Plainfield Art in Public Spaces Master Plan

WELCOME & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

WELCOME & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Town of Plainfield, a thriving community of over 36,000 residents located near the Indianapolis International Airport, has become a recognized hub for logistics, distribution, and e-commerce in Indiana. As the state’s largest town and one of its fastest-growing communities, Plainfield continues to enhance its economy while maintaining one of the lowest tax rates in the greater Indianapolis area. Our town is celebrated for its excellent schools, extensive trail system, and top-notch recreational facilities. Recently, we have diversified our amenities with a focus on arts and culture, exemplified by the opening of Hendricks Live!, a premier arts and entertainment venue.

As a progressive community, Plainfield is proud to adopt the “Art in Public Spaces Masterplan,” a significant initiative introduced in tandem with the new Performing and Fine Arts Center and the Thrive! Comprehensive Plan, established to help shape the future of Plainfield for the next few decades. This masterplan is a vital branch of the Thrive! Plan, reflecting our commitment to enhancing the cultural landscape, fostering creativity, and enriching the lives of our residents and visitors.

Public art has the power to transform spaces, provoke thought, and bring people together. Our masterplan provides a strategic guide to integrating art into public spaces, creating a dynamic environment that reflects Plainfield’s unique character. This initiative is about more than beautifying our surroundings; it’s about building pride and identity within our community. By investing in public art, we invest in the very soul of Plainfield.

As we implement the “Art in Public Spaces Masterplan,” we are confident that this vibrant program will enhance the quality of life for all and establish Plainfield as a cultural destination. The future is bright as we lead the way in delivering impactful public art for residents and visitors alike.

Sincerely,

Robin Brandgard, Town of Plainfield Town Council President

WELCOME & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PLAINFIELD TOWN COUNCIL

Ý Robin Brandgard, Town Council President

Ý Bill Kirchoff, Town Council Vice President

Ý Lance Angle

Ý Dan Bridget

Ý Gary Everling

PLAINFIELD TOWN MANAGER

Andrew Klinger

PLAINFIELD ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGERS

Ý Alan Geans, Assistant Town Manager of Community Services

Ý Nate Thorne, Assistant Town Manager of Administrative Services

TOWN OF PLAINFIELD STAFF WHO PARTICIPATED IN PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Ý Timothy Belcher, Executive Director of Development Services

Ý Scott Singleton, Director of Transportation

Ý Alyssa Woolard, Economic Development Director

Ý Kevin Whaley, Planning Director

Ý Eric Berg, Senior Planner

Ý Terry Jones, Zoning Compliance Inspector

Ý Stephanie Singh, Director of Communications and Marketing

Ý Kendra Myers, Community Engagement Manager

TOWN OF PLAINFIELD STAFF WHO PARTICIPATED IN PLAN DEVELOPMENT (CONT.)

Ý Penny Thomas, Community Events Coordinator

Ý Brent Bangel, former Director of Parks and Recreation

Ý Matthew Woolard, Assistant Director and General Manager of Parks and Recreation

Ý Jason Castetter, Executive Director of Public Works

COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Ý Anne Johansson, Executive Director of Main Street

Plainfield, Board President of Hendricks County Arts Council

Ý Chris Petrelli, Executive Director of Hendricks Live!

We would like to acknowledge and thank the nearly 500 community members who participated in our community outreach events and online surveys.

ART STRATEGIES CONSULTANT TEAM

Ý Mindy Taylor Ross, Principal in Charge

Ý Anne Surak, Curator and Project Manager

Ý Jordan Ryan of The History Concierge, Historic Context Report

Ý Hadley Fruits of Hadley Fruits Photography, Photography of Plainfield

Ý Casey Patrick of Punch Content, Editor

Ý Elyse Myers of Elyse Myers Design, Graphic Design

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Plainfield is a town built on Quaker beliefs and a well-defined set of community values. It is also one of the fastest growing towns in Indiana. Plainfield’s commitment to economic development is balanced by its leadership’s thoughtful planning—ensuring the town’s character remains intact and the community’s quality of life enhanced. The integration of art into public spaces is an important new economic development and quality-of-life initiative the town is working to formally adopt into its operations.

The following master plan for an Art in Public Spaces Program for the Town of Plainfield serves to provide context, vision, inspiration, and a path forward. The master plan was developed with input from key government staff, stakeholders, and hundreds of community outreach responses. It provides the town with a road map outlining a mission, a vision, and guiding principles, as well as short-term actions and longer-term objectives and strategies.

It is recommended the program and its administration live within the Department of Development Services and an Art in Public Spaces sub-committee be formed to work with the Plan Commission and as part of the Design Review Committee. Various funding streams have been identified with the added potential of formalizing regular public art funding through a “percent for art”-style ordinance reflective of Plainfield’s organizational structure and vision.

Plainfield has already established itself as a community willing to invest in arts and culture in Central Indiana. It will continue to set itself apart in the region by making a real and lasting commitment to integrating art in public space.

CONTEXT

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD CONTEXT

As part of Art Strategies’ process, a locally based public historian, Jordan Ryan of The History Concierge, was engaged to research and author a public context report about Plainfield. Ryan was asked to focus specifically on Plainfield’s history, land development, demographics, and people, and the theme of innovation. The purpose of this report was not only to inform Art Strategies about the history of the Town of Plainfield but also to provide the town with a document that could be given to artists invited to make future project proposals. Below are excerpts from Ryan’s report.

The area known now as Plainfield was once part of the Wea Indian tribe territory. The Wea are one of the six tribes comprising the Miami Nation of the Northwest Territory, sometimes historically referred to as the Miami Confederacy of Indians. A series of agreements or treaties with white settlers displaced these tribes from their ancestral homelands.

Early white explorers and settlers came from the Ohio River. Many were traders who traversed the Wabash River settlements, eventually establishing the trading town of Vincennes, which was settled in 1702. Additional waves of white traders continued to settle the area, as Native American tribes were continuously pushed out. In 1818, the Treaty of St. Mary’s displaced indigenous tribes from land south of the

Wabash River, including the land that would soon become Hendricks County. In 1819, Hendricks County was surveyed; the following year, Bartholomew Ramsey, Samuel Herriman, Harris Bray, John W. Bryant, James Dunn, George Dunn, and Ezekiel Moore established the county. The Indiana General Assembly organized the county on December 20, 1823, making it effective April 1, 1824. The county was named in honor of William Hendricks, the then Governor of Indiana.

Plainfield was soon established in Guilford Township, named after Guilford County, North Carolina, where many Quaker settlers had migrated from. Quakers, or Friends, migrated to Indiana from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, due to their objections to the institution of slavery. In 1822, settlers Jeremiah Hadley, Jonathan Hadley, and David Carter moved to the land just east of Plainfield.

Free persons of color, including people previously enslaved, and descendants of those enslaved or previously enslaved, migrated from the original colonies, particularly North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, to the Northwest Territories where slavery was outlawed in 1787. Sometimes, these families followed migration patterns of Quakers who were opposed to slavery and other free people of color may have traveled with Quakers to ensure their freedom.

In recent times, Plainfield has served as a hub for the Muslim community with the headquarters of the Islamic Society of North America.

Plainfield has been innovative in terms of transportation and bridge architecture. Perhaps the most obvious form of transportation innovation has come in the form of aviation and logistics. Plainfield’s future is most likely associated with the growth and success of the Indianapolis International Airport and affiliated industries. The increase in shipping and logistics associated with the airport has increased job opportunities in Hendricks County and Plainfield. It will be interesting to see how Plainfield’s community continues to grow due to the continued need to improve supply chains and logistics and the younger generations’ interest in living in places that focus on quality-of-life factors.

Read the full public context report here

CONTEXT

COMMUNITY VALUES

Below are twelve community values that are part of the culture of the Town of Plainfield.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Permitting equal participation and choice in employment and other areas regardless of race, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability if otherwise qualified.

HONESTY

Being truthful and honorable in relations with others.

RELIABILITY

Acting in a responsible, dependable, and trustworthy manner.

RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Taking actions that protect our natural resources.

INTEGRITY

Being of good character and behavior.

RESPECT FOR LAW & RULES

Taking responsibility to avoid violation of laws in a community.

JUSTICE

Acting honorably and fairly in accordance with recognized law, respecting authority, not stealing; and respecting the national flag, the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

TRUTH

Being factual and sincere.

DIGNITY/SELF-ESTEEM

Having a degree of self-respect that inspires respect for others.

RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

Accepting the consequences of one’s behavior.

RESPECT FOR OTHERS’ RIGHTS

Acknowledging the legal and moral privileges of others.

