DELMAR —Art on the Rail Trail, an initiative designed to bring public art installations to the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail, is excited to announce a preliminary call for proposals by artists, designers, and teams to develop dynamic messaging/signage along the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail, a nine-mile paved multi-use trail that spans from South Pearl Street in Albany to the Village of Voorheesville. “Share the Trail” is a public safety campaign designed to ensure that all visitors are aware of each other and can equally enjoy the trail, no matter their age or physical ability and regardless of whether they are biking or walking, running or rollerblading.
The “Share the Trail” project is a collaboration between Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy and ART on the Rail Trail (a sub-committee of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy), which was formed in 2017 with a mission to support and improve the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail through the installation of art along the trail. To date, the ART committee has placed five murals and a multi-piece installation along the trail as well as hosted three community chalk art events.
The goal of “Share the Trail” is to develop signage that delivers, through visual, textual or a combination, periodic reminders of the established guidelines for all trail users. Playfulness is encouraged but messaging should be clearly comprehensible relative to the usage guidelines (see Albany County Rail Trail website for trail etiquette). Preference will be given to proposals that have multiple installations (4-8) along the trail, with specific locations determined in consultation with the selected artist, Albany County representatives and ART committee members. Signage painted on the asphalt, fabricated signs installed on posts or a combination of the two will be considered. Strong preference will be given to proposals that contain a public participation component (with social distancing needs considered) at some stage of the installation process.
For more information about the preliminary call for proposals and application process visit www.mohawkhudson.org/2021-art-proposals/. For more information about ART visit https://mohawkhudson.org/art/ or email [email protected].
