Public Art Review issue 26 - 2002 (spring/summer)

V O L U M E 13

ISSUE 2 6

SPR . S U M

02

FOREWORD Kimber

Craine

T

, R A N S P O R T A T I O N AND T H E ARTS SEEM T O HAVE LITTLE IN C O M M O N . INTERSTATE

HIGHWAYS

are n o t a traditional arts v e n u e , a n d o u r streetscapes s e l d o m reflect m u c h of an

artistic vision. Yet as Secretary o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n N o r m a n Y. M i n e t a states in His f o r e w o r d to Arts and Transportation:

Connecting

People and Culture,"There

is a l o n g his-

t o r y o f i n c o r p o r a t i n g t h e arts a n d design e x c e l l e n c e in t r a n s p o r t a t i o n . F r o m t h e f a b u lous art n o u v e a u e n t r a n c e s t o t h e Paris m e t r o , t h e m a g n i f i c e n t G o l d e n G a t e B r i d g e that serves as a s y m b o l o f San Francisco, t o t h e S t a t u e o f L i b e r t y at t h e p o r t o f N e w York, design a n d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n have w o r k e d t o g e t h e r t o create b e a u t i f u l places w i t h i n cities around the world."

Vital a n d healthy c o m m u n i t i e s d e p e n d o n e n l i g h t e n e d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n p o l i c y that i n c o r p o r a t e s a n d takes s t r e n g t h f r o m t h e arts. In t h e last d e c a d e , a g r e a t e r awareness a n d p r o l i f e r a t i o n o f a r t - c e n t e r e d p r o j e c t s have b e e n catalyzed in p a r t d u e to t h e T r a n s p o r t a t i o n E q u i t y A c t f o r t h e 21st C e n t u r y (TEA-21), w h i c h provides resources f o r p u b l i c art p r o g r a m s a n d artists t o w o r k o n a b r o a d e r canvas. San Francisco's w a t e r f r o n t d e v e l o p m e n t p r o j e c t in t h e early 1990s e n c o m p a s s e d a b r o a d swath o f r e c l a i m e d land t h a t used art a n d design t o u n i f y a n d revitalize t h e space. R e c e n t l y in A r i z o n a , t h e P h o e n i x Arts C o m m i s s i o n b e g a n r e s t o r i n g t h e city's canal system to its f o r m e r place as an oasis ot r e c r e a t i o n a n d respite.

A l m o s t all arts o p p o r t u n i t i e s in TEA-21 c o m e u n d e r t w o e n h a n c e m e n t s p r o g r a m s . T h e s e c o n d o f these, a d m i n i s t e r e d by t h e F e d e r a l T r a n s i t A d m i n i s t r a t i o n (FTA), was c r e a t e d u n d e r TEA-21 a n d was m o d e l e d 011 t h e first, t h e Federal H i g h w a y A d m i n i s t r a t i o n (FHWA) t r a n s p o r t a t i o n e n h a n c e m e n t s (TE) activities. U n d e r t h e FTA p r o g r a m , p u b l i c art is an eligible activity, w h e r e a s u n d e r t h e larger TE p r o g r a m a d m i n i s t e r e d by t h e FHWA, t h e arts are n o t d i r e c t l y m e n t i o n e d . T h e success o f p u b l i c art p r o g r a m s ' p a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h light rail p r o g r a m s s h o u l d p r o v i d e inspiration a n d e x p e r t i s e f o r c o m m u n i t y leaders', t r a n s p o r t a t i o n p l a n n e r s , a n d o t h e r s to b r o a d e n t h e use of t h e larger FHWA t r a n s p o r t a t i o n e n h a n c e m e n t p r o g r a m .

In G r e a t B r i t a i n , Sustrans (short f o r sustainable transport) d e v e l o p e d a b o l d vision of t h e arts' role in t h e landscape a n d a 1 2 , 0 0 0 - m i l e n e t w o r k o f trails e x t e n d i n g across t h e b r e a d t h o f t h e c o u n t r y . In t h e U n i t e d States, trails are t h e largest b e n e f i ciary ot FHWA TE f u n d s . As s u c h , t h e n o t i o n o f trails as representative o f t h e v a r i o u s legacies o f o u r nation's c u l t u r e a n d history b e c a m e t h e seed f o r M i l l e n n i u m Trails. As p a r t n e r s in this initiative, t h e N a t i o n a l Assembly o f State Arts A g e n c i e s a n d t h e N a t i o n a l E n d o w m e n t f o r t h e Arts l a u n c h e d Arts P r o j e c t s o n M i l l e n n i u m Trails to m a k e t h e arts an integral p a r t of t h e f i f t y - t w o state m i l l e n n i u m legacy trails. T h e success o f these p r o j ects d e p e n d s o n p a r t n e r s h i p s a n d o u r ability to e n g a g e c o m m u n i t i e s , trail a n d p u b l i c land m a n a g e r s , a n d o t h e r s in c r e a t i n g p u b l i c art pieces, i n t e r p r e t i v e w o r k , a n d o t h e r activities that create a n e w vision a n d sense of place f o r these c o r r i d o r s .

Return Ticket explores s o m e o f t h e h i s t o r y a n d t h e lessons l e a r n e d over t h e last d e c a d e as artists, a d m i n i s t r a t o r s , e n g i n e e r s , a n d o t h e r s g r a p p l e d w i t h c o l l a b o r a tions t h a t b r o u g h t t o g e t h e r d i f f e r e n t perspectives a n d cultures to r e d e f i n e t h e p u r p o s e o f t r a n s p o r t a t i o n design. T h e o u t c o m e s o f these efforts will t r a n s f o r m p u b l i c spaces t o reflect t h e m e a n i n g s , m e m o r i e s , a n d visions o f o u r c o m m u n i t i e s .

