Thesis Research

Source: National Endowment for the Arts Web Site

http://www.nea.gov/resources/Lessons/PALLY.HTML

by Marc Pally

“The field of public art is a relatively young one with roots that can be traced back to the creation of percent-for-art programs. Public art, broadly defined, encompasses artwork placed in a public context—on the street, in a park, on the exterior of a building, within the common spaces of a public building and so on. The history of public art is enormous and includes commissioned art as well as art initiated by artists. Planning efforts for public art are, not surprisingly, almost exclusively directed toward official activities: government sponsored programs that either depend on mandated allocations (e.g. one-percent of capital improvement project budgets or private development projects), or that encourage voluntary participation through incentive programs or through the power of persuasion and mutual benefit.

The variety of circumstances that constitute the public art field is one of its strengths and presents administrators with challenges in developing appropriate administrative structures and funding strategies. There are precious few models that can be duplicated safely. The idea of site specificity, which is basic to public art, must be incorporated into the planning process itself. Points of view vary tremendously and must all be given a respectful hearing before a responsive and useful plan can be produced.”