KINDNESS

Acting with goodwill and compassion.

WHY AN ART IN PUBLIC SPACES PROGRAM?

There are numerous benefits to including art in public space planning. Public art softens the built environment, humanizes development by bringing down scale, and injects creativity and inspiration into communal spaces. It presents an opportunity to create new landmarks that reflect the history of this place, celebrate the present, or look to the future. These opportunities will be unique to Plainfield as the town provides economic, cultural, and social value.

ECONOMIC VALUE

Public art will enhance the character and identity of the Town of Plainfield. Bespoke art projects bring cultural tourism to the area and positively impact economic development strategies by creating a unique sense of place.

CULTURAL VALUE

Creating art projects that reflect Plainfield’s values and unique sense of place enhances and reflects the area’s culture. Integrating art into public spaces increases everyone’s access to art and creativity every day.

SOCIAL VALUE

When communities increase everyday access to art and culture, people see themselves reflected in their public spaces. This strengthens residents’ sense of ownership of, respect for, and responsibility to their community.

COMMUNITY INPUT

The Art in Public Spaces Master Plan was developed in collaboration with Town of Plainfield staff and includes input from a variety of Plainfield stakeholders, public outreach events, and an online survey. The purpose of the interviews and outreach was to collect feedback and insights from citizens regarding their preferences for art in public spaces.

METHODOLOGY

Ý 8 hours of internal and external stakeholder introductory interviews

Ý 5 public engagement sessions yielding 390 responses

Ý 2-week online survey yielding 230 responses

Ý 91 high school students surveyed

STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS

At the beginning of the planning process, a variety of stakeholders were interviewed and asked questions about how art and culture exist in the town today, how those things play a role in community life, and how town government structure facilitates projects related to art and design.

PUBLIC OUTREACH SESSIONS

A series of public outreach sessions were held in conjunction with existing community events that incorporated interactive prompts and visuals. Participants were asked a series of questions during the sessions, hosted at Hendricks Live!, the Richard A. Carlucci Rec Center, Level 2 Coworking, Talon Stream Park, and Plainfield High School.

ONLINE SURVEY

A survey was distributed to the community through the Town of Plainfield’s website and its social media platforms. Participants were asked the same series of questions used in the public outreach sessions and were given the opportunity to provide further comments and feedback, if desired.

COMMUNITY INPUT

OUTREACH RESULTS

The cumulative results from the community outreach sessions and online survey results are summarized in the following pages and form the basis of the plan.

WHAT WORDS DESCRIBE PLAINFIELD AS A COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE REFLECTED IN PUBLIC ART?

WELCOMING COMMUNITY

NATURE FAMILY VIBRANT INSPIRING

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE PUBLIC ART IN PLAINFIELD?

PARKS AND TRAILS (404)

DOWNTOWN (230)

ROUNDABOUTS (185)

PUBLIC PLAZAS (131)

SCHOOLS (107)

MAJOR INTERSECTIONS (104)

STREETSCAPES (78)

GATEWAYS (57)

INSIDE PUBLIC BUILDINGS (48) IN NEIGHBORHOODS (46)

WHAT KIND OF ART DO YOU FIND MOST INTERESTING IN PUBLIC SPACES?

ARCHITECTURALLY SCALED WALL PAINTINGS IN PASSAGES LIGHT ART MONUMENTAL SCULPTURE FUNCTIONAL SPACE DESIGN ART IN LANDSCAPE ACTIVATE GATEWAYS

COMMUNITY INPUT

KEY OUTCOMES

Ý Community members were overwhelmingly positive and in support of the addition of art in public spaces around the Town of Plainfield—especially in parks and along trails, in downtown, in roundabouts and public plazas, and near schools.

Ý There is a desire for contemporary art to elevate public space and modernize the town while still maintaining a sense of character that is uniquely Plainfield.

Ý Citizens are proud of their parks and trails system, and would like to see artwork incorporated into the natural landscapes around the community. They also suggest adding more natural elements and hardscapes to public spaces and infrastructure.

Ý Young people would like to see more art in and around their schools.

Ý There is general interest in creating opportunities for local and regional artists to exhibit their work in Plainfield.

FOUNDATION

ART IN PUBLIC SPACE: A SERIES OF SHARED DEFINITIONS

To create an Art in Public Spaces Program that builds from the past and welcomes the future, the Town of Plainfield must develop a series of shared definitions, mission, vision, and guiding principles that form a foundation against which all decisions will be measured and made.

Town leadership should agree upon, adopt, and publish definitions about art and public space. This provides clarity and alignment between the Town of Plainfield and its citizens. For the purposes of this type of program, the following are recommended:

ART

OR ARTWORK:

Art is the product of a diverse range of human creative expressions authored by a person who identifies as an artist. While often art in this context is a visual expression (e.g., painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, etc.), other artistic disciplines and senses may be involved. Music, dance, theater, and other performative artists and activities as well as projects that involve sound, scent, taste, etc., may be a result.

Typically, successful artworks demonstrate some or all of the following: technical proficiency, conceptual underpinnings (ideas that drive the resulting work), beauty, and/or emotional power.

Art is created by an artist as part of their professional practice either alone, such as in a studio, or in collaboration with

other art and design professionals. While art is also made in collaboration with a client who may define some artwork or project parameters, art is not “work for hire” produced at the specific direction of a client.

ARTIST:

An artist is a person who creates art (as defined above). An artist is trained in and/or actively practices the creation of art such as, but not limited to, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance (dance, theater, music), creative writing, and/or filmmaking.

PUBLIC SPACE:

Public space is a place that is open, accessible, and visible to the general public. An interior public site should be accessible to the general public during normal building operating hours without the need to obtain a special permit, pass, or ticket. Exterior public space should be publicly accessible 24 hours a day, or if in a park or other managed setting, during the normal operating hours of that site.

A public space does not have to be publicly owned or funded. Examples may be an exterior wall of a privately owned building that is public facing, or an exterior plaza or greenspace within a large private development that is open to the public.

PUBLIC ART OR ART IN PUBLIC SPACE:

Public art or art in public space is defined as “art” that is exhibited or installed in a “public space” (see definitions above).

Public art or art in public space does not necessarily mean that the art is located in a publicly owned space. Rather, the art must be public facing and accessible to the public per the above public space definition. It also does not necessarily mean that the art is publicly funded using taxpayer dollars. Private developers and private property owners frequently fund their own public art for a number of reasons, such as the following:

Ý Public art is good for business.

Ý It provides a new landmark and unique sense of identity to a place.

Ý It fulfills obligations under ordinances or development agreements to provide a quality-of-life amenity for the town to mitigate growth.

TEMPORARY ART IN PUBLIC SPACE:

Temporary art in public space refers to a public art project that remains in situ for a period not to exceed two years.

PERMANENT ART IN PUBLIC SPACE:

The term “permanent,” when referring to art and the built environment, has shifted in contemporary times. Because

the built environment is constantly changing and evolving in municipalities, and materials and methods are often no longer meant to last 100 years or more, “permanent” art projects should only last as long as the Town of Plainfield deems the following:

Ý The work is able to be well maintained;

Ý It is structurally sound and safe;

Ý The project still works within the town’s development plans;

Ý And most importantly, it still has artistic and cultural value to a representative portion of the community.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY DESIGN TEAM:

A multidisciplinary design team consists of the professionals necessary to ensure that the infrastructure, architecture, landscape, and art in any public art project are integrated into one comprehensive, site-specific solution.

Successful public art projects occur when curators and artists are part of larger multidisciplinary design teams. These teams can include architects, landscape architects, engineers, lighting designers, curators, artists, and other creative professionals. The multidisciplinary design team should be brought together at the conceptual design phase and retained through completion to help the Town of Plainfield plan, design, and ultimately implement holistically designed public spaces.

FOUNDATION

MISSION, VISION & GUIDING PRINCIPLES

MISSION

The mission of the Art in Public Spaces Program is to administer a fair and equitable process for the residents, business owners, and developers in the Town of Plainfield to engage in the production of art in public spaces that enhances the quality of life in our growing community.

VISION

To create a community where art in public spaces is not the exception, but rather the expectation, enriching the quality of life of residents and visitors by providing access to art every day.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

MAKE ART ACCESSIBLE

Art should be available to everyone, but unfortunately, not everyone has access to it. Art in public spaces reaches all walks of life. It removes the traditional boundaries set by galleries and museums, giving a new dimension to experiencing contemporary art in a community.