K i m b e r C r a i n e is t h e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s m a n a g e r f o r t h e N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y of S t a t e A r t s A g e n c i e s (NASAA) a n d t h e p r o j e c t d i r e c t o r f o r A r t s P r o j e c t s o n Millennium Trails.

PublicArtReview RETURN TICKET

features ROAD WORK

THE TRANSIT LANDSCAPE

R E C O N F I G U R I N G THE AMERICAN H I G H W A Y

R e b e c c a Banyas

ART IN FLIGHT

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ART TO GO 2 2

PHOTOMONTAGE

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H a r r i e t F. S e n i e

SUSTAINABLE ART? Andrew Guest

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reports and conference reviews ART AFLOAT Moira Harris

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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

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ROADSIDE ARTWORK AHEAD

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ROAD WORK RECONFIGURING THE AMERICAN

HIGHWAY

H a r r i e t F. S e n i e

S

INCE ITS B E G I N N I N G , T H E U N I T E D STATES HAS BEEN DEFINED BY T H E ROAD. W E S T W A R D S E T T L E -

m e n t , itself d e p e n d e n t on roads, gave rise to a rich tradition o f road literature, music, and films expressing t h e m e s of national identity. In b o o k s as diverse as L.

Frank B a u m ' s The Wizard

of Oz, Jack Kerouac's On the Road, a n d Jean Baudrillard's

America, e x p e r i e n c e is f r a m e d in t e r m s of t h e road.

As suburbia b o o m e d and t h e national h i g h w a y system e x p a n d e d after World War II, t h e l o o k of the c o u n t r y c h a n g e d . T h e road b e c a m e b o t h t h e q u i n t e s s e n tial A m e r i c a n landscape a n d an i m p o r t a n t f o r m of public space. Already a significant, t h o u g h n o t well r e c o g n i z e d , t h e m e in c o n t e m p o r a r y art, the road is a relatively n e w site for public art. 1 T h e h i g h w a y is a peculiar k i n d of public space, d e m o c r a t i c yet insular.

It is o p e n to a n y o n e w i t h a car yet is e x p e r i e n c e d in p r i v a t e — d r i v e r s and passengers isolated in vehicles. Symbolically, the road encapsulates d i c h o t o m i e s : f r e e d o m versus danger, the lure of speed versus the reality of rush h o u r traffic j a m s .

BILLBOARDS AND INSTALLATIONS Art enters the road at risk, in c o m p e t i t i o n w i t h an array o f c o m m e r c i a l distractions: billboards, motels, diners, gas stations. Public art m u s t catch t h e m o t o r i s t ' s eye b u t n o t engage it to the p o i n t of b e c o m i n g a safety hazard: visual s o u n d bytes.

For decades, artistic i n t e r v e n t i o n s have c h a l l e n g e d t h e m o n o p o l y o f c o m m e r c i a l billboards. Billboard: Art on the Road, an e x h i b i t i o n at M A S S M o C A in 1999, d o c u m e n t e d t h e last thirty years of that e f f o r t . 2 M o s t artist billboards addressed social o r political issues, such as R o n English's The New World Order (1990) or H a c h i v i Edgar H e a p o f Birds's 1997 Reclaimed

( N e w York: P u r c h a s e d ? Stolen? R e c l a i m e d ? ) ,

m a d e to l o o k like an exit sign. T h i s type of public art is t h e m o s t easily inserted o n t h e road a n d potentially the m o s t w i d e l y n o t i c e d and effective.

Suggesting a different possibility for road art, Alisa D w o r s k y ' s sculpture, Luminous

Fields, Longitude in Time (2001), e x p l o r e d " t h e idea of interval in relationship t o

the roll of t h e o p e n m e a d o w a d j o i n i n g t h e r o a d . " 3 A t e m p o r a r y installation a l o n g R o u t e 4 in C a s t l e t o n , V e r m o n t , it was a pilot p r o j e c t s p o n s o r e d by t h e V e r m o n t A g e n c y o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n and several c o m m u n i t y arts organizations. C o n s i s t i n g of a b o u t five h u n d r e d s e v e n - f o o t steel posts set o n e f o o t i n t o t h e g r o u n d a n d nearly o n e t h o u s a n d blue a n d

OS

green reflectors, it was " m e a n t to b e e x p e r i e n c e d as a visual s e q u e n c e that reveals itself ( b a c k g r o u n d ) Alisa D w o r s k y ,

over time, m u c h as a musical c o m p o s i t i o n is e x p e r i e n c e d . " T h r e e signs alerted m o t o r i s t s

Luminous

to t h e p i e c e : " C a u t i o n , " " R o a d s i d e A r t w o r k A h e a d , " and " N o S t o p p i n g . "

Fields, Longitude

in

Time,

mile m a r k e r o n w e s t b o u n d R o u t e 4, C a s t l e t o n . V t . , 2 0 0 1 .

