Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA) Public Art Program

In 2009, the Rosen Program began a partnership with the Downtown Boone Development Association's (DBDA) Public Art Program. In 2010, the Turchin Center continues this partnership by offering two additional sculptors a chance to participant in the Rosen program with the Community Choice Award.

The partnership, says Mary Ella Baker, the DBDA's Public Art Program Director, is significant for the town as well as for the university. "I am thrilled about the DBDA Public Art Program's recent partnership with the Rosen Sculpture Program," says Baker, "This partnership reinforces ASU's and the Town of Boone's involvement in and dedication to western North Carolina's growing arts community. The Rosen Sculpture Program is a well-established program that has proven its effectiveness through its outstanding staff, the program's popularity as part of An Appalachian Summer Festival and the talented artists who participate in the annual competition. The Public Art Program is proud to take part in this exceptional program."

The DBDA Public Art Program collaborates with the Watauga County Arts Council and the Public Art Committee to provide public art for downtown Boone. The Public Art Program's goals include the addition of sculptures, downtown gateways, murals and streetscape improvements in the downtown area. The residents of Boone have been promoting a thriving arts community for years and care deeply about investing in downtown Boone's future; public art is a fantastic outlet for emphasizing our civic pride and Boone's unique cultural character.