BUILD COMMUNITY

Art in public spaces promotes positive interactions at a human scale. It starts a conversation and brings people together. When you give people access to art, you provide them the opportunity to decide what’s important, what they like, and what they are challenged by. Art in public

space allows citizens to consistently examine and/or evolve who they are.

TELL A STORY THAT IS UNIQUELY PLAINFIELD

Historically founded as a Quaker settlement, Plainfield is a community of values and vision. Building on the Quaker religion’s four main tenets—simplicity, truth, equality, and community—Plainfield’s 12 Community Values describe a town with a clear sense of self and a strong desire to maintain its unique character amongst other communities of its size in the region.

BE BOLD AND INSPIRING

Public art can inspire and connect architecture, public spaces, and whole communities through site-specific projects that contribute to the cultural themes and/ or aesthetics of any location. Use these spaces as opportunities to celebrate Plainfield’s vision for itself while contributing meaningfully to its established levels of excellence.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Art and design need room to breathe. Focus on key areas that could use a new landmark or enhancement rather than places where there may already be many of them. Continue to reinforce Plainfield’s moniker of being “a place of places” by focusing on investment versus creating visual clutter in the community.

INSPIRATION

PUBLIC ART TYPOLOGIES AND EXAMPLE PROJECTS FROM OTHER CITIES

The Plainfield Art in Public Spaces Master Plan is meant to be inspirational, aspirational, and directional. To further the foundational understanding of art in public space, this chapter provides a list of types of art one might find integrated into public space followed by example art projects from other cities. (Budgets were provided when they were available.)

Plainfield leadership should consider how art can be thoughtfully integrated into public spaces to support the goals of this plan, the town’s various master plans, and, more specifically, the Thrive Plainfield character-based land use plan by providing visual cues and connectivity to community assets and spaces.

INSPIRATION

PUBLIC ART TYPOLOGIES

SCULPTURE

Sculpture is typically what people think of when they talk about art in public spaces. Scaled to create a transition between architecture and pedestrian, three-dimensional artworks can be used as focal points in civic space, to commemorate and celebrate community history, or to create contemporary, culturally defining experiences as the town continues to grow. Sculptures can take on many shapes and sizes and are easily integrated into highly visible shared spaces such as parks, trail nodes, downtown plazas, and gateways. Sculptures present best when integrated into a holistic site design that takes into consideration urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, and lighting.

WALL PAINTINGS OR MURALS

Another type of art commonly incorporated in public space is the wall painting, or mural. In addition to more permanent works of art, wall paintings can be a relatively low cost, temporary solution for a variety of locations including alleyways, underpasses, and small pieces of infrastructure. Initiating a program for wall paintings in public space is an excellent way to engage local artists, students, and other community organizations in a way that builds capacity and community pride.

INSPIRATION

PUBLIC ART TYPOLOGIES

FUNCTIONAL ART

Public infrastructure can also apply artistic solutions to things such as bike racks, benches and other seating, swings, and gates when these functional items are created by artists as distinct elements or limited editions. This is an opportunity to integrate unique-to-Plainfield design solutions for gathering spaces, transit stops, gateways, and trails.

LIGHT INSTALLATIONS

Artists of our time use light as a medium to transform the built environment with little physical impact. Light installations can be used in interesting ways on building facades, alleyways, and bridges. Light art can be especially impactful as part of larger design team infrastructure projects.

MULTIMEDIA ART

Incorporating various art forms such as video, light, projection, wall painting, and more, multimedia installations combine materials and approaches to create experiences that are often immersive and impressive. Many projects are temporary, or situational (e.g., on display at certain times of day), and can be used to create an exciting artistic experience.

SITE-RESPONSIVE/SPECIFIC ART

The most successful public art is often site responsive. This means that the artist and curator have worked together to conceptualize and build a project in reaction to a specific place (e.g., town) and in response to a specific space (e.g., a particular park or plaza). The project’s conceptual and physical manifestation are determined in relation to the environment in which it is displayed, and the art’s meaning is informed by and enhances the context of where it is placed. Site-responsive art can help tell a story about a location, be a symbolic gesture, or simply beautify a space.

TEMPORARY ART

Temporary art is used as a way to introduce the public to art and activate space in a nonpermanent way. Although it is short-lived, it can have a lasting impact on a community through memory, and spur cultural tourism by inviting visitors to revisit a space or place over time. The installation of temporary art can be used seasonally in parks as well as in unexpected places such as alleyways and empty storefronts. It can be used to raise public awareness and bring new civic energy and cultural tourism to a community.

INTERACTIVE ART

Interactive art centers around visitor engagement, and the medium produces the meaning. These types of artworks are compelling, inviting viewers to participate in some way. Because the art requires action, it is often memorable and engaging to broad audiences of all ages.

INSPIRATION SITE TYPOLOGIES

Based on stakeholder and community engagement input, it was determined that three general site—or location— typologies are the preferred places for the integration of art in Plainfield:

PARKS AND TRAILS

DOWNTOWN PUBLIC SPACES (INSIDE AND OUTSIDE)

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS ROUNDABOUTS, STREETSCAPES, AND GATEWAYS

These typologies are listed on the following pages with example projects from other municipalities.

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

PARKS AND TRAILS: EXAMPLE PROJECTS

MUSICAL SWINGS BY DAILY TOUS LES JOURS

Client: Touring Kit

Location: Green Mountain Falls, CO, United States

Completion date: 2014

Artwork budget: $312,776

This traveling installation offers a fresh look at the idea of cooperation, the notion that we can achieve more together than separately. 21 Balançoires (21 Swings) is a musical installation from which certain melodies emerge only through cooperation among players, thus stimulating a sense of community and ownership of space.

In other communities, installations of Musical Swings have stimulated people’s instinct to play. Those instincts interrupt the learned behaviors that create distance among individuals, and between people and their urban environment. Ultimately, the project stimulates ownership of the public space, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds, and creating a place for playing and hanging out in public.

The project offers a new experience in collective music-making. Since 2011, the original Musical Swings installation has attracted millions of fans to the Quartier des Spectacles area in Montréal, where every day each swing has swung an average of 8,500 times. Note that a permanent iteration of this project was installed in Lawrence, IN, in 2021.

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

PARKS AND TRAILS: EXAMPLE PROJECTS

Patrick Dougherty, a North Carolinabased artist, is known for creating whirling architectural sculptures from locally harvested saplings. Dougherty and a team of more than 200 Pease Park Conservancy volunteers constructed this site-specific installation using Baccharis neglecta (Roosevelt weed) and Ligustrum, an invasive species, gathered in and around Austin. The sculpture consists of five repeated corner shapes that can be explored through the maze-like passageways they create, and the multiple viewpoints from their many entrances and windows. The installation was on view for several years before being dismantled.

Pease Park Conservancy’s Art Committee sought to commission an artwork that would reflect its core values of conservancy and respect for nature, recreation, and enjoyment of the outdoors. They wanted this sculpture to feel like an extension of their mission and be fully integrated into the landscape of the park. The goal was for Yippie Ki Yay to surprise regular park goers who came upon it and serve as a destination for new park visitors.

Client: Pease Park Conservancy

Location: Austin, TX, United States

Completion date: 2018

Artwork budget: Unknown

YIPPIE KI YAY BY PATRICK DOUGHERTY

WHEELHOUSE BY MARC

REIGELMAN

Client: Arlington County Public Art

Location: Arlington, VA, United States

Completion date: 2022

Artwork budget: $200,000

Jennie Dean Park is home to Wheelhouse, a site-specific work of permanent public art that also functions as a pavilion. Inspired by the mill that stood at this site in the 1700s and the park’s rich recreational history, the artwork references the structural anatomy of the region’s historical mills while also playing on baseball terminology.

Arlington is home to more than 70 permanent public art projects. The city’s commitment to public art goes back to 1979 with the commission of Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park in Rosslyn, VA.

In addition, Arlington Public Art has hosted more than 40 temporary public art installations since 1987 and continues to partner with local arts organizations, artists, and community organizations to present interpretative projects, exhibitions, and more. Arlington Public Art is a program of Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development, which delivers public activities and programs as Arlington Arts.

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

PARKS AND TRAILS: EXAMPLE

PROJECTS

Aqueous is a sequence of interactive LED platforms that form trails of light. During the day, the sculpture shifts in color and reflection, mirroring the sky. At night, Aqueous glows in full illuminated interactivity, engaging groups in an everchanging landscape. Aqueous was designed and fabricated in 2017 at Jen Lewin’s studio in Brooklyn, NY, and is part of her Have Art, Will Travel program. The project travels and can be installed in one to three days in any environment and on any reasonably flat surface. Each installation and layout of Aqueous is unique and designed by Lewin to work fluidly within a site.