T h e w o r k initially p r o m p t e d f e w v i e w e r responses. O v e r t i m e , h o w ever, the installation d r e w an array of appreciative c o m m e n t s . Several local letters n o t e d

( i n s e t ) Alisa D w o r s k y , Fields, Longitude

in Time,

Luminous

t h a t t h e w o r k w o u l d b e m i s s e d w h e n it was g o n e . S t u d e n t r e s p o n s e at t h e artist's

warning

presentation at Castleton State C o l l e g e was o v e r w h e l m i n g l y positive a b o u t t h e w o r k

sign o n w e s t b o u n d R o u t e 4, Castleton.Vt., 2001.

and the road as a site for art, w i t h f e w e r generally s u p p o r t i v e of road art b u t reserved

P h o t o s c o u r t e s y Alisa D w o r s k y

a b o u t this piece, a n d s o m e negative a b o u t road art altogether.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

sore. P e r h a p s t h e c o u n t r y ' s m o s t f a m o u s road, w i t h its o w n m u s e u m a n d t e l e v i s i o n show, it p r o v i d e d a r i c h history closely tied to t h e d e v e l o p i n g n a t i o n . M c C a r r e n f o c u s e d o n t h e local legacy. S h e w a n t e d " t o e v o k e t h e e x p e r i e n c e of t h e traveler, w h o , after traveling f o r m a n y days, was m e t by t h e o r a n g e groves a n d p a l m trees that represent the exotic paradise of s o u t h e r n

California.

T h e u r b a n design c o n c e p t a n d streetscape design i n t e g r a t e s R o u t e 6 6 i m a g e r y w i t h t h e c o m b i n a t i o n s of native e x o t i c plants u n i q u e t o t h e S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a landscape." 4 M c C a r r e n c o n s i d e r e d t h e m a j o r v e h i c u l a r a u d i e n c e in t e r m s o f " r e t a i n i n g walls, vertical sculptures ( a b o v e ) Ron English, The New World

Order,

a n d plantings, e a r t h w o r k s , d r a m a t i c f o u n t a i n s , l i g h t i n g

N e w York City, N.Y., 1990.

e l e m e n t s , a n d t h e m a t i c c o l o r a t i o n . " For t h e smaller b u t

P h o t o courtesy Ron English

also significant p e d e s t r i a n a u d i e n c e she suggested " t w o -

( b e l o w ) Marilyn Z w a k , Our Shared

dimensional works o n the g r o u n d plane, interpretive

Environment,

Phoenix, Ariz., 1990.

signage, t h e m e g a r d e n s , a n d s e a t i n g areas f o r respite."

P h o t o by Craig Smith, c o u r t e s y t h e Phoenix A r t s Commission

After countless c o m m u n i t y meetings, listening to and i n c o r p o r a t i n g a r a n g e o f c o n c e r n s a n d i n p u t , t h e design

B i l l b o a r d s a n d r o a d art are essentially a d d - o n s , p u b l i c art that has t h e p o t e n t i a l t o c h a n g e t h e

t e a m has w o n local approval. C o n s t r u c t i o n is set f o r 2002-2004.

typical r o a d e x p e r i e n c e as well as affect s o c i o p o l i t i c a l BUILDING BRIDGES

issues. M o r e recently, artists have b e e n i n v o l v e d m o r e integrally—in c o n c e p t planning, project design, and

B r i d g e s r e p r e s e n t o n e o f t h e m o s t visi-

bridge b u i l d i n g — s h a p i n g and reshaping the national

ble o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r s t r u c t u r a l p u b l i c art o n t h e road.

roadscape. S o m e have even m a d e this t h e p r i m a r y f o c u s

T h e p r e c e d e n t - s e t t i n g p e d e s t r i a n b r i d g e s ot Siah A r m a -

of t h e i r career. T h e f o l l o w i n g are e x a m p l e s o f t h e r a n g e

j a n i , m o s t n o t a b l y in M i n n e a p o l i s , have b e e n well d o c u -

o f r e c e n t road w o r k .

m e n t e d , a n d an a r r a y o f a r t i s t - d e s i g n e d b r i d g e s n o w d e f i n e m a n y roads. C o n s u l t a n t s W i l l i a m M o r r i s h a n d

PLANNING THE PROJECT

C a t h e r i n e B r o w n , t o g e t h e r w i t h artist G r o v e r M o u t o n , Barbara

d e v e l o p e d a p u b l i c art m a s t e r plan f o r P h o e n i x in 1989,

M c C a r r e n p a r t i c i p a t e d in t h e Santa M o n i c a B o u l e v a r d

i d e n t i f y i n g t h e city's v e h i c u l a r s y s t e m as a p o t e n t i a l

T r a n s i t P a r k w a y Study, w o r k i n g w i t h a r c h i t e c t s f r o m

o p p o r t u n i t y f o r p u b l i c art. T h e S q u a w Peak Parkway, a

G r u e n Associates and traffic e n g i n e e r s f r o m

six-lane freeway r u n n i n g through

In

1999

California

artist

Meyer

central

Phoenix,

M o h a d d e s Associates. T h e last leg o f historic R o u t e 66

b e c a m e t h e site o f several p r o j e c t s , m o s t s t r i k i n g l y a

h a d b e c o m e a c o m m u t e r n i g h t m a r e a n d general e y e -

series o f b r i d g e s .

