Bojangles’ Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium invite community to share memories that will inspire public art installation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 5, 2018) – As part of work related to the connector facility linking Bojangles’ Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium, the City of Charlotte, ASC, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) and ODELL Architects will work to create a public art installation that pays homage to the legacy of the 63-year-old venues.

Artist Blane De St. Croix of BDSC Studio has been commissioned to create an impactful artwork that responds to the parameters of the site, the aesthetics of the architecture, and the history and character of Bojangles’ Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium. To inspire this artwork, the City of Charlotte and CRVA are asking residents to share their memories of the venue through a survey, which will inspire the content of the artwork.

“We hear from so many Charlotte residents reminiscing about the experiences they've had at these venues," says CRVA CEO Tom Murray. “From cheering on the Checkers to experiencing their first concert to celebrating a graduation here, both venues have become an integral piece of Charlotte history.”

The public art installation comes as part of the City of Charlotte’s Public Art Ordinance, which specifies that the funds for public art are based on “an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the projected construction costs at the time the project is included in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan.” Artwork costs earmarked for this project are estimated to be $94,350 to cover all artist fees, design, engineering, testing, fabrication, permitting and installation as well as travel, public meeting presentations, administration, taxes and insurance relating to the project. ASC manages the public art programs for the City of Charlotte.

BDSC Studio is a Brooklyn-based artist studio led by De St. Croix in consultation with designers, architects, and other creative collaborators focused on the intersection of public space and the environment. The studio has extensive experience creating socially engaging public spaces, as well as artworks that explore landscapes and the underlying environmental issues embedded in them. In combining these two lines of investigations, the studio aims to make public art that brings an added awareness and appreciation to our natural and urban environments.

“BDSC Studio is excited about this dynamic project, as many of the greatest musicians, icons and athletes have performed on the stages at Ovens Auditorium and Bojangles’ Coliseum over the last 63 years,” says artist Blane De St. Croix. “It is revealing this history through the memories and experiences of Charlotte’s residents that the public artwork will capture.”

The survey will be available for residents to respond to until Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Work on the piece will begin this fall and the unveiling of the artwork installation will take place when the Bojangles’ Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium connector facility is complete in January 2020.

About Bojangles’ Coliseum
Bojangles’ Coliseum first opened in 1955 as the largest unsupported steel dome coliseum in the nation. Since then, the multipurpose venue has hosted a wide array of concerts, sporting events, family shows and other diverse entertainment events. The celebrated facility has been known by many names: Charlotte Coliseum, Independence Arena, Cricket Arena and currently Bojangles’ Coliseum. For more information, visit bojanglescoliseum.com.

About Ovens Auditorium
Ovens Auditorium, located adjacent to Bojangles' Coliseum, opened in 1955. With a seating capacity of approximately 2,400, Ovens has hosted more than 7,000 events including Broadway shows, symphony concerts, operas, dance recitals and nationally known speakers. For more information, visit ovensauditorium.com.