Semi-finalists selected for 8/4 Memorial project
Five artists or artist teams have been chosen to submit full proposals for a future memorial in the Oregon District.
Semi-finalists selected for 8/4 Memorial project
Five semi-finalists have been selected by the 8/4 Memorial Committee to submit designs to serve as a memorial for the victims of the tragic events that took place in The Oregon District neighborhood of Dayton, Ohio, on August 4, 2019.
After a national call for artists, 39 artists and artist teams submitted a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the project. Those submissions have been narrowed to five semi-finalists by a jury of artists, art professionals and community leaders.
- Shane Albritton and Norman Lee, based in Houston, TX
- Jon Barlow Hudson based in Yellow Springs
- Stephen Canneto, Judith Spater, based in Columbus, OH; Mike Ruestchle & Tyler Rogan of Dayton
- James Dinh, based in Los Angeles, CA; Amy Deal and Landon Crowell based in Dayton
- Terry Welker, Jes McMillan & Sierra Leone based in Dayton
"Our jurors took a very close, thoughtful look at each of the 39 RFQs submitted for this project, and these artists stood out," said Eva Buttacavoli, Executive Director of the Contemporary Dayton. "We believe these teams will create impactful designs that will both memorialize the lives lost in the 8/4 event and inspire hope in our community."
Each of the five semi-finalists will receive a stipend of $1,500 each to submit a complete design by Friday, May 19.
The completed memorial will be located in the plaza adjacent to the Trolley Stop, 530 E. Fifth Street.
"The 8/4 Committee chose the location for this public memorial after hearing directly from our community," said Sandra K. Gudorf, co-chair of the 8/4 Memorial. "The responses we received let us know that having a space on Fifth Street was incredibly important for this project. Members of our community wanted a central location where they could reflect, grieve, and heal."
More information about semi-finalist teams (listed in alphabetical order based on Team Leader’s last name):
Shane Albritton & Norman Lee of RE: site, based in Houston, Texas: “For the 8/4 Memorial, we seek to create a memorial that provides a contemplative, healing, and uplifting space for survivors and families dealing with the trauma of gun violence. Gun violence is something that affects our team personally, and this would be a deeply meaningful project for us.” Shane and Norman often engage the community as part of the creative process through workshops, interviews, and oral histories. The team has extensive experience with projects ranging from $200,000 to over $1 million and was named a finalist in the World Trade Center Memorial Competition.
Jon Barlow Hudson based in Yellow Springs, Ohio: “I always thoroughly research a given project & create a sculpture or project that speaks to the pertinent characteristics of the situation, whether cultural, environmental or architectural. I am happy to work with the community as much as possible, getting inspiration from the community; including members in the making to the extent possible, relative to the techniques utilized.” Hudson has been creating large-scale sculpture projects for public environments since 1976 in 27 different countries.
Stephen Canneto, Judith Spater, Mike Ruestchle & Tyler Rogan of Canneto Studios, based in Dayton, Ohio: “Our commitment to this project is deepened by our team members’ personal connections to the victims, to Dayton, and through the creation of memorials to victims of violence.” The team’s history includes creating memorials, public art, architecture, and art as well as designing and implementing US DOJ funded programs for at-risk and incarcerated youth. Canneto Studios is an established design / build public art studio whose past public art project budgets ranged from $20,000 to $850,000.
James Dinh, Amy Deal & Landon Crowell based in Dayton, Ohio and California: “For the August 4th memorial project, we envision a contemplative space where people of all backgrounds and abilities will feel welcomed to be alone or gather; a place that will commemorate the victims of the mass shooting by honoring their lives; a community room that will inspire hope, unity, and healing.” Team members have worked on several local public art projects including the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Memorial, the “Love Dove” mural, and the 900 linear foot mural at RiverScape MetroPark.
Terry Welker, Jes McMillan & Sierra Leone based in Dayton, Ohio: “We are bringing this unique team of artists together as equal partners with specific skills and diverse viewpoints to achieve an outcome better than any of us could accomplish on our own.” All three of this team’s artists are accomplished public artists in their own mediums. The Team Leader, is a renowned architect with four decades of experience working with architectural and engineering teams.