In 1 9 9 0 M a r i l y n Z w a k f r o m C o c h i s e , A r i z o n a , c r e a t e d Our Road. With

imagery

Shared from

Environment

at T h o m a s

designs

prehistoric

on

H o h o k a m artifacts f o u n d at t h e site w h i l e e x c a v a t i n g f o r t h e freeway, she d e c o r a t e d six t w e n t y - f o u r - f o o t r e p t i l e s h a p e d s u p p o r t c o l u m n s a n d t w e n t y - f o u r relief panels, u s i n g stabilized a d o b e . Local residents r e s p o n d e d t o h e r i n v i t a t i o n t o i m p r i n t t h e i r o w n designs a n d o b j e c t s in t h e freshly laid a d o b e s u r f a c e by l e a v i n g h a n d p r i n t s , personal initials, abstract p a t t e r n s , tools, keys, coins, a n d bits o f c l o t h i n g .

L a u r i e L u n d q u i s t , a T e m p e - b a s e d artist, t o o k t h e i m a g e o f n e a r b y m o u n t a i n vistas for t h e f o r m of h e r Nisbet

Road Pedestrian

Bridge (1998). W o r k i n g w i t h

SVR, Inc., HDR E n g i n e e r i n g , Inc., a n d t h e

Arizona

D e p a r t m e n t o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n , she created a safe c o n n e c -

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

t o r tor p e d e s t r i a n a n d bicycle traffic b e t w e e n t w o residential areas. T h e o u t l i n e of t h e silver c h a i n - l i n k f e n c e e c h o e s t h e o u t l i n e o f t h e s u r r o u n d i n g m o u n t a i n s . Pleased w i t h t h e effect o f a " g h o s t m o u n t a i n " f o r t h e r o a d - b o u n d viewer, t h e artist also p r o v i d e d a rich a n d subtle array o f p a t t e r n s of light a n d s h a d o w f o r t h e p e d e s t r i a n .

O n a m o r e whimsical note, Ed C a r p e n ter f r o m P o r t l a n d , w o r k i n g w i t h e n g i n e e r J e r r y C a n n o n , created The Grasshopper Bridge (1997) at t h e 7 t h A v e n u e p e d e s t r i a n b r i d g e at C a v e C r e e k W a s h , M o o n Valley Park. T a k i n g t h e f o r m o f t w o g r a s s h o p p e r s , its legs serve as t h e structural s u p p o r t s . I n t e n d e d t o p r o v i d e a safe passage w a y b e t w e e n

Mountain

Sky J u n i o r H i g h

and

M o o n Valley Park, t h e b r i d g e features a n i m a l a n d insect images c r e a t e d by local students, sandblasted a n d stained o n t o t h e c o n c r e t e d e c k walkway.

Incorporating

( a b o v e ) Ed C a r p e n t e r , Grasshopper

P h o t o by Bob Rink, c o u r t e s y t h e Phoenix A r t s Commission ( b e l o w ) Laurie Lundquist, Nisbet

indigenous

imagery,

e v o k i n g local f a u n a a n d m o u n t a i n r a n g e s , P h o e n i x ' s

Bridge,

Phoenix, Ariz., 1997.

Road Pedestrian

Bridge,

Phoenix, Ariz., 1998.

P h o t o by Laurie Lundquist, c o u r t e s y t h e Phoenix A r t s Commission

b r i d g e s g o a l o n g way t o w a r d s c r e a t i n g a sense o f place.

Positive response t o p u b l i c art d o e s n o t g e n e r a t e m u c h

r e t a i n i n g walls, a n d piers) o f t e n b r i d g e s t r u c t u r e s , a

press, b u t a c c o r d i n g t o G r e g Esser, p u b l i c art p r o g r a m

design t e a m w i t h artist C a r o l y n Braaksma m a d e t h e P i m a

m a n a g e r at t h e P h o e n i x Arts C o m m i s s i o n , p e o p l e like

O u t e r L o o p highway a site-specific experience. Giant

t h e b r i d g e s a n d are very p r o u d o f t h e m .

lizards t w e n t y feet h i g h c r a w l u p c o n c r e t e piers, w h i l e t w e l v e - f o o t prickly pear cactus plants a d o r n

DECORATING THE WALLS

retaining

walls, w i t h b o r d e r s a n d railings d e c o r a t e d w i t h M a r i c o p a

Last year K i m S o r v i g o b s e r v e d , " S o m e -

I n d i a n a n d lizard skin p a t t e r n s . M o r e natural o u t g r o w t h

t h i n g r e m a r k a b l e has h a p p e n e d to t h e P i m a Expressway

than industrial i m p o s i t i o n , The Path Most Traveled (1997)

in S c o t t s d a l e , A r i z o n a : It has b e c o m e an a r t w o r k . " 5 U s i n g

t r a n s f o r m e d traditionally a n o n y m o u s invisible s t r u c t u r a l

c o m p l e x t e x t u r e s a n d c o l o r t o d e c o r a t e five h u n d r e d

e l e m e n t s i n t o images o f local c o l o r a n d relevance. Today,

t h o u s a n d square feet o f c o n c r e t e surfaces ( s o u n d walls,

Denver-based

artist B r a a k s m a is i n v o l v e d i n

similar

( a b o v e ) Carolyn Braaksma, The Path Most

Traveled,

S c u r i ' s t h i r d r o a d - r e l a t e d w o r k was a

Scottsdale.Ariz., 1999.

b r i d g e f o r P h o e n i x ' s S q u a w Peak Parkway. W o r k i n g w i t h

P h o t o c o u r t e s y Carolyn BraaksmaŠ

e n g i n e e r D a n Heller to create a 3 1 1 - f o o t pedestrian b r i d g e a n d gateway f o r Paradise Valley, S c u r i used p a t -

( b e l o w ) Vicki Scuri Siteworks and A b a m Engineers, Boren A v e n u e Parking Garage, tire t r e a d p a t t e r n s ,

t e r n s d e r i v e d f r o m r e c y c l e d tire treads, a n d d e s i g n e d

S e a t t l e , W a s h . , 1990.

piers a n d r a m p s t o suggest s u r r o u n d i n g m o u n t a i n f o r m s .

