The Arts Commission Announces Public Dedication for new Public Art Project by artist Andrea Bergart to be held at Inez Nash Park on Saturday May 9

The Arts Commission is excited to announce a public dedication event on Saturday, May 9th at 11AM, to take place at Inez Nash Park at 100 E Bancroft St, Toledo, OH 43620, adjacent to the Wayman D. Palmer YMCA. This dedication will celebrate the completion of a new public art installation by artist Andrea Bergart, consisting of a painted basketball court and 5 fully custom hoops and backboards.

Basketball is one of artist Andrea Bergart's most recurring references--a subject rooted in everyday life and shared cultural experience. This project allowed Bergart the opportunity to reimagine a basketball court as a dynamic fusion of art, nature, and inventive play. Drawing inspiration from Toledoʼs rich glass heritage and local flora, this whimsical design encourages players of all ages to engage with the court in imaginative, non-traditional ways. This project isnʼt just about creating a court—itʼs about creating a work of art that the community can activate and feel proud of. More than a recreational space, it's a symbol of what makes Toledo unique and an invitation for the community to connect, imagine, and celebrate the joy of everyday play.

The court will serve as the capstone installation in a series of renovations by the City of Toledo Department of Parks and Recreation at Inez Nash Park, including a quarter mile walkway, shelter, main event plaza, new playground equipment, and updated pathways and plazas as part of a completely new park layout. These updates to Inez Nash Park follow the opening of the new Wayman D. Palmer YMCA in March 2025, together creating a new hub of activity for the community.

The dedication event will feature remarks from City Council President Vanice Williams, Art in Public Places Director Nathan Mattimoe, and project artist Andrea Bergart. 100 custom-designed basketballs by Andrea Bergart will be distributed to the first 100 children and families in attendance, and the public is invited to utilize the court and park in celebration of its completion.

Andrea Bergartʼs website can be found here:

https://www.andreabergart.com/ 

More information about Toledoʼs public art collection can be found here:

www/theartscommission.org/public-art/collection  

All questions should be directed to:

Nathan Mattimoe
Director of Art in Public Places 419.254.2787 Ext. 1011 [email protected] 

About the Artist
Andrea Bergart, born in Newton, MA, earned an MFA in Painting from Boston University and a BA in Painting and Art History from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her practice extends beyond the studio to include paintings, drawings, large-scale murals, public projects, and fashion. Bergart invites broad engagement in her work through a visual language informed by popular culture, art history, feminist theory, textile traditions, and her own experience as an athlete. Her aim is simple yet ambitious: to widen the field of contemporary art and show that creativity exists in movement, competition, personal style, and collective experience—not only within gallery walls. Bergart received a Fulbright Scholarship to Ghana, where she researched bead and textile production. She has participated in residencies including the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Senegal, Tilleard Projects in Lamu, Kenya, and a U.S. Embassy grant to the United Arab Emirates. Her public basketball-court murals can be found in New York, Providence, and abroad and she has been exhibited in the U.S. and U.K., including at the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in the Art in Embassies program. Bergart lives and works in Queens, NY and is represented by Chozick Family Art Gallery, New York, NY.

About The Arts Commission
The Arts Commission is the longest standing arts commission in the state of Ohio, founded in 1959, administering the City of Toledoʼs One Percent for Art Program since 1977. The Arts Commission is supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.