Madison Arts Commission recently awarded Makeshift Festival a $15,000 Art in Public Places grant to place a permanent sculpture in Elver Park on Madison’s west side. The piece, entitled Momental from recent UW MFA Graduate Jeffrey Repko will be placed in Elver Park, 1250 McKenna Boulevard after consultation with Madison Parks staff.

“Repko’s work is very much about unique, complex pieces coming together in a colorful, playful assemblage to create an interconnected system capable of change and growth. These qualities make the work much like Madison itself, a place where unique communities make up the complex assemblage that makes our city so special. I hope Momental not only exudes the element of play so prevalent in Elver Park but is also a reminder of the interactions and awareness necessary for growth.” said Bethany Jurewicz, co-founder, and curator of Makeshift Festival.

Makeshift Festival, an event organized and presented by the Madison Parks Foundation, was founded in 2017. It is a one-day festival that highlights the creative use of public space using Madison’s extraordinary parks as a backdrop for visual and culinary arts. In its inaugural year, it brought more than 3500 people to Olbrich Park.

“While Makeshift Festival is by definition ephemeral, a long-term goal of ours is to facilitate the placement of permanent art in our parks. We’re beyond excited that the Madison Arts Commission grant will allow us to do that in just our second year,” said Bob Hemauer, co-Founder of Makeshift Festival and Madison Parks Foundation Board Member. “We’re especially excited to have Elver Park be the home to the first piece. We believe in bringing art to all Madisonians, so it was important to us to have its home be somewhere in Madison that isn’t already dense with public art.”

“Through the Madison Parks Foundation and Makeshift Festival, we are honored to receive this grant from the Madison Arts Commission. Art in public spaces provides an opportunity for cultural interaction while making our parks more interesting and offering contemplative spaces,” said Eric Knepp, Madison Parks Superintendent.

“The Madison Parks Foundation exists to enhance our amazing parks, and we’re thrilled to be able to help make Elver Park even more special,” said Stephanie Franklin, Executive Director of Madison Parks Foundation.

This year’s Makeshift Festival will be held on Sunday, August 12 from 1 to 7 pm on the island at Tenney Park, 1330 Sherman Avenue. More than 15 restaurants and 20 artists from around the Midwest will be represented. All dishes are affordably priced at $7 or less. Admission is free.

Pending the Board of Park Commissioners approval, “Momental” will be installed in the Spring of 2019.

Contacts

· Bob Hemauer, co-founder/director Makeshift Festival (608) 335-8282 me@bobhemauer.com

· Bethany Jurewicz, co-founder/curator Makeshift Festival (917) 921-0171 bethany@veaevents.com

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