P h o t o courtesy Vicki Scuri/Siteworks

Dreamy

Draw Pedestrian Bridge ( 1 9 8 9 - 9 5 ) w o n t h e

ACEA

Award for Excellence (1991), the Hollander Award, p r o j e c t s in San J o s e a n d P a l m S p r i n g s , C a l i f o r n i a , a n d

N a t i o n a l L e a g u e o f Cities (1995), a n d t h e NEA D e s i g n

Fort Collins and Denver, Colorado.

f o r T r a n s p o r t a t i o n N a t i o n a l M e r i t Award (1995). Scuri's c a r e e r p a t h was set. S h e has s i n c e w o r k e d o n several

ARTIST ON THE ROAD

b r i d g e s in C a l i f o r n i a , Kansas, a n d Seattle; a r e t a i n i n g wall

In r e c e n t conversations w i t h public art

f o r Bellevue, W a s h i n g t o n ; a n d a master plan f o r T a c o m a .

administrators, o n e n a m e that c a m e u p consistently was

S c u r i is especially e x c i t e d by t h e o p p o r t u n i t y " t o shape

V i c k i S c u r i , a S e a t t l e - b a s e d artist. Always i n t e r e s t e d in

t h e b i g f o o t p r i n t , " t o r e c o n f i g u r e t h e national roadscape

interdisciplinary design, h e r first p r o j e c t was f o r t h e Seat-

in t e r m s o f local i m a g e r y a n d h u m a n scale.

tle M e t r o . W o r k i n g w i t h e n g i n e e r s (Parsons B r i n k e r h o f f

Artists like Scuri, w h o s e p u b l i c art f o c u s

Q u a d e & Douglas) a n d architects (TRA) in 1 9 8 5 - 9 0 , she

is t h e highway, fall i n t o a p e c u l i a r category. If t h e i r w o r k

created Patterned Tiles f o r W e s t l a k e Station, The Beltline f o r

is r e v i e w e d at all, it is usually in local articles a b o u t n e w

U n i v e r s i t y S t r e e t S t a t i o n , a n d The Tunnel Art

t r a n s p o r t a t i o n a m e n i t i e s o r p i o n e e r i n g uses o f t e c h n o l -

Project, a

reflective m a r k i n g f o r a 1.3-mile b u s t u n n e l .

ogy. T h e i r p r o j e c t s are m o r e likely t o a p p e a r in stories

At Westlake she was inspired by t h e t e r r a c o t t a - o r n a m e n t e d , early t w e n t i e t h - c e n t u r y

architec-

t u r e in t h e retail district t o create h e r o w n " p a t t e r n e d e n v i r o n m e n t . " A t U n i v e r s i t y S t r e e t , s h e used " t r a n s i t scaled p a t t e r n m o t i f s , s u g g e s t i n g an u r b a n l a n d s c a p e . " 08

T h e r e h e r w o r k also served as a b a c k d r o p f o r a p i e c e by Bill Bell a n d R o b e r t Teeple.

Next

Scuri

worked

on

the

Boren

A v e n u e P a r k i n g G a r a g e ( 1 9 8 9 - 9 0 ) , also in Seattle. C o m missioned by King C o u n t y Public Art P r o g r a m

and

H a r b o r v i e w H o s p i t a l , t h e w o r k is based o n p a t t e r n s o f r e c y c l e d tires a n d articulates t h e structural e l e m e n t s o f t h e garage, " c r o s s - r e f e r e n c i n g landscape e l e m e n t s , a u t o mobile iconography and Indian basket-weave patterns, w h i l e c r e a t i n g p e d e s t r i a n - s c a l e d spaces."

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

Vicki Scuri Siteworks and Mark Spitzer Designs,

rary city as a loose a r r a n g e m e n t o f separate events a n d

Lewis Street Gateway

places, h e l d t o g e t h e r in a m u t u a l a t t r a c t i o n activated by

Bridge,Wichita, Kan., 1995-2000.

P h o t o courtesy Vicki Scuri/Siteworks

t h e d r i v e r a n d t h e car." In this n e w p a r a d i g m , c e n t e r e d on m o v e m e n t and the road, Snyder and Izenour recog-

a b o u t c o n c r e t e t h a n in articles o n creative art. B u t b y

n i z e d a f u n d a m e n t a l r e a l i t y o f c o n t e m p o r a r y life in

c h a n g i n g t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f t h e r o a d , they are r e d e f i n i n g

m o s t parts o f t h e c o u n t r y . F o r b e t t e r o r f o r w o r s e , o u r

a classic A m e r i c a n landscape. T h e message t h e y are c o n -

roads are us.

v e y i n g is clear: Local i d e n t i t y is i m p o r t a n t ; c o m m u n i t i e s w a n t m a r k e r s , a sense of u n i q u e n e s s that p u b l i c art can

H a r r i e t F. Senie is d i r e c t o r of m u s e u m studies at T h e City College of N e w

p r o v i d e . In 1 9 9 2 Wallace S t e g n e r l a m e n t e d , " W e have

York and p r o f e s s o r of a r t history t h e r e and at t h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r . She is

m a d e a c u l t u r e o u t o f t h e o p e n road, o u t o f m o v e m e n t

t h e a u t h o r of The Tilted hrc Controversy:

without

place."6 R e c e n t

p u b l i c art o n t h e r o a d is

addressing precisely that p r o b l e m .

