Public Art…
“A city with public art is a city that thinks and feels” (nnpaf.org) – The statement says a lot! When you walk down a city street or visit a city park and see a unique piece or artwork or sculpture on display what do you think? How does it make you feel? But more importantly, what if it hadn’t been there at all?
Again, from the NNPAF -- “The impact of public art on a community is priceless and immeasurable and once experienced it only appreciates. Public art has the power to energize our public spaces, arouse our thinking, and transform the places where we live, work, and play into more welcoming and beautiful environments that invite interaction. Public art can make strangers talk, children ask questions, and calm a hurried life. It enhances the quality of life by encouraging a heightened sense of place and by introducing people to works of art that can touch them and generations to come.”
Public art can take on the form of monuments, statues or sculpture, but certainly are not limited to these. I have seen benches shaped like musical instruments located in front of concert halls, and fountains and man made streams through busy urban areas. In this day an age we also have technology becoming art… In this video people visit a website, make their designs for the light show and then they are displayed for all to enjoy. Interactive Public Art what a great concept! (This is another Jon Rawlinson video – this is Vectorial Elevation in Vancouver for the Olympics)
I am a firm believer that municipalities and governments should encourage and perhaps in some cases even require that projects include a budget for public art. Think of your community and some of the things on display…now go out and enjoy them. Take a walk!
