XTCA: Cross Town Contemporary Art is an outdoor public art exhibition that seeks to reveal our interconnectedness as citizens and to highlight the gateway district between downtown Amherst and the University of Massachusetts. The University Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) has partnered with the UMass Architecture Department and the Town of Amherst to build an art and culture bridge — a series of public sculptures — to activate the North Pleasant Street corridor and connect downtown to campus. The exhibition features work by 13 nationally recognized artists, local artists and members of the academic community. The goal of this project is to generate a robust public dialogue about the value of art and culture in building community. Central to the goals of this exhibition is the full-day public symposium and exhibition route parade planned for Saturday Sept 22.