Client: Various (traveling installation)

Location: New York, NY, United States

Completion date: 2017

Artwork budget: $700,000

AQUEOUS BY JEN LEWIN

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

DOWNTOWN: EXAMPLE PROJECTS

OPEN PRAIRIE BY BALL-NOGUES STUDIO

Client: Johnson County Courthouse (Johnson County)

Location: Olathe, KS, United States

Completion date: 2020

Artwork budget: $500,000

The natural environment has historically been a source of inspiration for artists. Landscape paintings by American Regionalists served as the point of departure for this installation. During the design process, the artist mapped a composition of colors from an imaginary Kansas prairie onto more than 20,000 segments of painted stainless steel ball-chain, each segment unique in length and position. To accommodate such intricacy, Ball-Nogues Studio worked with a computer-controlled machine to aid in the meticulous process of cutting the chain into segments and linking them in precise order.

The work reflects the desire to reshape architectural space with minimal use of material, interacting with space and light to create visually striking, dynamic effects. In chemistry, a suspension is a heterogeneous fluid or gas with solid particles more or less evenly distributed. While the space of the vestibule is interspersed with metallic chains, one’s comprehension of the work is also constructed from the negative space between the chains; the visitor’s view extends through the chains to the ceiling above and the surroundings. In this way, the courthouse and its landscape become integral aspects of the work.

The Johnson County 1% for Public Art Program raises the arts and cultural profile of the county and region. The program demonstrates the county’s commitment to enhancing quality of life for its residents, and strives to make the county culturally rich and engaging. Public art is included in all major capital building projects undertaken and funded by the county. The pieces of public artwork commissioned through the program are integral to settings. Such works sharpen the dynamic profile of the county, its facilities, and its services.

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

DOWNTOWN: EXAMPLE PROJECTS

Developed for Marian University, Resplendence is layered with concepts directly influenced by the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The work is intended to have a level of abstraction that allows people from many different backgrounds to overlay their own meaning. However, several specific ideas embedded in the design of the piece relay the narrative of Franciscan values embodied by Marian University.

The simple, natural, warm characteristics of wood universally connect with people on an innate level. This unpretentious material supports the main concept that serving, connecting, and educating others through God’s word connects us to him. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. In visual contrast to the wood, the artist selected brass as a representation of spirituality. Wood and brass are paired together to form each component of the project, one on either side. This highlights the idea that externally we can live simply and humbly while internally being rich with the Spirit.

Light emanates from inside the sculpture, accentuating the brass tones during the day and creating a warm lantern at night. While not flashy or extravagant, the light is essential to emphasize the duality of the project, much in the same way that our internal flames highlight our own qualities.

RESPLENDENCE BY PROJECT ONE STUDIO

Client: Marian University

Location: Indianapolis, IN, United States

Completion date: 2023

Artwork budget: $120,000

PRIMARY COMPASS BY DON GUMMER

Client: Butler Institute of American Art

Location: Youngstown, OH, United States

Completion date: 2000

Artwork budget: Unknown

Don Gummer was born in Louisville, KY, in 1946 and grew up in the Plainfield, IN, area because his father was an air traffic controller at Indianapolis International Airport. He attended the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University before leaving to earn his BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and an MFA from Yale University’s School of Fine Arts.

Using balance, proportion, and his unique sense of harmony, Gummer makes durable materials seem buoyant and lyrical. Negative space becomes an intrinsic element in his work, imparting a sense that his exquisite, seemingly permanent forms are ultimately as fleeting as any of nature’s creations.

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

DOWNTOWN: EXAMPLE PROJECTS

Stretching across the expansive north wall of the Dunwoody MARTA Station, the Flora Chroma mural spans approximately 2,500 square feet. It was executed with acrylic latex paint by a team of two artists over the course of three weeks and features Georgia’s state flowers. The Cherokee rose and azalea are rendered in bold, bright hues to accentuate their natural beauty. The mural aims to transport viewers to a world of vibrant color and natural wonder, reminding us of the beauty that surrounds us. Additionally, with augmented reality technology, the piece provides an opportunity for interactive experiences.

The mural was funded jointly by the Metropolitan Atlanta Transit Authority (MARTA), Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (PCIDs), the Dunwoody Development Authority, and the City of Dunwoody, with the artist selection process supported by Atlanta arts organization Living Walls. MARTA’s Art in Transit Program (MARTA Artbound) engages the community, MARTA patrons, and artists to provide a distinctive sense of place that enhances the surrounding area and reflects MARTA’s values. The artworks commissioned are site-specific, new artworks designed expressly for the Dunwoody Development Authority. MARTA allocates 1% of its annual capital budget to eligible art expenditures.

FLORA CHROMA BY DAAS

Client: Perimeter Connects, City of Dunwoody, Dunwoody Development Authority, MARTA Artbound, Dunwoody Art Commission, Living Walls Atlanta

Location: Dunwoody, GA, United States

Completion date: 2024

Artwork budget: Unknown

OLALEKAN JEYIFOUS

Client: Museum and Cultural Affairs Division (MCAD), City of El Paso

Location: El Paso, TX, United States

Completion date: 2021

Artwork budget: $150,000

Desert in Bloom is a colorful, vibrant mural that adorns the entrance pavilion of the new Oasis Water Park in El Paso, TX. Artist Olalekan Jeyifous was inspired by the unique elements of the local landscape, including native plants, geological formations, and pictographs at the Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site located only a few miles away. The mural was created from source material that includes the artist’s own photographs of the El Paso landscape, creating bold, playful illustrations that encompass the finished artwork. The mural is made of powder-coated, laser-cut panels for a finished piece that is 103 feet wide by 24 feet tall.

The artwork is intended to enhance visitors’ experience as they enter the Oasis Water Park ready for a day of fun and relaxation. Desert in Bloom gives voice to El Paso’s creative spirit and contributes to its natural landscape and evolution as a dynamic urban place.

The Public Art Program for the City of El Paso was adopted by its city council in 2006 to integrate public artworks throughout the city. A public art ordinance sets aside 2% of every capital improvement project budget for the acquisition of art for municipal property. Since its inception, the Public Art Program has strived to offer its local communities and neighborhoods insight, repose, delight, and a distinctive sense of place.

DESERT IN BLOOM BY

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE : EXAMPLE PROJECTS

Life-Blood is the first of several public art installations being created for the Aurora Highlands development in Aurora, CO. The Aurora Highlands is a planned community located five minutes from the Denver International Airport. The 28-foot sculpture was designed for the gateway roundabout to the community.

The client was looking for a large modern art piece that would make a statement as you enter the community. The artwork design does just that. The piece has a presence from a distance, and the movement of the composition creates interesting views from all angles, which is important for roundabout installations.

LIFE-BLOOD BY HUNTER BROWN

Client: The Aurora Highlands

Location: Aurora, CO, United States

Completion date: 2022

Artwork budget: Unknown

GORDON HUETHER

Client: The City of Albuquerque

Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States

Completion date: 2003

Artwork budget: $200,000

Standing 22 feet tall, Aluminum Yucca by Gordon Huether was made from aluminum salvaged from military aircraft fuel tanks. The hollow forms were sliced vertically to resemble the scooped leaf shape of the datil yucca plant, which is native to the area. At night, the sculpture is illuminated by a slowmoving, solar-powered color wheel that recreates the hues of the Albuquerque desert landscape.

The artist was commissioned to create a relevant, sitespecific public art piece, a sculpture that is meant to be seen and experienced by travelers on Interstate 40 and Route 66. Funded with grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the state of New Mexico, and the City of Albuquerque’s One Percent for Art Program, Aluminum Yucca truly activates the space, builds a strong local connection, and raises awareness of the unique landscape of the area. The exaggerated scale celebrates the romance and nostalgia of Western road culture in the 20th century—evident all along Route 66 in wigwam-shaped hotels, 5-foot-tall Mexican sombreros and giant cowboy boots. It is located on I-40 in Tijeras Canyon, Route 66 gateway to Albuquerque.

The City of Albuquerque’s Public Art Program, one of the oldest in the country, began in 1978 with the passage of a “percent for art” ordinance. This bold initiative set aside 1% of city construction funds derived from the general obligation bond program and certain revenue bonds for the purchase or commission of works of art.

