Seattle public artist Vicki Scuri, designer of Salina’s North 9th Street Bridge and North Ohio Gateway & Railroad Overpass projects, recently was recognized among the CODA award Top 100. Scuri’s installation near the El Paso International Airport was voted in the top 100 for 2015 in the Transportation category.

In Salina, Scuri worked with city officials, the Union Pacific Railroad and KDOT on the North Ohio overpass project, to remove unused track and create an overpass to alleviate traffic delays and congestion in that area. She designed an entryway and bridge that incorporated plantings, lighting, and structure to reference the rich railroad history of Salina.

While working on the North Ohio installation, Scuri also was commissioned to assist with the redesign of Salina’s North 9th Street Bridge. This portion of 9th Street is a focal point of the I-70 interchange that leads directly to the city’s historic business, cultural and medical district. Both public art projects were completed in 2006.

“We are so excited that yet another artist featured in Salina’s public art collection has received international recognition,” says SA&H Visual Arts Coordinator Grace Peterson. “This is further proof that the caliber of the work here in Salina is equivalent to that of major cities across the globe.”

Salina’s most recent public art piece, entitled “Dawn’s Silver Lining,” by Arizona artist Barbara Grygutis, was installed on South 9th Street in fall 2012. It won the 2014 CODA award for Public Spaces and was recognized on the cover of Kansas Government Journal in April 2015 and was highlighted in the August 2014 issue of Interior Design.

The CODA award international competition is a project of CODAworx (Collaboration of Design + Art) based in Madison, WI and celebrates design projects that demonstrate successful collaboration and integration of commission art into interior, architectural or public space. The City of Salina’s “Dawn’s Silver Lining” is comprised of six interrelated aluminum sculptural pieces set in the median of South 9th, inspired by silhouettes of Kansas shelter-belt trees during winter.

To learn more about Salina’s public art collection, visit salinaarts.com/community-sponsored-art.cfm, find ‘Salina Community Art & Design’ on Facebook or request a copy of the Community Art & Design booklet or brochure from Salina Arts & Humanities. The city’s Community Art & Design Committee (CAD) is an advisory board that meets monthly and advises the City Commission on public art and design.