Project Aims

This project will ultimately culminate in a permanent public art work on Georgia State University (GSU) campus reflecting the broad diversity of its community.

The first year of this project aims to set in motion a process for consultation and collaboration to inform the development of a new public space for Georgia State University (GSU). In doing so, it will involve Art and Design students academically and in terms of artistic formation, however, it is not only sculpture majors who will work to “cast” this permanent work. Through the international exchange of ideas, between the artists - George Beasley and Paul Cosgrove - approaches undertaken in Scotland, for example in the the work of the The Hidden Gardens at the Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland which sought to find common understanding amongst the diverse communities of the city - this Project seeks to find the voice of the uniquely diverse community of GSU. Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, GSU's community is represented by GSU students, faculty, and wider staff as well as the residents of downtown. To that end, this first year of the CENCIA project will encourage participation from international student organizations on campus (these organizations and their student sponsors have been identified through the established centers of the university such as the Asian Studies Center, Latin American Studies Center, Middle East Center). These student organizations have become a crucial part of the 'ideas generating process' led by Paul Cosgrove (Glasgow School of Art) and George Beasley (GSU). Additionally, it will involve coalescing the expertise and interests of Fulton County Public Arts, urban planning experts in the Andrew Young School of Public Policy and collaboration with the planning committees of GSU.