ALUMINUM YUCCA BY

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE : EXAMPLE PROJECTS

This quirky, positive-messaging project from artist Jamie Pawlus (Indianapolis, IN) consists of eight lighted pieces. They arrived—along with new bike lanes and improvements—on South Broadway between Fifth and Bayaud avenues in Denver. A ribbon-cutting and community bike ride took place on April 6, 2024, to celebrate the signs, which are designed to blend into the urban environment with multicolored fauxstreet-sign messages such as “Happiness” and “You’re a Shining Star.” There are also interactive touches, such as a bench that reads “Somebody” or “Nobody”—depending on whether it’s occupied.

Denver Arts and Venues, a city agency, has invested an estimated $40 million into its public art collection since 1988. It is spurred on by a rule requiring 1% of every municipal capital improvement project over $1 million to be set aside for a public art commission.

SIGNS OF LIFE BY JAMIE PAWLUS

Client: Denver Arts and Venues

Location: Denver, CO, United States

Completion date: 2024

Artwork budget: Unknown

CIRCLES UNITY BY ERWIN RED

Client: City of Tampa

Location: Tampa, FL, United States

Completion date: 2021

Artwork budget: $397,000

This project was commissioned for Lights on Tampa by the City of Tampa and funded in part by a grant award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Serving as a gateway into downtown from South Tampa, Circles Unity is a series of custom LED rings programmed together as a synchronized ensemble. The gradual transition of the program illuminates the tunnel walls through unique color sequences. The title designates the artwork as a celebration of civic engagement and societal tolerance.

The Tampa Art Programs Division was established in 1985 as the Public Art Program through a “percent for art” ordinance, with a mission to promote the involvement of artists in projects throughout the city, to enhance the physical environment, and to celebrate Tampa’s unique character and identity. The Art Programs Division oversees four programs: the Public Art Program, Public Art in Private Development, Partnerships, and Education & Outreach.

Lights On Tampa is a public/private partnership between the City of Tampa’s Art Programs Division and Friends of Tampa Public Art, a 501(c)(3) organization. The program began in 2006 with the desire to bring something bold, of high quality, and “of the moment” to Tampa. In 2010, the program was recognized by Americans for the Arts as one of the 50 most significant art programs in the U.S. in the last 50 years.

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE : EXAMPLE PROJECTS

BLOOMINGTON GATEWAY PROJECT BY RUNDELL ERNSTBERGER ASSOCIATES

Client: City of Bloomington

Location: Bloomington, IN, United States

Completion: Ongoing development since 2018

Budget/Contracts: See explanation below

Rundell Ernstberger Associates (REA) received $133,925 for gateway research and design via two different contracts: the first for conceptual design work for four proposed possible gateway areas (awarded at the Board of Park Commissioners meeting on July 23, 2019), and another for a scaled-back design for two potential gateway projects at Miller-Showers Park and the Arlington pedestrian bridge (awarded at the Board of Park Commissioners meeting on May 24, 2022). A contract for $395,105 was awarded to BoMar for the fabrication of the gateway itself at the Board of Park Commissioners meeting on May 26, 2023. Contractor Reed and Sons was awarded a competitive bid contract for $575,000 for the site improvement work at the Board of Park Commissioners meeting on July 27, 2023

Please note, the commissioned solution does not include integrated public art. Art was proposed by REA but seems to have been value engineered out of the project. However, it is included because it is a good example of a large-scale design

team project that should engage an artist on the team and have art as part of the holistic solution.

The Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC), in collaboration with Bloomington Parks and Recreation, will solicit design proposals and select a final art installation concept. Cost for design, fabrication, and installation of the artwork will be paid with Bicentennial Bond funds that were approved by the Bloomington Common Council in October 2018. Specific budgets, dimensions, and timelines for the public art will be announced by the BAC in a future call for proposals.

Bloomington’s 1% for the arts ordinance requires that at least 1% of the construction budget for certain capital projects be allocated to public art. The ordinance was adopted in 1994, making Bloomington the first city in Indiana to pass such a law. Since 2016, the city has invested over $635,000 in public art through the ordinance.

INSPIRATION: SITE TYPOLOGIES

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE: EXAMPLE PROJECTS

This project was commissioned by Denver Public Art for the new 39th Avenue Greenway, a linear park created over a massive stormwater management complex.

Eastgate spans 39th Avenue and an adjacent bike path, and is an extruded ribbon-like structure that loops on itself, creating an organic truss-like structure. Materially, the rich patina of the Corten steel ties the work to the industrial and rail history of its location. Eastgate provides both a literal and metaphorical portal, an invitation to playful exchange, discovery, and inquiry.

EASTGATE BY DEWITT GODFREY

Client: Denver Public Art, Denver Arts and Venues

Location: Denver, CO, United States

Completion date: 2021

Artwork budget: $200,000

OPERATIONAL PLAN

A well-functioning Art in Public Space program should be governed by a set of thoughtful policies and procedures that provide a transparent, consistent, fair process in which people can engage. Such a program requires oversight and administration by town staff and qualified art professionals (on staff or hired consultants). Collaboration is an important part of Plainfield’s culture; the program should embrace this in its governance and administration.

An appreciation of diversity has been part of Plainfield since the Quakers arrived in the early 1800s, and it should be carried into the governance and administration of the program. The program’s leadership should be mindful that selected committee members, artists, and artworks reflect the spectrum of people who live, work, and play in Plainfield. The art program should be curated prioritizing diversity not only in gender, race, nationality, and other personal identifiers, but also in artistic style, discipline, and materiality. By presenting more lenses, perspectives, and art approaches, there are more points of entry for the spectrum of audience the town serves.

OPERATIONAL PLAN GOVERNANCE

An Art in Public Spaces sub-committee should be formed by the town government and administered by the Department of Development Services. The administrator and sub-committee will develop and enforce policies and oversee procedures in conjunction with the planning staff, Plan Commission, and the Design Review Committee.

The sub-committee should be composed of three to five members who have applicable knowledge or skills for serving on such a committee. Applicable knowledge may include education and/or professional experience in art, arts administration, arts education, architecture, landscape architecture, graphic design or visual communication, urban planning, engineering, project management, fabrication, or other related creative fields. The committee should include one or more practicing, professional artists who will not be competing for art in public space projects. The committee’s members should reflect the ethnic, racial, gender, and socioeconomic diversity of Plainfield.

The development of the sub-committee is an opportunity to bring new voices to the leadership table in Plainfield. When putting together the sub-committee, consider creative professionals who want to make a difference in the community and are positioned to do so. Town officials should consult with

partner art and design organizations such as the Hendricks County Arts Council, Hendricks LIVE!, and Main Street Plainfield when seeking to connect with possible sub-committee members. Importantly, before nominating a person, it is critical to know if they have relevant qualifications and whether they will have recurring conflicts of interest that will routinely disqualify them from participating.

The Program Administrator in the Department of Development Services and the sub-committee should proactively reach out and seek review by and coordination with any other relevant government staff such as those in Parks and Recreation, the Department of Public Works, and Communications. The subcommittee should seek to work cross-departmentally and in conjunction with the Town of Plainfield’s Plan Commission and Design Review Committee to avoid project conflicts and ensure qualified professionals have considered proposals from all angles.

The Director of Communications should be coordinated with early and often. The town’s Community Outreach Staff and Communications Plan needs to include outreach efforts and announcements about art opportunities, proposed art projects, and final art installations so the community feels and is well informed and engaged.

OPERATIONAL PLAN

ADMINISTRATION

The administration of the Art in Public Spaces Program and management of its sub-committee members should be housed within Development Services to ensure coordination with existing design review and economic development processes. In the short-term, it is recommended that Plainfield assign the Art in Public Spaces Program administration to an existing staff person as a part-time position, and hire qualified art consultants to add administrative capacity as well as project curation and management services. As the program grows, it may be necessary to hire a qualified full-time staff person into Development Services to serve as the Director of the Art in Public Spaces Program.

OPERATIONAL PLAN

FUNDING

There are many ways to fund art in public spaces in Plainfield. While “percent for art” ordinances tend to provide the most stable solution demonstrating the municipality’s long-term commitment to art in public space, other funding streams may be used to seed projects.

OPTIONS:

1. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCREMENT TAX FUNDING (EDIT) OR TAX INCREMENT FINANCE (TIF): These economic development strategies may be a good shortterm solution for integrating and funding inaugural art in public space projects. Longer term, these funding mechanisms could be used to seed art projects within capital improvements and new private developments to ensure they happen to the level that meets the town’s mission and vision.

2. GRANT FUNDING: Plainfield can partner with an existing notfor-profit partner such as the Hendricks County Arts Council or establish its own 501(c)(3) to write grant proposals to support specific art projects. The town is already going after READI funds from the state, which includes funding from the Lilly Endowment for arts and culture projects. A partnership or establishment of a foundation would allow the town to accept donations and seek support from individuals, local businesses, and corporations as well as provide the ability

to go after philanthropic funding from foundations such as Lilly Endowment, Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Glick Foundation, Joyce Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and others.