Public Sculpture:Tradition,Transformation,and

Dangerous

Precedent?;

Controversy:

Contemporary

and n u m e r o u s

articles on public art.

It is c u r i o u s t h a t j u s t w h e n E u r o p e is m o v i n g towards a m o r e u n i f o r m image (witness the Euro), t h e U n i t e d States is b e c o m i n g m o r e insistent o n

Notes: 1. I am in the process of curating an

J u n e 1998, 3. All quotations from

exhibition focused o n m o d e r n and

M c C a r r e n are from this source.

clearly d e s i g n a t e d local i d e n t i t i e s . In this r e g a r d , art

p o s t m o d e r n art a b o u t the road enti-

serves t h e o p p o s i t e p u r p o s e o f c o m m e r c e . R a t h e r t h a n

tled Windshield Visions:The

u n i f o r m i t y ( a n o t h e r M c D o n a l d s ) , it o f t e r s a s i t e - c e n -

American Landscape, v e n u e currently

t e r e d i m a g e — d e t e r m i n e d by local history, t h e l o o k o f t h e land, c o m m u n i t y i n p u t , a n d artistic i m a g i n a t i o n .

In 2 0 0 1 Susan S n y d e r o f t h e C o m p a n y f o r t h e C i v i c Arts, P h i l a d e l p h i a , a n d Steven I z e n o u r o f

New

5. K i m S o r v i g , " R o a d s i d e Relief," Landscape Architecture, April 2001, 46.

u n d e r negotiation.

6. Wallace Stegner, " W h e r e t h e 2. See Laura H e o n , ed., Billboard:

Bluebird Sings to the L e m o n a d e

Art on the Road: A Retrospective

Springs," (1992), q u o t e d in R o n a l d

Exhi-

bition of Artists' Billboards of the Last

P r i m e a u , Romance of the Road:

Thirty Years (MASS M o C a Publica-

The Literature of the American

tions w i t h the M I T Press, 1999),

Highway (Bowling G r e e n , O H :

by G l e n n Weiss, t h e n d i r e c t o r o f t h e B r o w a r d C o u n t y

including m y essay "Disturbances in

B o w l i n g G r e e n State University

P u b l i c Art a n d D e s i g n P r o g r a m , to l o o k f o r o p p o r t u n i -

the Field o f M a m m o n : Towards a

Press, 1996), 100.

ties

History of Artists' Billboards."

V e n t u r i , S c o t t B r o w n a n d Associates, Inc. w e r e i n v i t e d

that " w o u l d

express

the

identity

of

Broward

C o u n t y " in s o u t h e r n F l o r i d a . T h e y c o n s i d e r e d " t h e

7. What Is Broward Is Broward Is 3. Letter f r o m the artist, D e c e m b e r .

Broward? A Proposed Program for

c o u n t y ' s m a j o r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n systems: t h e road system

2001. All quotations are f r o m

Civic Identity and Public Art, prepared

f r o m interstate to local streets (car a n d buses) a n d t h e

this source.

for Public Art and Design, B r o w a r d

Fort

Lauderdale-Hollywood

International

Cultural Affairs C o u n c i l by Venturi.

Airport.7

P o s i t i n g "a n e w o r d e r o f c o n t e m p o r a r y l i f e " t h a t t h e y called " a u t o - u r b a n i s m , " t h e y i m a g i n e d " t h e c o n t e m p o -

09

4. Barbara M c C a r r e n , Santa Monica

Scott B r o w n a n d Associates and

Boulevard Transit Parkway Project:

C o m p a n y for t h e Civic Arts,

Public Art Opportunities Study

Feb. 1 2 , 2 0 0 1 .

Report,

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR.SUM. 02

THE TRANSIT LANDSCAPE

Rebecca

Banyas

D

U R I N G T H E LAST FIFTEEN YEARS, PUBLIC ART A N D LIGHT RAIL T R A N S I T (LRT) HAVE J O I N E D

f o r c e s . W i s e l y a w a r e t h a t a n e w transit s y s t e m o f f e r s t h e rare o p p o r t u n i t y t o

t r a n s f o r m entire swaths of urban landscape, public art advocates a n d civic

v i s i o n a r i e s have e m b r a c e d t h e m a r r i a g e o f art a n d transit.

T h e e f f o r t , t h o u g h still in its i n f a n c y , is g a i n i n g a f o o t h o l d . Artists h a v e

b e c o m e d e e p l y e m b e d d e d i n t h e l i g h t rail transit m o v e m e n t . I n a d d i t i o n t o m a k i n g art, t h e y are p l a n n e r s , d e s i g n e r s , a n d s y s t e m v i s i o n a r i e s . H u n d r e d s o f n e w p u b l i c a r t w o r k s , b o t h p e r m a n e n t a n d t e m p o r a r y , h a v e b e e n a d d e d t o city c o l l e c t i o n s . T r a n s i t a r c h i t e c t u r e a n d l a n d s c a p i n g are b e i n g s i g n i f i c a n t l y i n f l u e n c e d b y artists.

