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City moves forward with public art plans

2/3/2017

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Carroll Daily Times Herald, Rebecca McKinsey

Before long, visitors to Manning’s Trestle Park might lock their bikes on a colorful steel bike rack mimicking the design of an iconic Manning structure and sit down on an attached bench to peruse a book or newspaper.
That public art project is one of several designed and proposed by Iowa State University students that Manning might move forward with implementing.
Through one of the city’s frequent partnerships with Iowa State University, Manning solicited public art designs from ISU students in an interdisciplinary class taught by Department of Architecture lecturer Reinaldo Correa. After a meeting Saturday with Correa, city and economic-development representatives narrowed down the proposed designs in their continued quest to choose at least three, if not more, of the projects to be constructed in Manning. They plan to raise funds or seek out grants to complete as many of the projects as possible, said Ron Reischl, chair of Main Street Manning’s Business Improvement Committee.
The class was tasked with designing public art, signage or structures for three areas — at the Trestle Park planned at the north edge of Manning, at the entrance to the city’s German Hausbarn and the Carroll County Freedom Rock and along Highway 141 by the city’s Little League baseball fields. Students visited Manning in September before crafting their designs.
Many of the projects students proposed were interactive — including a metal sculpture that incorporates monkey bars, a sculpture kids can walk through that mimics the image of grasses blown by the wind and a tree-like sculpture that catches the wind in its “leaves” as children spin it, merry-go-round style, to create natural music.
One design depicts a fire pit at Trestle Park, incorporating bricks from Main Street and a protective metal grate designed to resemble Iowa’s prairie grasses.
One of Manning’s finalists for the artwork along Highway 141 was designed by student Tara Kraft and features four steel columns, one to represent each of Manning’s popular attractions — the water tower, the railroad trestle, the German Hausbarn and Trinity Church. LED lights inside the tower-like structures would light them up at night.
Students offered a variety of sign ideas for advertising the Hausbarn and Freedom Rock as well, ranging from one featuring a soldier and firefighter to a pyramid-like structure announcing the attractions.
The assignment allowed students to move past computer work and see how their work might be implemented in the real world, Correa said.
“Coming up with these ideas and seeing they can become a physical thing is very rewarding,” he said. “As they’re transitioning from academia to the professional world, it’s a story future employers would be very captivated to hear.”
Once Manning selects several projects to pursue, the city and Correa might work with the students whose designs are chosen to complete more extensive design work, Correa said.
In addition to hoping to complete projects in each of the three proposed places, Manning officials also are looking at ways to incorporate other student designs throughout the city, such as at the hospital green space or in “parklets” that are being considered for Main Street, Reischl said.
The collaboration with this ISU class has been vital in Manning’s economic-development efforts, he added.
“To include artwork and add culture to our effort of improving quality of life will encourage people, especially younger generations with children, to consider Manning as a place to live,” Reischl said.

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Art Into Life

11/23/2016

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Carroll Daily Times Herald, Rebecca McKinsey

