El Presidio Park and old Pima County Courthouse. Listen:
Artists have until the end of the month to submit their design ideas for the permanent Jan. 8 memorial being built outside the old Pima County Courthouse.
The Tucson Pima Arts Council and the January 8th Memorial Foundation are in a national search for architects, painters and everyone in the design world to propose what the memorial should look like.
Mary Helen Wooten, public art program manager with the Tucson Pima Arts Council, said artistically the final outcome is limitless.
"We know that we have a very interesting location on the west side of the Pima County Historic Courthouse, and we have a very historic building with a very interesting façade, so...it could range from something that is extremely elegant or something that is more elaborate," she said.
But it's important to keep in mind what the core of the memorial symbolizes, she added.
"This is memorializing, not only the tragedy, but also the desire to engage in civic discourse," Wooten said. "Also, remembering the individuals who lost their lives and those who were injured...the community's response to the events...in terms of the spontaneous memorial tributes, Tucson wants to heal and move forward but certainly not forget what happened."
The winning artist or design team will also be contributing to the future renovation of El Presidio Park.
A panel composed of the Jan. 8 foundation board representatives, community members and representatives of the Pima County and the city of Tucson will select five finalists. The group will then prepare a preliminary plan for El Presidio Park renovations and memorial design concepts.
The memorial design project has an estimated budget of $90,000. The entire memorial will cost between $1 million and $2 million, according to the Tucson Pima Arts Council.
A presentation by selected finalists for public review is expected by the fourth anniversary of the Tucson shooting next year, and an approved plan for both park renovations and a final memorial by Jan. 8, 2016.
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