Bucky Art-ists Selected for Crystal City's Newest Statue Project

Bucky Art-ists Selected for Crystal City’s Newest Statue Project
Outdoor Art Exhibit will premier in April

Crystal City (Arlington, VA) - The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with Arena Stage is proud to announce the artist selections for the “Bucky-Art” project—a temporary, outdoor art exhibit that pays homage to the great scientific mind of R. Buckminster Fuller and his creation of the Geodesic Dome. “Bucky-Art” celebrates the upcoming production of R. Buckminster Fuller: THE HISTORY (and Mystery) OF THE UNIVERSE which runs May 28 – July 4, 2010. The exhibition will open April 1, 2010, and will last throughout the summer.

“We foresee ’Bucky-Art’ generating a buzz, not only about Arena’s show, but also about the environmental aspects associated with Bucky’s Design Science Principles, underscoring Crystal City’s commitment to sustainability and green efforts,” said Angela Fox, President/CEO of the Crystal City BID. “This exhibition is another bold example of arts and culture in Crystal City that visitors, workers and residents of the area have come to expect and love.”

“Bucky-Art” is part of the Crystal City BID’s ARTFUL program. This new exhibition builds on the success of previous Crystal Art projects which have demonstrated the power that art can add to public spaces. The Crystal City BID is responsible for changing how people see and perceive Crystal City, and art remains a critical means of achieving this goal by adding color, interest and conversation to the streets, sidewalks and public spaces of Crystal City.

Arena Stage, a nationally recognized not-for-profit theater, has made a temporary home in Crystal City. Its production on Renaissance man R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome, will explore humanity and its chance to survive on Spaceship Earth. The show is an unforgettable journey inside one of the most remarkable minds of the 20th century in a dazzling, virtuoso multimedia performance. A hero of the green movement, Fuller framed many of the great environmental ideas of his time and ours. It may not only change your life but the life of our planet as well.

To view the winning designs and learn how each was inspired by Buckminster Fuller, visit www.crystalcity.org/artful/statues/bucky-art.

No April Fool’s, the statues will launch on April 1, kicking off the Crystal City BID’s second annual GREEN SCENE – a spring initiative designed to get people fit, green, and ready for Spring! After the statues hit the streets, runners will follow the next day, April 2, with the kickoff of the 5-week 5K Friday series, the Power Purge/Shred electronics and sensitive document recycling program, the Bulb Blitz, and the opening of Crystal Farms in early May! Come join us!

###

The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) is a public-private partnership established in April 2006 to promote the vibrant Crystal City business, retail, restaurant and residential community. The BID is committed to showcasing the area as a world-class destination for visitors, employees and residents. Crystal City is ACTIVE, ARTFUL, ACCESSIBLE, and GREEN. For more information, visit www.crystalcity.org.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Managing Director Edgar Dobie, Washington, D.C.-based Arena Stage has become the largest theater in the country dedicated to American plays and playwrights. Founded in 1950 by Zelda Fichandler, Thomas Fichandler and Edward Mangum, Arena Stage was one of the nation’s original resident theaters and has a distinguished record of leadership and innovation in the field. With the opening of the new Mead Center for American Theater in 2010, Arena Stage will be a leading center for the production, presentation, development and study of American theater. Now in its sixth decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 200,000. For more information please visit www.arenastage.org.