TURN TO THE RIVER honored with Merit Award for Conceptual Design in Indianapolis
Art Spaces is pleased to announce that the Turn to the River Conceptual Design received a 2019 Merit
Award from the Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects in Carmel, Indiana on
September 27. Each year the Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (INASLA)
recognizes outstanding projects completed by individuals or organizations located in the State of
Indiana. These awards are given in an effort to raise standards of excellence, heighten public
appreciation of quality landscape architecture, and expand public awareness of the profession and ASLA.
This year, 23 entries were submitted in 7 project categories and were juried by members of the St. Louis
Chapter of ASLA. The Turn to the River Conceptual Design project was honored as the recipient of the
2019 Merit Award in the Unbuilt Works Category. This award category recognizes excellence in design
thinking and methodology for projects in the field of landscape architecture for which implementation
has not yet occurred. The award was given to Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group of Indianapolis and
Art Spaces of Terre Haute.
Turn to the River is a multi -year project of Art Spaces to reconnect downtown Terre Haute with the
Wabash River through public art and design. The design work was supported in part by a grant from the
National Endowment for the Arts, and support from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation
through the Wabash River Regional Development Authority. Art Spaces collaborated with Taylor Siefker
Williams Design Group of Indianapolis on the award-winning conceptual design which includes the
central city/county government campus and a city riverside property envisioned to include a river
overlook.
Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group is a landscape architecture, urban design and community planning
studio with offices in Indianapolis, IN and Louisville, KY. Their work focuses on creating innovative and
visionary public-space and community based projects. Highlights of their services include the planning
and design of parks and greenways, neighborhood development and public placemaking projects. Those
wishing to learn about their firm may visit tswdesigngroup.com. For more information regarding the
INASLA Professional Design Awards: inasla.org.
Art Spaces is a non-profit arts organization in Terre Haute that has developed a collection of twenty
public sculptures located downtown, in city parks, on university campuses and in several other locations
They are available to everyone, free of charge. Along with collaborators Arts Illiana and the Permanent
Art Collection of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Art Spaces previously initiated and led 2013 Year
of the River which engaged over 90 organizations and entities in programs related to the river and its
role in our lives. Art Spaces’ planning for Turn to the River began in 2012. For more information about
Art Spaces or Turn to the River: wabashvalleyartspaces.com
Art Spaces will begin implementation of Turn to the River in 2020 with a central signature work of art
and water feature to be placed between Terre Haute City Hall and Vigo County Courthouse. Public
event spaces of varying sizes, a designed walkway, improved seating, landscaping and wayfinding are all
part of the project which will be accomplished in various phases over the next several years.
Art Spaces Executive Director, Mary Kramer, notes that “the Merit Award is a fantastic honor and we are
delighted to be sharing this with Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group, and proud of the thoughtful
design work that this partnership has enabled. Vision and intentional design of public places by
professional designers is so important to building and sustaining a healthy and thriving city. We look
forward to continuing our work with Taylor Siefker Williams as well as with the City of Terre Haute and
Vigo County as we begin implementation.”