3. “PERCENT FOR ART” ORDINANCES: Since the 1950s, municipalities in the U.S. have adopted “percent for art” ordinances to fund and integrate art in the built environment as part of the “public benefits” it provides citizens. Like parks, trails, benches, pools, and other amenities, art in public spaces has a quality-of-life benefit for the public. It provides residents and visitors with access to art, culture, and a sense of place every day. “Percent for art” ordinances can be written to apply to municipal projects as well as private development. Private development ordinances are often referred to as Public Art in Private Development ordinances.

Ý Traditional “Percent for Art” Ordinance: A traditional “percent for art” ordinance requires an amount equal to 1%-2% of a capital improvement budget be set aside to either integrate art into that improvement—such as a new public building, roundabout, or park,—or put into an Art in Public Spaces Fund. Monies in the fund can be used to support future projects, maintenance of existing projects, and/or operations.

“PERCENT FOR ART” ORDINANCES (CONT.)

Ý Public Art in Private Development Ordinance: This type of ordinance requires developers to work through a process with the town to integrate art into their developments. This is a way to mitigate and humanize growth. These ordinances can be written and funded in different manners. For example, like the traditional “percent for art” ordinance, the public art requirement can call for a percentage of the total project budget to be included as a line item for art in public space(s) in the development. The requirement can also be calculated as a percentage of any municipal incentive dollars received by the developer for the project.

RECOMMENDATION:

SET PLAINFIELD APART

Neither the state of Indiana nor any of the municipalities in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area—including the City of Indianapolis—has a traditional “percent for art” ordinance tied to government capital improvements.

The Indianapolis ordinance requires that an amount equal to one percentage point of any TIF funding be given to a developer to be used either for the integration of art into the development or to be deposited into the Public Art for Neighborhood Fund administered by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. (At this time, the ordinance is not fulfilling its intended goal, and there is advocacy around revising it.)

With the rate of growth in Plainfield, it is recommended the town government write and adopt both a “percent for art”

ordinance on municipal projects as well as a public art in private development ordinance. This is the most effective way to institutionalize art in public space as an expectation—not an exception or option. Employing these two ordinances will maximize the funding for and integration of art into the rapidly growing built environment. Both types of ordinances should require an art in public space budget line item equal to 1-2% of the total project budget. That line item must be used for the integration and maintenance of art at the project site, or be deposited into a municipal Art in Public Spaces Fund.

Both ordinances should include shared definitions, (see Foundation, page 17), and policies about processes (see Operational Plan, page 49). Policies about maintenance, gifts and loans, and deaccessioning (the removal of art) should be included as well. Examples of both traditional “percent for art” ordinances and public art in private development ordinances are provided in the Digital Toolkit, but many more can be found in the links below.

Plainfield should work with qualified ordinance writers to create forward-thinking art in public space ordinances ensuring they will have the desired impact, fulfill the town’s goals, and satisfy the Art in Public Spaces Program’s guiding principles.

RESOURCES FOR EXAMPLES ORDINANCES:

• In 2017, Americans for the Arts surveyed 728 public art programs in operation around the country. A document with their findings can be found here

• A database of state public art programs can be found through the National Assembly of State Art Agencies’ website here

• The Public Art in Private Development Database is here

OPERATIONAL PLAN

GENERAL PROCESS

The Art in Public Spaces Program can and should feed into and work in tandem with existing processes within town government. The integration of art into capital improvement and development projects should not be perceived as adding unnecessary bureaucracy or process.

ANNUAL ART IN PUBLIC SPACES WORK PLAN

During the annual planning and budgeting process, the Director of the Art in Public Spaces Program shall submit an Art in Public Spaces Action Plan that provides updates on projects underway and lays out new projects for the coming year (or years, when possible). The Annual Art in Public Spaces Work Plan should be updated and resubmitted annually.

For projects funded and underway, the work plan should report the following:

Ý Title of the larger capital improvement or development project

Ý Art budget

Ý Artist(s) selected

Ý Estimated schedule for completion

For projects to begin in the coming year(s), the plan should include:

Ý Title of the larger capital improvement or development project

Ý Art budget

Ý Funding source for the art budget

Ý Major stakeholders

Ý Possible location(s) for and typology of art

Ý Estimated timeline for initiation and completion

During development of the annual work plan, Art in Public Spaces staff should engage with relevant town government staff across departments and also with outside agencies, neighborhoods, funders, and other stakeholders involved in or impacted by the project. This will help create a well-informed plan, ensure stakeholders are not surprised by the release of the plan, and create an atmosphere of collaboration and a shared sense of ownership around the integration of art. This process does not replace the selected artist’s discovery and stakeholder engagement process. Instead, it helps identify stakeholders to engage with the artist during the design, development, and implementation phases.

GENERAL PROCESS (CONT.)

ARTIST SELECTION

For each Art in Public Spaces project, a selection committee with an odd number of members should be assembled. Each committee should be composed of:

Ý One or more members of the Art in Public Spaces Committee

Ý Relevant town staff

Ý Stakeholders involved in the overarching project such as a representative from the developer, architecture firm, and engineering firm

Ý One or more neighborhood or adjacent community members

This selection committee should remain intact until project completion so members can provide updates and progress reports to their constituents. This helps ensure broader communication and a sense of ownership in the project. Additionally, the selection committee can assist in troubleshooting should challenges arise.

Once a project has been identified and the selection committee formed, town staff should develop a project prospectus to share with potential artists. The project prospectus should include the following:

Ý Contextual information about the site

Ý Description of the selection process

Ý Plans and/or renderings of the overarching project (a high-level sample)

Ý Physical parameters for the integration of art such as possible art location(s), size restrictions, weight bearing limits, etc. (if applicable)

Ý Budget

Ý Schedule

Ý Point of contact for artists

Artist selection processes are similar to other vendor selection processes used by municipalities.

1. REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ): Use the project prospectus to broadly release an RFQ with submission requirements. Leverage outlets such as social media, the town website, area arts councils, and other related outlets as the most transparent, equitable way to advertise for interested artists. This may result in a large pool of respondents, but not necessarily a pool of those most qualified or appropriate for the project. Further, RFQs require the most administration and committee work, and the longest timeline.

2.

REQUEST

FOR PROPOSALS (RFP): Use qualified Art in Public Spaces staff or art consultants to generate a short list of artists. The project prospectus would then be sent out with an RFP listing materials required in the submission and the proposal fee for a submission meeting all requirements. We do not advocate for broadly publicized RFPs because artists—like architects and other creative professionals—should be paid for their work even in the conceptual or schematic design phase. This type of RFP process requires less administration and committee work and leads to a shorter timeline. The process yields a cross section of proposals to be reviewed by the committee of stakeholders and professionals who then select the one that best fits the goals of the overarching project and town.

3. SINGLE SOURCE/DIRECT SELECTION: Much like they would curate an art exhibition, qualified staff or an art consultant can select and invite an already known, qualified artist to be part of a project team. This is the least open, transparent process. However, it is the most efficient when working on a tight timeline.

In learning about the Town of Plainfield, its proven reputation for getting things done, and its rapid growth, the RFP and Single Source/Direct Selection processes may be most appropriate, especially in the short term while the program is getting established.

ARTIST DATABASES

Many public art programs will create artist databases to assist them in their artist selection process. Fortunately, there are two local not-for-profits—the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Hendricks County Arts Council—that have or are developing artist databases. It is recommended that the Town of Plainfield partner with these organizations to announce the formation of the Plainfield Art in Public Spaces Program and encourage artists to submit their qualifications to these existing databases to be considered for future projects in Plainfield.

1. Arts Council of Indianapolis Artist Directory: https://indyarts.org/directory/

2. Hendricks County List of Artists and Arts Organizations: https://hendrickscountyarts.org/artists/

CONTRACTS

As with any vendor hired by the town, it is critical to establish appropriate contracts that clearly outline roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

Additional contracts should be generated for other types of art in public space projects such as temporary projects or exhibitions in public space, smaller installations, loans, and gifts.

OPERATIONAL PLAN

GENERAL PROCESS (CONT.)

