Summit Public Art Thanks its Many Donors

Several Summit businesses and corporations have recently donated significant funds in support of Summit Public Art (SPA), and the SPA committee would like to thank and acknowledge these generous corporate citizens.

Gifts were received from Lois Schneider Realtor, Hair Salon II, Hilltop Community Bank, Rocco’s Barbershop, Manhattan Bagels, and Beacon Hill Liens, LLC. These donations were in addition to the many gifts made by generous private individuals in the Summit area. “Without the wonderful support of local businesses and friends, Summit Public Art would not be able to continue its work bringing art to public spaces and enriching the community,” said committee member Estelle Fournier.

“Lois Schneider Realtor is proud to support SPA for the last 10 years. Putting art into the community enriches the surroundings of our area. We are so grateful to those involved in this program and look forward to seeing more projects throughout our town," offered Barbara Birkitt, Operations Manager at Lois Schneider Realtor.

Heather Hoffman and Maria Veloso, owners of Hair Salon II, said “Hair Salon is pleased to support SPA as these unique and interesting art pieces bring vibrancy and vitality to our town.  We are proud to be part of making Summit a ‘happening’ community.”   They continued, “One of our goals is to take a continual part in downtown Summit’s ever-growing culture through fundraising, cross promoting and keeping up with and taking part in the town’s events.”

Summit Public Art, which recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary at a gala event, continues to bring art to public spaces as a way of enriching the community, increasing awareness of the visual arts, and stimulating conversations about art. Its most recent installations include “Silver Sentinel,” the Gateway Tree sculpture by Douwe Blumberg, located on Broad Street in East Summit; Willie Cole’s “H2O TBX” at City Hall, constructed with thousands of recycled water bottles; and Charlee Swanson’s “Breaking Out,” made of glass and steel, which is located on MONDO’s wall. New installations are planned, including a new water bottle sculpture “Vortex,” created specifically for Summit by Willie Cole. It will be placed on the Village Green next spring, after thousands of recycled bottles are collected at various locations in the area.

If you are interested in supporting Summit Public Art, contact John Petrides at spatreasurer123@gmail.com, or to learn more about SPA, please contact us at http://cityofsummit.org/content/8248/9223/default.aspx.