ISU students’ designs to be incorporated in Manning

A tree sculpture that sings. A fire pit incorporating prairie-grass designs. A metal sculpture incorporating monkey bars.
When the city of Manning asked a design communication class at Iowa State University to devise designs for public art and signs in the city of about 1,500 that continues to cast out a net for new ideas, the students delivered.
The class of almost 30 presented a variety of designs and ideas to Manning Mayor Harvey Dales and Main Street Manning Board President Ron Reischl last week. Once some of the designs have been finalized and narrowed down before the end of the year, a few members of the class will travel to Manning to discuss the city’s implementation of several of the proposed projects. Eventually, Manning will incorporate several of the designs into the city’s streetscape, along Highway 141 and at the in-progress Trestle Park.
“The students appreciate and love the opportunity to work on a real-life problem, and they look forward to the chance of their designs being integrated into a real-life project,” Reischl said. “It’s hugely beneficial for both parties.”
The designs, most of which stem from proposals from Manning’s most recent participation with Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program, offer ideas for public art in Trestle Park, another in-progress project in Manning, as well as along Highway 141. A separate proposal asked for ideas for a sign at Manning’s east entrance announcing the Carroll County Freedom Rock and the German Hausbarn.
Students in the class visited Manning in September, allowing them to see the city for which they were crafting ideas.
Much of the artwork or projects students proposed was interactive — including a metal sculpture that incorporates monkey bars, a sculpture kids can walk through that mimics the image of grasses blown by the wind and a tree-like sculpture that catches the wind in its “leaves” as children spin it, merry-go-round style, to create natural music. For many of the projects, students also created animations to demonstration to Manning representatives how their pieces would function.
Another design depicts a fire pit at Trestle Park, incorporating bricks from Main Street and a protective metal grate designed to resemble Iowa’s prairie grasses.
“Harvey and I were blown away by that one,” Reischl said. “We’re going to make that happen.”
Manning’s collaborations with the Iowa State University College of Design have resulted in several concrete projects in Manning, including signs for the city’s renovated downtown buildings and the “Welcome to Manning” signs on either end of town.
“As has occurred in all of our past interaction sand projects with the College of Design, we were blown away by the breadth of ideas and the large diversity of ideas,” Reischl said. “It will be very difficult to choose one or two designs.”
In fact, the initial idea for creating a park around the historic railroad trestle on Manning’s northern edge came from a group of College of Design students visiting Manning some time ago, Reischl said.
He added that he enjoyed visiting Ames and speaking with students about the thought process behind their designs.
Manning will likely complete additional fundraising for some of the projects the students have proposed, Reischl said.
The interdisciplinary class involved in this particular collaboration with Manning incorporates students of a variety of ages and from a variety of majors, including advertising, design and engineering said ISU Department of Architecture lecturer Reinaldo Correa, who teaches the class.
Correa, who has a background in public art and architecture and who used to work with RDG Planning & Design in Manning, said he enjoyed collaborating with Manning.
“I thought this was a good opportunity for students not only to learn design but to meet members of a community and use design as a means to empower and create art and design that would help the infrastructure and experience of a small town in Iowa,” he said.
For some of his students, he added, this was their first opportunity to complete design projects out of the classroom and work on designs that might move past the theoretical stage.
“As soon as you do a project of this sort, dealing with real people — it became very tangible and real for them early on,” Correa said. “Students are saying they have something in their portfolio that’s meaningful. Ron, Harvey and (City Manager Dawn Rohe) have been really hands-on, and when students see that, they feel as though they’re doing something that’s meaningful.
“Seeing a design go from an idea to a tangible, physical form in the real world is very gratifying.”

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Manning Residents Invited To View Visioning Designs

7/20/2016

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Carroll Broadcasting Company:

Since January of this year, the community of Manning has been working with experts from Iowa State University Extension Landscape Architecture and Trees Forever on the conceptual phase of the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program, and is ready to provide residents the opportunity to view the results of their conjoined efforts. On Thursday, July 28, from 5 to 7 p.m., landscape architect, Jennifer Cross with RDG and intern Ashleigh Gildon will join Trees Forever field coordinator, Brad Riphagen and the Manning Community Visioning Committee to present the final conceptual landscape designs. The public is invited to view and discuss the designs as well as offer feedback on the projects proposed in the Fireside Room at the German Hausbarn Konferenz Centre in Manning. The group will be presenting plans for downtown amenities, Highway 141 artwork and designs for Milwaukee Trestle Park. Any Manning residents who are interested in participating in the visioning process or those who would like more information on the projects and presentations can contact Geri Spies at 712-655-2202 or Brad Riphagen at 515-370-1291.

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Visioning Iowa workshop addresses plans for Trestle Park, streetscaping on Main Street

6/30/2016

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Carroll Daily Times Herald, Rebecca McKinsey

