FUNDHOLDER PROFILE
Suwanee’s
Art for All Campaign
Why Art?
Great cities have long considered public art a key component of a vibrant community — an essential element of placemaking and city design, a tool for promoting connectedness and economic development, and a means of providing people with experiences. Public art enhances the culture of a community: it’s timeless, impacts generations, and is accessible to everyone. Art is a true differentiator, and has become Suwanee and Gwinnett’s niche in metro Atlanta.
How it Started
The citizens of Suwanee turned out in record numbers in 2001 to vote in favor of a multimillion-dollar bond referendum that allowed the city to purchase land. This enabled the city to go from nine acres to over 350 acres of open space and create five
new parks.
In 2002, the city purchased 10 acres to build the first park through the open space initiative. Town Center Park is the physical and symbolic heart of the Suwanee community. A vibrant mixed-use area, Town Center represents a bold and innovative response to two citizen-driven planning efforts: to preserve open space and create a
new community focal point.
The success of Town Center Park exceeded all expectations; it draws over 200,000 visitors annually to over 40 events, as well as regularly serving as a gathering space for our 20,000 citizens. It is the home to SculpTour, Suwanee’s award-winning revolving sculpture exhibition, which has brought 79+ public art pieces to a walkable ten-acre area of Town Center.
The Project
The city has committed $26M to cover the construction costs associated with the expansion of Town Center Park. To provide the margin of excellence above and beyond the basic infrastructure, and to reflect what is special about Suwanee, the city hopes to raise an additional $1.25M in private contributions to support the inclusion of three new art pieces. These pieces will act as a catalyst to transform the project from a PARK to a PLACE.
Park construction has begun, with an anticipated completion date in mid-2024.
To learn more about supporting this campaign, contact Toni Shrewsbury:
tshrewsbury@suwanee.com
770-904-3389
City of Suwanee