T o gain a p e r s p e c t i v e o n w h a t ' s h a p p e n i n g in p u b l i c art in l i g h t rail p r o j e c t s , I s p o k e w i t h artists, a r c h i t e c t s , u r b a n d e s i g n e r s , a d m i n i s t r a t o r s , a n d e n g i n e e r s w h o have b e e n i n v o l v e d i n this field d u r i n g t h e last t e n years. E v e r y o n e i n t e r v i e w e d s h a r e d t h e i r p e r c e p t i o n s w i t h passion. T h e r e is g r e a t e x c i t e m e n t a b o u t this u n p r e c e d e n t e d o p p o r t u n i t y f o r artists t o i n f l u e n c e t h e u r b a n l a n d s c a p e in A m e r i c a . T h e r e is also m u c h to learn.

As LRT was c o m i n g i n t o its o w n i n t h e U n i t e d States d u r i n g t h e last q u a r t e r o f t h e t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y , t h e p u b l i c art m o v e m e n t was g a i n i n g m o m e n t u m . T h e first l i g h t rail s y s t e m o p e n e d in San D i e g o i n 1981; s i n c e t h e n , t w e n t y - t h r e e m o r e h a v e b e e n i m p l e m e n t e d in N o r t h A m e r i c a . D u r i n g t h e s a m e t i m e , t h e p e r c e n t f o r art m o v e m e n t s w e p t t h e n a t i o n . Today, o v e r " 3 0 0 cities, c o u n t i e s , states a n d f e d e r a l a g e n c i e s a n d o t h e r g o v e r n m e n t b o d i e s have a d o p t e d p e r c e n t f o r art p r o g r a m s . . . r e s u l t i n g i n t h e c o m missioning of thousands of public artworks."1 It is n o s u r p r i s e , t h e n , t h a t t h e 1990s b r o u g h t a n e x p l o s i o n o f p u b l i c a r t ( b a c k g r o u n d ) J e r r y Mayer, Welcome

Mot, C e n t r a l P u g e t

S o u n d Regional Transit A u t h o r i t y , Seattle, Wash., 2000.

e f f o r t s c o n n e c t e d t o l i g h t rail p r o j e c t s in Dallas, Saint L o u i s , P o r t l a n d , Los A n g e l e s , San F r a n c i s c o , San D i e g o , a n d N e w J e r s e y ; a n d m o r e r e c e n t l y in M i n n e a p o l i s , Seattle, D e n ver, a n d P h o e n i x . T h e large p r o j e c t b u d g e t s — u p w a r d s o f $ l b i l l i o n — a f f o r d e d o p p o r t u nities t o f u n d p u b l i c art at a f r a c t i o n o f t h e total p r o j e c t cost. I n P o r t l a n d , o n e - t e n t h o f

P h o t o by P e t e r d e L o r y © 2001

1 p e r c e n t o f t h e p r o j e c t b u d g e t p r o v i d e d f u n d i n g f o r o v e r 100 a r t w o r k s a n d i n v o l v e ( t o p i n s e t ) Bridge piers, M e t r o l i n k Light Rail S y s t e m , A r t s in Transit, Bi-State D e v e l o p m e n t Agency, St. Louis, Mo. P h o t o c o u r t e s y A r t s in Transit

m e n t b y t w e n t y - f o u r artists.

T h e r e was, h o w e v e r , a n o b s t a c l e t o i n c o r p o r a t i n g art i n t o LRT p r o j e c t s .

T h e F e d e r a l T r a n s i t A d m i n i s t r a t i o n (FTA), t h e p o l i c y a n d f u n d i n g a r m f o r l i g h t rail, was still o p e r a t i n g u n d e r d e s i g n g u i d e l i n e s e s t a b l i s h e d b y t h e 1 9 8 0 U r b a n M a s s T r a n s i t A c t .

11

T h o u g h i n t e n d e d t o e n c o u r a g e artists' i n v o l v e m e n t in d e s i g n , t h e g u i d e l i n e s w e r e n o t ( m i d d l e inset) Tom N u s s b a u m , p o r t a l a t 4 5 t h S t r e e t , B a y o n n e , N.J. P h o t o c o u r t e s y Transit Arts, NJ Transit

clear a b o u t f u n d i n g art. FTA'S r e g i o n a l o f f i c e s w e r e left t o d e t e r m i n e t h e p a r t i c u l a r s o f h o w transit a g e n c i e s c o u l d e m p l o y artists a n d use f e d e r a l dollars f o r art.

By t h e late 1980s, FTA'S c o n s e n s u s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n was t h a t f e d e r a l f u n d s c o u l d b e u s e d f o r h i r i n g artists t o c o n t r i b u t e t o d e s i g n , b u t n o t t o p u r c h a s e o r c o m m i s -

( b o t t o n i n s e t ) Mockingbird S t a t i o n , Dallas A r e a Rapid T r a n s i t

sion art. T h i s s t a n c e d i d n o t d e t e r t h e g r o w t h o f p u b l i c art w i t h i n l i g h t rail p r o j e c t s ;

(DART), Dallas,Tex.

rather, it f o r c e d a g e n c i e s like B i - S t a t e D e v e l o p m e n t in Saint L o u i s , w h i c h w a s p l a n n i n g

P h o t o c o u r t e s y DART

art f o r t h e M e t r o l i n k light rail p r o j e c t , t o c r e a t e n e w roles f o r artists. B i - S t a t e was t h e first

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

( a b o v e ) N o r i e Sato, Bill Will,Tad Savinar, Bill Will, Mierle Ukeles, and Richard Turner, The Kiss and the

Explosion,

W a s h i n g t o n Park Station, W e s t s i d e MAX Public A r t Program, Portland, O r e g . , 1997. ( l e f t ) N o r i e Sato, Goose Wings, Jefferson S t r e e t Station, W e s t s i d e MAX Public A r t P r o g r a m , Portland, O r e g . , 1998.

