New Rochelle Fleur-de-Lis Competition Artists Selected

The streets of downtown New Rochelle will soon be dotted with 5-foot-tall fleur-de-lis sculptures as part of the city's 325th anniversary celebration.

The New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA) recently announced the 15 artists who will participate in decorating the sculptures.

The artists are Patrick Bancel, Melissa Calderon, Alvin Clayton, Michael Cuomo, Julie Delgado, Susan Doban, Jason Gorsline, Kevin Leong, Rebecca Mills, Janet Rutkowski, Jesse Sanchez, Dezi Dienty, The Think Fabricate Team, Aston Lemelle Thomas and Dana Zambrano (Burch).

Organizers said the intent of the project was to celebrate the city's history by showcasing local talent.

The selection committee included Judith Weber, president of the NRCA, Theresa Kump Leghorn, co-vice president of the NRCA, Billie Tucker, New Rochelle Municipal Arts Commission member, Luiz Aragon, development commissioner, Ralph DiBart, executive director of the New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District and Councilman Ivar Hyden.

Each of the artists will receive a 5-by-5-by2foot fiberglass form, made by Fiberglass Farm of Belfast, ME. They will also receive a $300 honorarium to cover the costs of implementing their design.

The works will be completed this fall and installed around the downtown area, anchored to concrete bases supplied by Grasso Brothers General Contracting.

Designs include a black-and-white photograph of La Rochelle, France, superimposed on the sculpture by Leong.

He said his inspiration was from a trip to La Rochelle in 2005.

"The photograph superimposed on the fleur de lis represents one of my happiest memories of strolling around the city with my now finacee," Leong said, "a souvenir we'll take with us as we create new memories with our growing family in New Rochelle."

The project is a collaboration between the NRCA, the Downtown BID and the City of New Rochelle.

CORRECTION: Judith Weber is president of the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. Theresa Kump Leghorn is co-vice president. A previous version of this article stated otherwise.