Depending on the type of project, contracts typically need to address the following issues:

Ý Scope of work

Ý Budget

Ý Schedule

Ý Insurance requirements

Ý Coordination responsibilities

Ý Copyright

Ý Title/Ownership

Ý Maintenance

Ý Right to remove or relocate

Ý Inherent vice

Ý Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance and any other town compliance requirements

SIGNAGE

A design standard should be created for the Plainfield Art in Public Spaces Program. At the completion of a project, it is the program’s responsibility to ensure that a sign with a formal description of the artwork, as well as interpretive information, has been installed near the piece. The interpretive information should provide a few sentences about the artwork—its concept, why it was selected, its connection to the location as well as to the Town of Plainfield—and a few sentences about the artist.

Formal artwork descriptions are typically formatted as follows:

Artists Name (birth year and death year if applicable, and nationality)

Title, date of creation

Material(s)

Dimensions (height x width x depth)

Interpretive copy follows the above.

MAINTENANCE

Artworks, like parks, trails, and other civic infrastructure, require maintenance. The town can hire specialized local and regional vendors to care for the public art collection. One of the biggest regrets programs have is not writing ordinances that earmark and set aside funding for maintenance at the time of a project’s initiation. Therefore, creating an ordinance with a higher percentage allocated to art will allow the town to immediately set aside an amount (such as 10% of the art project budget) to maintain the art over time. Maintenance funds should be pooled in a maintenance endowment to ensure annual inspection, cleaning, and care of the Plainfield Art in Public Spaces collection.

THE PROGRAM COMES TO LIFE

OBJECTIVES & STRATEGIES FOR

EXAMPLE PROJECTS IN PLAINFIELD

With an Art in Public Spaces Program, the Town of Plainfield is equipped to build a place of places—parks, trails, and art. The following pages feature objectives and near-term (1-3 years) project strategies for implementation by the Town of Plainfield with the assistance of consultants. The strategies are designed to empower the Art in Public Spaces Program to fulfill its mission, vision, and guiding principles, and to generate excitement and inspiration for the future of art and life in Plainfield.

THE PROGRAM COMES TO LIFE

OBJECTIVE 1: ACTIVATE DOWNTOWN

Plainfield’s historic downtown is a central asset to the fast-growing community around it. Key investments are being made in the new government and performing arts center, housing and other mixed-use developments, and improvements on U.S. 40 (Main Street). Through these cultural placemaking efforts led by town officials, Main Street Plainfield, Hendricks Live!, and others, downtown Plainfield can become THE vibrant destination for art and culture on the west side of Central Indiana.

KEY: ART BUDGET SYMBOLS

Typically, the art budget is for the expenses related to hiring the artist and fabricating the art. All infrastructure costs and/or other design team costs are not included since they would be part of a larger design team project budget.

$ to $$ = $10,000 to $150,000 | $$ to $$$ = $150,001 to $500,000 | $$$ to $$$$ = $500,001 into the millions

ACTIVATE DOWNTOWN STRATEGY

1:

ENHANCE ALLEY

PLACEMAKING PROJECT

Location: Alley behind W. Main Street building between N. Center and N. Vine streets.

Timeline: Short-term - Year 1.

Art Budget: $$ to $$$, depending on scope

With the ongoing effort to make aesthetic and functional improvements to the alley, and given that the alley perpendicular to it already contains a mural, an immediate project could be realized on the south façade of the parking garage. This would mitigate the recurrence of graffiti on the structure, and buffer and beautify the facade of the garage as it looks over a larger multidisciplinary placemaking effort in the alley. The selected artist should meet and integrate their work with that of the designers working on the broader alley improvements.

For further impact, the alley improvements can carry over to the green space owned by the bank on the south side of Main Street. This space seems ripe to become an urban pocket park with additional landscape, some tactical urbanism (e.g., moveable tables, chairs, shade structures, games), and public art. Through a memorandum of understanding with the bank, perhaps the town and Main Street Plainfield can make this area more of an activated, connected community space that builds off of the food and beverage offerings at The Prewitt, improvements in the northern alley, and activity at Hendricks Live! and the civic center.

ACTIVATE DOWNTOWN STRATEGY 2:

PROGRAM PLAINFIELD

CIVIC

CENTER

Location: 206 W. Main St.

Timeline: Short-term - Year 1.

Art Budget: $ to $$

Last year, the Town of Plainfield government along with the Chamber of Commerce moved into a new civic center on Main Street in the heart of downtown. It is recommended that the Art in Public Spaces Program create an annual rotating display of art in the civic center. The project provides a venue and opportunity for artists whose work cannot be displayed outdoors.

The initiation of this project can be done in collaboration with the Hendricks County Arts Council and the Arts Council of Indianapolis as a way to promote and build up their artist directories. Art in Public Spaces Program staff, or consultants, can release a call for artists interested in having their work curated and displayed in the civic center. A requirement can be that eligible artists must submit a letter of interest to the program and have their information and images included in one or both artist directories. Staff can organize the submissions and form a selection committee. Artists would be selected for the next one to two years.

ACTIVATE DOWNTOWN STRATEGY 3:

AMPLIFY HENDRICKS LIVE!

Location: 200 W. Main St.

Timeline: Short- to mid-term - Year 1 or 2.

Art Budget: $$ to $$$

As the new performing arts center in Plainfield serving the entire western side of the metro area and beyond, Hendricks Live! is positioned as a preeminent hub for art and culture. The facility is working with the Hendricks County Arts Council to mount an annual juried fine art exhibition to be displayed in its public spaces in August and September. Building upon this programming, it is recommended that a permanent suspended art installation be commissioned for the main atrium. Additionally, the annual rotating art display for the civic center can be timed such that it would include the Hendricks Live! public spaces during the 10 months the juried exhibition is not on display.

THE PROGRAM COMES TO LIFE

OBJECTIVE 2: INTEGRATE ART IN PARKS AND TRAILS

Parks and trails are community-defining amenities in the Town of Plainfield. Plainfield has the most developed and well-regarded trail system in Hendricks County and one of the best in Indiana, making the system a huge draw for residents and bolstering sports tourism. In the future, it can also play a part in cultural tourism. Through community engagement, we know that the parks and trails are a valued part of life for citizens and a priority location for the integration of art. Art in public space can enhance current and future investments being made in parks and trails and support connectivity goals in the town’s Trail and Sidewalk Master Plan.

ART IN PARKS AND TRAILS STRATEGY 1:

ACTIVATE ECHO HOLLOW NATURE PARK

Location: 7700 S. County Rd 975 E.

Timeline: Multiyear. Develop over time with the park.

Art Budget: $$$ to $$$$, depending on scope and phasing

The latest and most ambitious park project to date is the recently announced Echo Hollow Nature Park, an almost 2,000-acre nature preserve acquired by the town and undergoing master planning and redevelopment. Inspired by Crystal Bridges’ art trail program (Bentonville, AR), regional outdoor sculpture parks such as Storm King (New Windsor, NY) and Frederik Meijer Gardens (Grand Rapids, MI), and regional art center examples such as Anderson Ranch and Green Box (Colorado), the town should invest in art as a key design aspect to the park.

In addition to being a major asset for Plainfield residents, Echo Hollow can become a cultural tourism destination by creating a program of site-specific permanent and temporary art projects. These projects, situated throughout the park, can become a dynamic scavenger hunt, inviting people to explore the entire park and return each season to see what is new. A studio building can be put into the master plan to provide both a work and exhibition space for an annual artist(s) in residence program. Beyond visual public art, Echo Hollow should incorporate an outdoor performance stage for free music, theater, dance, movie screenings, and more. This amenity can be managed and programmed in partnership with organizations such as Hendricks Live!.

ART IN PARKS AND TRAILS STRATEGY 2:

ENRICH VANDALIA TRAIL

Location: Vandalia Trail in Plainfield

Timeline: Foster partnerships and draft guidelines in the shortterm and launch in the mid-term - Year 1-2.

Art Budget: $ to $$

The Vandalia Trail is a historic “rails to trails” project that has become the central corridor in Plainfield’s robust parks and trails system. Presently, there is at least one mural in an underpass along the trail, and a small bit of graffiti, which sparks the recommendation for a formalized wall painting program focusing in the short term on locally based artists and art students. Like the alley project, the call for interested artists can be done in collaboration with the Hendricks County Arts Council and the Arts Council of Indianapolis as a way to promote their artist directories so they become a resource for the Plainfield program. Murals, or wall paintings, should be regarded as temporary (3 to 5 years maximum). By setting a time limit, the project allows for ongoing opportunities and the engagement of more artists and students while creating a dynamic, rotating display of art for trail users. With success, the project can grow to encompass more trails and artists from other parts of the state or region.

