The City of Gainesville is collaborating with Vision 2030 Public Art Group to bring a new art installation to Roosevelt Square.
Assistant City Manager Angela Sheppard shared the forthcoming interactive dragon boat display references Lake Lanier Olympic Park’s annual Dragon Boat Festival.
“Really the vision that we had was trying to bring a little bit of Lake Lanier downtown,” Sheppard said. “Of course, we're a lake community, and everybody knows us as a lake community, but we really wanted to have more of that represented in our art. So we thought 'what a great way to do that' by having this dragon.”
The installation will be 14 -feet -6- inches tall and 30-feet- long, but Sheppard noted the display desighned by Todd Vaught with Confluence Design, will be a step above the average public art piece.
“The dragon, it's kind of this interesting, unique blend of art and technology,” Sheppard explained. “The dragon will come to life at certain times of the day. It will roar, it will blow some steam out of its nose as if it's breathing fire, its mouth will light up, its eyes will light up. So it'll just be this really unique experience for visitors to come and see.”
The city and Vision 2030 are working to fund the project through its '500 for 500’ campaign, which encourages community members to become “Friends of the Dragon “ and donate $500 to the project. All donors will then have their names engraved on granite walls located at the site of the installation. There are only 500 spaces available. Those interested can donate to the project here.
Those involved in the project expect it to be completed sometime in the fall of 2024.
“We're excited about all of it,” Sheppard said. “It's going to bring to Gainesville and we're just looking forward to it. And again, we hope everybody will consider becoming a friend of the dragon and encourage everybody to go to publicartgainesvillega to find out more.”
