Memory Walk Park Public Art Project

Memory Walk Park is a 0.23-acre park with walkways and landscaping. The centerpiece of the park was a public art piece entitled Memory Walk that was installed in 1993. The work was created by artist Christine Hoenstine in collaboration with residents of the Lincoln Park neighborhood and included the walkways in the park leading to the central piece.

The images in the sidewalk were designed to depict values important to Lincoln Park residents, such as education and family. The central part of the work included imprints of residents’ hands and depictions of their family trees. Some of these community members still live in Lincoln Park today.

In 2023, the central piece of the work was to be deaccessioned and removed due to the condition of the concrete and its foundation. Before the city gave a contractor notice to proceed and notification to the community that the work would be removed, a contractor removed and disposed of the work. Today, temporary landscaping has been done until a new artwork is installed.

Project Vision and Goals

As an initiative of the Art in Public Places Program, the Memory Walk Park Public Art Project is intended to replace the central piece of the original Memory Walk. The original walkways designed by Christine Hoenstine will remain, and it is envisioned that the central piece will tell the story of Lincoln Park, preserving its history while engaging current community members to acknowledge what they hold dear about their neighborhood. While the main focus of the project is to replace the central part of the original piece with a new artwork, the entire park may be taken into consideration with an overarching work that incorporates the existing walkways and expands artistic elements into other areas of the park.

An initial round of community engagement shows the love and pride the Lincoln Park community has, as well as a reverence for its history. Themes from this engagement are community, family, history, faith, diversity, welcoming, and safety. There is a palpable sense of people being connected to their families, to God, and to the place that is Lincoln Park. It is essential that the new artwork tells the story of Lincoln Park’s history and its residents while reflecting the neighborhood’s values, traditions, and relationships in the community. The new artwork must be reflective of Lincoln Park’s history while observing its present and future aspirations.

Project Budget

The all-inclusive budget is a maximum of $90,000, which must cover design work, engineering, fabrication, delivery, site preparation, installation, as well as other associated expenses, including liability insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, all necessary travel, and the artist’s fee.

Project Timeline

Note: The project schedule may need to be adjusted based on the selected artist’s schedule.