Artists Call for Bench Design at McInnis Cement Greenway | Info Session – Wednesday, October 17, 2pm

October 1, 2018

Dear Artists!

McInnis Cement (McInnis) and Oak Point Property LLC (OPP) invite artists to an information session so that you might participate in a competition for the design of 5 benches along the Oak Point Greenway.

This unique partnership represents the best of our industrial neighbors on the Hunts Point Peninsula. It is not often that local industry takes the lead in combining environmental justice and the arts in an effort to galvanize the development of large scale industry in the context of doing the right thing.

THE POINT lauds the efforts of McInnis and OPP in asking artists to join the edges of Industry and the East River. The history of this property has been defined by Steve Smith, owner of OPP, engineer and land artist. After spending 2 years restoring an industrial wasteland to marshland in an effort to rebuild a diverse eco-system along the river, his efforts were wiped out by Storm Sandy in October, 2012.*

He has since rebuilt the marshland with greater defenses built in, and leased this shoreline to McInnis, a company who has a similar vision and has built a state-of-the-art cement distribution facility that can boast amongst other things a zero emissions of cement dust in its processing. **

Ecological responsibility is central to the McInnis vision. Since they began in December, 2011, every possible step has been taken to make their organization the model of environmental performance. Their high-technology cement plant is the most efficient and environmentally responsible facility in North America, if not the world. It meets, or exceeds, nearly all of the worldwide cement plant environmental standards.

The design of the property includes a 3-acre wildlife conservation area and public access greenway with an undulating garden. It provides potential egress to adjacent waterfront properties as this greenway expands in the future. Both OPP and McInnis want artists’ visions to enliven this green-way with 5 benches that provide seating, art, art storage, and whatever you might imagine. With its fantastic views of the East River, Manhattan and North Brother Island, this greenway is an opportunity for artists to explore how art, industry, and community connect.

Please join us on Wednesday, October 17, at 2pm at McInnis, at 50 Oak Point Avenue, Bronx, NY 10474. Let me know that you are coming. There will be some details on the logistics of getting there that we will need to convey.

Best Regards,

Carey Clark
Visual Arts Director, THE POINT
cclark@thepoint.org
917-822-4853