THE PROGRAM COMES TO LIFE

OBJECTIVE 3: PROVIDE PUBLIC ART IN PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT

With residential and retail growth in Plainfield, the Art in Public Spaces Program should be attentive to opportunities for incorporating public art into new private developments. Since many large-scale private developments receive town incentives, the master plan recommends a requirement for developers to include thoughtfully integrated art. The Art in Public Spaces Program should be made available to work with developers to facilitate the inclusion of artists and artworks into their projects during design and construction. This objective mitigates large-scale private growth by prioritizing beautification and enhancing public benefits. It also provides unique, defining landmarks for new developments in the town.

PUBLIC ART/PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 1:

CONNECT TO HOBBS STATION DEVELOPMENT

Location: 2870 Pearson Pkwy.

Timeline: Mid-term - Year 1-3.

Art Budget: $$$ to $$$$

Hobbs Station is a significant new private development under construction near the Perry Crossing shopping district. The project is rooted in the history of the area and is bringing modern apartments, single-family homes, senior living residences, and retail to what was the expansive plant nursery owned by the Hobbs family. While construction is well underway, the developer may be open to the inclusion of art and understand its ability to set apart a development from others while providing quality-of-life benefits to residents. It is recommended the town work with the developer to determine one or more locations and ways to infuse art into the project’s public spaces. This can be through outdoor sculpture in key community locations, interior art in public spaces, or art in town intersections and roundabouts leading to the new community.

PUBLIC ART/PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2:

ANCHOR MILL & MAIN DEVELOPMENT

Location: Corner of Main and Mill streets

Timeline: Begin discussions in the short-term - Year 1. Implement in the mid-term - Year 2-3.

Art Budget: $$$ to $$$$

A new private development is proposed for the corner of Main and Mill streets adjacent to the new Plainfield Civic Center. This can be the first pre-construction private development to include art as part of the new art in public space requirement. Consider a sculptural installation to anchor the corner of Mill and Main streets or other ways to include an artist in the final construction plans for the development.

THE PROGRAM COMES TO LIFE

OBJECTIVE 4: CREATE GATEWAYS

Gateways establish a look and tone at key entry points into a municipality or other special-use area. Typically, gateways are conceptualized, designed, and engineered by multidisciplinary design teams collaborating on a holistic solution to transform these seminal, and often complex, spaces. Along with architects, engineers, transportation officials, and others, an art consultant (either a qualified member of the Art in Public Spaces Program staff or an art consultant hired by staff) should be a part of the team. Working with design team members, the art consultant will advise on approaches to integrate artists and art into the project and ultimately facilitate the selection of an experienced artist(s) to join the team. Public art should be an integrated part of Plainfield’s gateway solutions.

CREATE GATEWAYS STRATEGY 1:

AMPLIFY U.S. 40 IMPROVEMENTS & DEFINE WESTERN GATEWAY

Location: Main Street

Timeline: Begin conversations immediately, short-term - Year 1. Will need to match the timeline of the State of Indiana.

Art Budget: $$$ to $$$$

The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced an enhancement project for the portion of U.S. 40 that runs through the heart of downtown Plainfield. Formerly a central east-west highway in the United States, U.S. 40 is also the town’s Main Street. There is currently a movement to make the alleys behind the buildings on Main Street, which are under the town’s control, more community-friendly spaces. However, improving Main Street and making it a more pedestrian-friendly, distinguishing part of downtown Plainfield is a priority.

Three priorities should rise to the top regarding improving Main Street. First, create a safe, shared street. Second, stormwater planters should be right-sized with sidewalks to create appropriately sized buffer zones between pedestrians and vehicles. Third, there needs to be ample room for pedestrians to gather on street corners.

Additionally, this is an opportunity to consider ways to include art in this seminal public area. One highly visible idea is to create a western gateway on the berm in the northwest corner of the Al and Jan Barker Sports Complex at Main Street. The land is owned by the state but acts as a natural pedestal for a gateway project, defining the entry in and out of downtown Plainfield.

CREATE GATEWAYS STRATEGY 2:

ELEVATE GATEWAY

ROUNDABOUTS

Location: Center Street and Hadley Road

Timeline: Mid-term - Year 2-3.

Art Budget: $$ to $$$$, depending on number of roundabouts and scale

Our team believes that moving through space is not just about the destination, it’s about the journey.

Plainfield has been building and planning for future roundabouts in the town. Certain larger roundabouts, especially those that serve as gateways into unique parts of the town, are good opportunities to incorporate art that serves as new landmarks. These landmarks will serve as defining moments that reflect the vision of Plainfield for all people driving, cycling, and walking past them.

As Plainfield adds new roundabouts and improves larger arteries in the town, amplify the commitment to engage a multidisciplinary design team and take the time necessary to implement “complete streets.” In addition to roundabouts, adding well-defined or protected bike lanes, landscaping, and universally accessible crosswalks will allow people of all ages and abilities to be safe and inspired as they move around the town.

CREATE GATEWAYS STRATEGY 3:

IMPROVE I-70 AND QUAKER BOULEVARD GATEWAY

Location: I-70 and Quaker Blvd.

Timeline: Begin conversations with INDOT in the short-term - Year 1.

INDOT schedule is long-term - Year 3-5.

Art Budget: $$$ to $$$$

The interchange at I-70 and Quaker Boulevard is a significant national gateway into Plainfield. It is the primary entry into the town’s hospitality and retail district as people travel along I-70, and to and from the Indianapolis International Airport. It will also serve as the gateway to the new Echo Hollow Nature Park. Currently, Quaker Boulevard is the major north-south corridor that connects travelers from I-70 to Main Street (U.S. 40). The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) and Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) have indicated this interchange is one being considered for improvements. In July 2022, Plainfield worked with consultants to study additional possible improvements to road infrastructure in the area around the interchange in anticipation of the highway project.

It is recommended that the Plainfield staff proactively advocate to FHA and INDOT for Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) at this site and have the Art in Public Spaces Program staff/art consultant become part of the team from Plainfield working with INDOT. Specify that the Town of Plainfield wants to be at the table to ensure the project results in a bespoke design that clearly defines it as a gateway to the Plainfield community and its assets. Beyond the necessary transportation and civil engineering, the town should try to leverage the redesign to ensure it includes exceptional site and landscape design, public art, and largescape branding. The town’s roadway improvements and the FHA interchange design should complement each other.

ACTION PLAN CHECKLIST

1-3 YEARS:

t Pass resolution to adopt the Art in Public Spaces Master Plan.

t Appoint a part-time Art in Public Spaces Administrator within town government (e.g., Department of Development Services).

t Hire an art consultant for additional capacity and expertise, if needed.

t Establish the Plainfield Art in Public Spaces sub-committee.

t Working with the sub-committee and town staff across departments, the administrator should facilitate the following:

Ý Draft the first Work Plan (select initial priority projects and identify near future municipal projects that should include art).

Ý Determine how to fund initial example projects.

Ý Work on the longer-term funding strategy by identifying grants to pursue and drafting language for “percent for art” ordinances for both capital projects and private development.

t Socialize funding strategies with stakeholders.

t Develop and implement a communication and outreach plan.

Ý Contact the Hendricks County Arts Council and the Arts Council of Indianapolis to partner on promoting and using their artist databases.

Ý Update the Art in Public Spaces webpage with current content such as a link to the Master Plan; excerpts of content such as the mission, vision, and guiding principles; and an initial Work Plan with project list.

Ý Create a public art database/map for the Town of Plainfield that lives on the town’s website.

t Develop contracts and outline processes that flow into the existing design review processes in the Department of Development Services.

t Execute projects from the The Program Comes to Life chapter (see page 54).

t Add an Art in Public Spaces requirement to all new private development contracts.

t Notify leaders at the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration of Plainfield’s desire to integrate art into projects such as the U.S. 40 (Main Street) improvements and the interchange at I-70 and Quaker Boulevard.

3-5 YEARS:

t Adopt ordinances that create a formal municipal Art in Public Spaces Program establishing long-term funding mechanism(s), policies, and procedures.

t Set up the Art in Public Spaces Fund and internal accounting/reporting procedures related to the ordinances.

t Appoint or hire a Director for the Art in Public Spaces Program and project coordination staff, if needed.

t Continue engaging an art consultancy if curatorial, administrative, and project management assistance is needed.

t Work for the inclusion of public art in the U.S. 40/ Washington Street and I-70 interchange improvements.

t Update the Action Plan annually to provide updates on existing projects and outline new ones coming online.

AFTER YEAR 5:

t Evaluate and ensure the ordinances, policies, and procedures are working towards the vision of making art in public spaces the expectation, not the exception. Is the program making progress towards making art accessible to all people every day?