A large red sculpture is in front of a fire station labeled number 3

Rendering of the completed art in front of the new Fire Station 3 facility.

Fire Station 3 Public Art

Raleigh Arts | A Percent for Art Project


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Public Art at Fire Station 3 About the Artist About the Project Timeline

Public Art at Fire Station 3

In 2022, artist Maxwell Emcays was selected to create public art as part of the Fire Station 3 replacement and relocation.

After community feedback through surveys and conversations with stakeholders, Maxwell arrived at a final design focused on service. He is creating a figurative piece capturing the sacrifice and heroic image of firefighters. His work is also inspired by the history of early volunteer groups like the Victor Fire Company. In addition to the larger-than-life figures, the piece will incorporate benches with inspirational words and a timeline embedded in the sidewalk.

View concept designs and past community engagement in PublicInput

Inspired by the idea of "Service," the public art will include a larger-than-life sculpture showing a firefighter carrying a citizen against a backdrop of abstracted flames.

The sculpture will stand in front of the new Fire Station 3, the centerpiece of a plaza at the facility entrance.

Renderings of the proposed art and accompanying benches and timeline.

The public art will include six benches, each highlighting a different firefighter value. A timeline embedded in the sidewalk will share important dates in the Raleigh Fire Department's history.

The public art will feature internal lighting that makes it glow from within at night.

About the Artist

Image of a man standing in front of a large colorful pair of wings

Maxwell Emcays is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary creative who began his journey creating digitally born work, knowing a t-shirt as his only canvas. While attending the University of Illinois, he explored the relationship between meaning as it pertains to context. His work seeks to create dialog around institutionalized barriers while presenting a more overt conscious meaning. Stylistically, he references abstract expressionism, pop art, and Afrocentrism.

His work has been seen in Miami Art Basel, Chicago galleries, the DuSable Museum, private collections and highlighted on NBC’s “Making a Difference”. He is a philanthropist, author of four children’s books, runs mentoring in a juvenile detention center, holds two patents, does multiple charitable projects, and is a full-time Artist, focused on art activism.

Learn more about Maxwell Emcays

About the Project

The City of Raleigh is replacing and relocating Fire Station 3 from South East Street. This station serves eastern and Downtown Raleigh. The new facility will be on a 1.74-acre site on Rock Quarry Road, a major throughfare between Downtown and the Beltline. Adjacent to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Gardens, the new location is next to the Correctional Institution for Women. A non-profit community health clinic, an elementary school, and the YMCA are also nearby.

The new station will be approximately 12,000 square feet, including two apparatus bays to house Engine 3 and a backup engine or ladder reserve.

Learn more about the Fire Station 3 replacement project

Timeline

DateActivity
Winter 2022Concept Designs
Spring 2023Final Designs
2024-2025Fabrication
Spring 2026Installation

Contact

 

Kelly McChesney
Public Art Director
kelly.mcchesney@raleighnc.gov

Department:
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Service Categories:
Raleigh Arts
Related Services:
Public Art

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