The Duval County Courthouse Plaza as Public Art​

Duval County Courthouse Plaza project will transform the three-acre lawn into a work of public art for the citizens and visitors of Jacksonville.   After several community dialogues, surveys and a design charrette, stakeholders from the courthouse, downtown development and the arts endorsed the following in June 2020:​
The Duval County Courthouse Plaza is a safe active urban park with multiple spaces for small events, free speech and sculptures.  The entire plaza is a dignified, memorable and iconic work of art with artist-designed elements such as earth berms, pathways, bollards, shade structures and lighting.
To find the best design to transform the urban space, the Art in Public Places committee has appointed an Art Selection Panel.  In the fall of 2020, the panel will select three artists to imagine a new courthouse plaza.  These design proposals will be presented to Jacksonville in the Spring of 2021 for thoughtful discussion before the Art Selection Panel recommends to build one of three designs.  The new work of public art with a national reputation will be completed in mid-2022. 
 
The Duval County Courthouse Plaza is a project of the City of Jacksonville's Art in Public Places (APP) program that is managed by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.  The $619,000 in art funding results from the City’s APP Ordinance that required 0.75% of the original Courthouse construction budget be set aside for public art.  The Cultural Council is the local art agency supporting arts organizations and artists in Duval County for the benefit of NE Florida.​of NE Florida.


​Selection Process

In October and November, 2020, the Art Selection Panel will review the applications, interview a small group of artists and select three artists to develop proposals in the Winter of 2020.  


​168 Artists Applied

On September 22, 2020, 168 artists applied to the Courthouse project. Below is the Call to Artists that was approved by Art in Public Places Committee in August 2020.


​​Adopted Vision for the Courthouse Plaza

On July 8, 2020, the Art in Public Places Committee adopted the vision proposed by the Stakeholders Committee.  The vision is part of the Call to Artists. 


​Video Presentation of Adopted Vision

On June 2, 2020, the Cultural Council lead the Stakeholder through a presentation of the proposed vision for the Courthouse plaza.  Video stored on Facebook


​Stakeholders Preference Summary

With many of same questions asked the general public in February, the Stakeholders plus downtown leaders gave their opinions on the purpose and function of the transformed plaza.  April 2020.   


​AIA/CCGJ Design Charrette 

On February 8, 2020, artists, architects, urban planners and others gathered at the Haskell offices to discuss and draw ideas for a new plaza.  Organized by the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
List of Stakeholders
Judge Tatiana Salvador, Co-Chairperson
Judge Dawn K. Hudson, Co-Chairperson
Allison Galloway, Cathedral Arts Project
Dr. Diana Greene, Duval Public Schools
Maria Hane, MOSH
Holly Keris, Cummer Museum
Caitlín Doherty, MOCA Jacksonville
Preston Haskell, Haskell Company
Lori Boyer, DIA
Numa Saisselin, Downtown Vision / Florida Theater
Chris Flagg, Landscape Architect
Aleizha Batson, JTA
David Goldberg, JEA
Charles Moreland, Office of the Mayor
Bill Joyce, Jacksonville Public Works
Tim Snyder, Jacksonville University

Staff:  Ronique Gibson, Project Manager
Art Selection Panel
Kimberly Kim, Chairperson 
Judge Tatiana Salvador
Judge Dawn Hudson
Chris Flagg, Landscape Architect
Caitlin Doherty, Director of MOCA Jacksonville 
Bryant Rollins, Novelist/Journalist
Ann-Marie Knight, Vice President at UF Health 
Lori Boyer, CEO of Downtown Investment Authority 
Teresa Eichner, City Office of Finance

Staff:  Hilda Ettedgui, Project Manager

Send Questions to Hilda@CulturalCouncil.org