The vision for Manning’s “Trestle Park” is a bit more concrete after a design and planning meeting earlier this week.
The city is working with the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program — for the second time — to develop ideas for several projects in Manning, including the adult-geared park the city has been discussing for several years. Landscape architects, a representative from Trees Forever and city officials and residents met Tuesday to hammer out ideas.
Manning is one of the few cities in Iowa that have gone through the Community Visioning program twice, and the only one to finish the first round of projects as quickly as Manning did and come back for a second go, said Brad Riphagen, field coordinator with Trees Forever. He has been involved with the Community Visioning program since it started 20 years ago.
The Iowa Department of Transportation partners with Iowa State University Extension Landscape Architecture and Trees Forever to offer the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation, according to a news release. The program is offered to cities with a population of less than 10,000.
Cities accepted into Community Visioning’s program are required to earmark $2,000 that will remain in the city and be used for one of the proposed projects. Trees Forever, landscape architects and other agencies then work with the city to develop and incorporate beautification, design and transportation improvement ideas.
Manning first went through the program in 2012. Ideas proposed at the time included enhancing the area’s trail system and adding amenities along the trails, developing signage and logos for the cities, enhancing Main Street with street trees, bike racks and flower baskets and incorporating landscaping themes and planting native species along Highway 141.
Once Manning exhausted those ideas, incorporating many of them, the city returned to Community Visioning with a new slate of proposals and was accepted to once again undergo the planning and design program.
During a day-long visit to Manning Tuesday, representatives from RDG Planning & Design’s Omaha office toured various parts of Manning and then spent several hours working with residents to swap ideas and put together initial designs, maps and outlines addressing several future projects in Manning.
Jen Cross, a landscape architect with RDG Planning & Design, presented those proposals Tuesday evening, offering a first-draft look at what some of these projects could look like in Manning. Cross started out with the Community Visioning program about a decade ago as an intern — a process that allowed her to “learn by fire,” she joked — and now is a landscape architect working with some of the participating communities.
The big-ticket item was Trestle Park, a railroad-themed park planned for the north side of Manning that would cater to adults — with volleyball courts, areas to play horseshoes and bags, trail access, outdoor exercise equipment and more.
It could also include a “natural play” area for the kids that would be accompanying many of the adult park visitors. Kiosks would include railroad information and history, and a shelterhouse and restrooms also would be available. A small structure for children’s play could include the “character of a caboose,” Cross said. A children’s challenge course also is a possibility.
“Trestle Park is a piece that has been in the vision of Manning for some time,” she said.
The presentation also included additional ideas for Main Street, including a potential “downtown green space” and “parklet” installations in free spaces on the street that could be removed and stored during the winter to allow for uninterrupted snow removal.
“This is something that’s very hot right now, and something that was feasible for you to participate in,” Cross said.
Cross also discussed incorporating the green spaces and signage to draw more attention to the juncture of Highway 141 and Main Street.
“The big part of doing something at Highway 141 was to draw people’s attention to that corner — to say, ‘You’re at Main Street. You’re downtown. You’re at the heart of Manning,’” she said.
Placing a sign to better identify the entrance of the Great Western Park was a separate proposal.
“It’s a simple piece, but it’s something that would help with that branding and that identity,” Cross said.
Tuesday’s ideas were fresh and worked up that day.
“Today we were drawing 100 miles a minute,” Cross said with a laugh.
In several weeks, she will present refined ideas to the city, and there will be a final presentation at the end of July, after which
Manning will move forward with the projects that can be addressed now.

What cities do with the ideas developed through the Community Visioning program is up to them — it depends on their initiative and funding, Riphagen said.
“Whether the projects get going is a matter of finding dollars,” he said. “Manning has been very successful at finding the dollars.”

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Community Input Needed For Manning Visioning Project

6/16/2016

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Carroll  Broadcasting Company
No matter how many economic development and community improvement projects are underway in Manning, leaders are always busy planning for the future. A pivotal part of the process is gathering input from community members and matching the needs to the opportunities that are currently available. On Tuesday, June 28, residents are invited to participate in the second of two design workshops that are part of the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program to help identify transportation needs and enhancements. The public is invited to stop by the Warren Timmerman Shelter House in Manning City Park from 1 to 4 pm. to provide input on transportation and landscape conceptual plans that will be developed during the workshop based on the input. Results from the previous focus-group workshop and the random-sample transportation survey will also be available. At 6:30 p.m., the team and the public will be presented with a design review at the shelter house. To learn more about participating in the workshop, contact Dawn Rohe at 712-655-2176.

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Manning Hosting Visioning Focus Group Workshop Saturday

4/14/2016

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Carroll Broadcasting Company

Manning has been selected for the second time to participate in Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program, which helps communities under 10,000 bring their volunteers together to envision improvements along transportation venues that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but environmentally sustainable. Community members are invited to take part in the planning process by joining a focus group workshop on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Manning Public Library. Participants will share ideas in small group settings and photograph transportation opportunities and needs in Manning. The information gathered will be used by the visioning committee to develop a transportation concept plan. The Iowa Living Roadways Community Visioning Program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with Iowa State University Extension Landscape Architecture and Trees Forever. For more information on participating in Manning’s focus group or the overall visioning process, contact Geri Spies at 712-655-3557 or Brad Riphagen, the Trees Forever Field Coordinator, at 515-370-1291.

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Visioning 2016 Meeting April 16th

3/24/2016

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You are invited to participate in designing the Manning community!!  Do what you do best.....share your opinion!!

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Manning’s Progress Continues With Selection For Visioning Program

11/7/2015

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Carroll Broadcasting: The progress and vision of Manning has been recognized yet again and they have been selected as one of 10 Iowa communities to participate in the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program for 2016. The program, sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with Iowa State University Landscape Architecture Extension and Trees for Iowa integrates technical landscape planning and design techniques with sustainable community action. They will be offering expertise in creating conceptual design plans and will assist community leaders and volunteers in making sound and meaningful decisions about the local landscape. To qualify for the program, the community’s population must be less than 10,000, be facing existing transportation-related issues and have a committee of volunteers ready to dedicate their time and talent to the visioning process. In addition to Manning, other 2016 Visioning communities selected at this time include Carlisle, Colfax, Garrison, Hampton, Kalona, Monona and Stuart.  LINK
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