purchased pieces will remain on display until the end of the show at which time the purchaser will enter into a separate agreement directly with the artist. Any piece that does not sell will be returned to the artist at the end of the project.

Grounds for Art – Street Level Sculpture Highlights

Display dates: May 16, 2008 – April 30, 2009

Display area: Downtown Cedar Rapids Streets & Green Spaces

Contact information:

Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Attn: Matt Krug
119 1st Ave SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-398-5009 x-127
www.cedar-rapids.com

Cedar Rapids Downtown District
Attn: Jill Wilkins
222 3rd Ave SE, Suite 100
Cedar Rapids, IA  52401
319-398-0449
www.downtowncr.org

Billing: 30 days net due from contract date