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Art Proposal Presented To Mount Vernon Library

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. – ArtsWestchester proposed two designs Wednesday for possible artwork at the entrance of the children’s section of the Mount Vernon Library in an effort to beautify the outside of the South 2nd Avenue side of the building.

ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam, who appeared before the Library Board of Trustees at its Wednesday night meeting, said the chosen design includes 11 10-foot high poles with artwork on the side and a different animal sculpture atop each one. Langsam said the alternative is an archway that stands 12 feet tall with quotations from novels inside of it.

Langsam said that the pole design is the one that ArtsWestchester chose from over 50 submissions, with the archway design being an alternate in case plans for the poles fall through. Langsam said before anything is installed, the library would have to look at the electric work underneath the ground where the art is proposed to go.

“We have the cooperation of the city’s buildings and engineering departments,” Langsam said. “We need to do our due diligence. The alternate was selected if the first choice is not feasible.”

Langsam said that the project has not officially been designated to be built, adding that building nothing is still an option. If the pole design is feasible, Langsam said, it would be constructed in a way that children can’t climb on them. He said a high-grade coat of paint would be used on the poles, making them easier to clean if they get vandalized with graffiti.

“We are trying to brighten up the façade of the building,” Langsam said. “If anything were to happen to it, we need to make sure that it could be cleaned. We know from our experiences that neighborhood people tend to take care of artwork, but that remains to be seen. I hope that would be the case.”

The discussion will continue at next month’s Library Board of Trustees meeting.

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