Renee Bemis awarded the commission for the Boyd Island Public Art Project.
The City of Columbia is highly recognized as a destination for experiencing its rivers and outdoor fun: fishing, kayaking, tubing, greenways, as well as regular river-oriented programming at Riverfront Park.
Boyd Island is a four-acre parcel of land that lies at the Piedmont fall line. It is located along the confluence of the Saluda, Congaree. and Broad Rivers. The island can be accessed by a pedestrian bridge connecting to the Saluda Riverwalk near Riverbanks Zoo which also connects it the rest of the Three Rivers Greenway. Boyd Island and the greenway are connective thoroughfares for adventurers, pedestrians and cyclists who are seeking to access not only nature and recreation, but also nodes of art and culture.
The final project will consist of a series of three to five (3 to 5) sculptural pieces that may be brought to the site or created in place. The artwork should be site-specific or site responsive. Immersive installations should create a sense of destination, interest and should also provoke curiosity and wonder inspired by the diversity of the site (water and land), flora/fauna, history and industry. Sculptural work specifically referencing the fauna of the South Carolina Midlands is preferred.
