PROPOSAL

The REVITALIZING WINTHROP committee conducted research for approximately two months in winter 2021. The findings and data have been compiled into a proposal (pdf - 3.69 MB).

Please note: Much of the information within the proposal is an exploration looking at possibilities, possible outcomes and ideas. A ripple effect of the beautification initiative began across campus in April 2021. It continues to unfold and is ongoing. To that end, some of the suggestions, possible recommendations in this proposal have already been executed by Facilities Management, the campus community, and committee.  

The proposal identifies & suggests:

  • Immediate upkeep projects for execution by volunteer groups or Facilities Management
  • Public art and design projects for execution by Winthrop art classes, artists, etc.
  • Extensive, complex projects for execution by Facilities Management or contractors           

The research records and inventories:

  • Maintenance and repair needs to improve cleanliness, condition, and function
  • Opportunities for enhancement to area aesthetics and to provide sense of place
  • Over-arching possible solutions for addressing needs with continuity in image and upkeep

Research criteria:

CATEGORIES

  • Entrances to buildings
  • Ephemera
  • Fencing
  • Gathering Areas
  • Landscaping
  • Public Art and Design
  • Wayfinding

LOCATIONS

  • Academic Buildings, various
  • Admissions in Joynes Hall
  • Artesian Well & Surrounding Area
  • Byrnes Auditorium
  • Dacus Library
  • DiGiorgio Campus Center, Campus Green, & West Center
  • Dinkins Hall
  • Farm, Coliseum, The Shack
  • Hardin Gardens & Roddey Hall with Johnson Hall
  • Little Chapel & Amphitheatre
  • Main Administration Building
  • McBryde Hall with Tuttle Dining Room
  • Rutledge Building & McLaurin Hall
  • Thomson Cafeteria & Macfeat House
  • Withers/ W.T.S. Building

 

REVITALIZING WINTHROP dives into placemaking and has made recommendations on areas of beautification including public art and design, outdoor objects like bike racks, and outdoor areas for gathering. To determine potential placemaking and public art opportunities, Winthrop’s prime-use spaces for academics, extracurricular activities, and events were considered.


What is Placemaking and Public Art and Design?

Placemaking

Placemaking is a collaborative process collectively observing public spaces to discover ways of enhancing them for gathering to generate “sense of place,” at the heart of a community where: cycle

  • Experiences can be made
  • Education can be enhanced
  • Functionality can be improved
  • Connecting can be reinforced                                          

Effective Place Benefits:

  • Comfort is improved
  • Positive well-being toward quality of life is enhanced
  • Sense of belonging is increased
  • Support to community to enhanced
  • Accessibility is improved 

Examples of Places (Gathering Places) on Campus:

  • DiGiorgio Campus Center Concourse and Campus Green
  • Hardin Gardens
  • Scholars Walk

Public Art and Design

Public art and design has the ability to express collective community values by:

  • Reflecting Winthrop’s identity
  • Enhancing Winthrop’s environment
  • Transforming a landscape
  • Even heightening awareness of a particular community issue

wall

seats

river

More Examples of Public Art and Design at Winthrop can be seen on the Campus Public Art Map.

Previously completed examples of local public art and design projects by Winthrop CVPA students: 

rack

disc