Photos courtesy Rebecca Banyas

FTA l o o s e n e d

their

light rail public art p r o g r a m in the c o u n t r y to use a t e a m

guidelines, the design t e a m approach c o n t i n u e d to

flour-

of artists to i n f l u e n c e the design of the entire LRT system.

ish, d u e in part to a serious limitation of space and sur-

O t h e r s f o l l o w e d suit. In 1992, d u e in

faces for c o m m i s s i o n e d artworks. B u t m o r e importantly,

p a r t t o FTA's m a n d a t e b u t also t o a g r o w i n g i n t e r e s t

the design t e a m was p r o v i n g that the best o p p o r t u n i t i e s

n a t i o n w i d e in e x p a n d i n g the role of artists in civic p r o j -

for art expression w e r e e m b e d d e d in the system itself.

Even

after

the

ects, T r i - M e t in Portland, O r e g o n m a d e clear f r o m the

In its m o s t d e m a n d i n g f o r m , the design

outset their i n t e n t to involve artists in designing f u n c -

t e a m a p p r o a c h b r i n g s artists i n t o p l a n n i n g o r d e s i g n

t i o n a l e l e m e n t s of t h e system and i n c o r p o r a t i n g t h e i r

early o n , t o m a k e t h e system itself a w o r k of art.

v i s i o n t h r o u g h o u t t h e line. A d m i n i s t r a t o r s s t r u g g l e d ,

T o g e t h e r w i t h architects, e n g i n e e r s , landscape architects,

h o w e v e r , w i t h FTA's guidelines. At an FTA review session

u r b a n designers, p r o j e c t m a n a g e r s , planners, and c o m -

in Portland d u r i n g early design of the Westside light rail

m u n i t y m e m b e r s , they conceive and design the architec-

p r o j e c t , an a r c h i t e c t e x p l a i n e d h o w a b u i l d i n g design

ture

h a d b e e n i n f l u e n c e d by artists. "Well, t h e n , is that b u i l d -

i n v o l v e m e n t by artists, successful c o l l a b o r a t i o n , a n d a

ing art?" q u e s t i o n e d t h e reviewer. To calm their queasi-

s t r o n g c o m m i t m e n t f r o m t h e a g e n c y to stand b e h i n d

ness a b o u t w h e t h e r a r t i s t - i n f l u e n c e d design qualified as

aesthetically d y n a m i c and innovative results. In a d d i t i o n

"art," administrators avoided using the t e r m at all.

12

E n c o u r a g e d o n t h e o n e h a n d t o use

and

landscaping. This

process

requires

early

to Saint Louis, P o r t l a n d a n d Los Angeles s t r u c t u r e d their p r o g r a m s a r o u n d the design t e a m .

artists to create m o r e pleasing transit systems, b u t slapped

Artist Jack M a c k i e endorses the design

o n t h e o t h e r for c o m m i s s i o n i n g art, frustrated public art

t e a m a p p r o a c h . " W e get to learn a b o u t a lot of things

professionals c o n v i n c e d t h e FTA to revisit its policy. In

b e y o n d art. W e get to b e involved in b u i l d i n g a city," h e

1995, t h e FTA wisely got o u t of the business of d e f i n i n g

says. " T h i s field is so n e w that w e get to w r i t e t h e rules

art w i t h a n e w policy e n d o r s i n g artists' i n v o l v e m e n t in

as w e go. We are involved in creating a n e w approach to

designing, c o m m i s s i o n i n g , and p u r c h a s i n g artworks, a n d

transit in A m e r i c a . We are creating habitable places."

in local decision m a k i n g . A f o l l o w - u p publication s h o w cases ten successful public art projects.

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

2

" T h e artists m a d e t h e p r o j e c t itself a w o r k of art," says Steve Willis, w h o h e a d e d e n g i n e e r i n g

for Saint Louis's M e t r o l i n k . " I was afraid t h e y w o u l d add

artists are c o l l a b o r a t i n g o n design o r u n d e r t a k i n g a c o m -

e x p e n s e t o t h e p r o j e c t a n d cause all kinds of p r o b l e m s .

mission, b e t t e r a r t w o r k results w h e n artists are i n v o l v e d

B u t I f o u n d o u t d i f f e r e n t l y . T h e artists s e n s i t i z e d t h e

early. " E v e r y t h i n g a b o u t t h e p r o j e c t is f r e s h e r at t h e

e n t i r e t e a m t o t h e f l o w a n d f e e l i n g o f t h e system. T h e

b e g i n n i n g , " says artist K a r e n W i r t h . ' T h e later artists are

s y s t e m is m o r e c o m f o r t a b l e as a result o f t h e artists'

involved, t h e m o r e w e b e c o m e ' d e c o r a t o r s . ' " In a d d i t i o n t o c o n t r i b u t i n g t o overall

i n v o l v e m e n t . T h e y cared m o r e t h a n a n y o n e else a b o u t

d e s i g n , artists f r e q u e n t l y d e s i g n f u n c t i o n a l e l e m e n t s —

t h e riders."

P r o j e c t m a n a g e r s , a c c o r d i n g t o Willis,

buildings, walls, p a v i n g , a n d s e a t i n g — a n d c r e a t e i n d i v i d -

can b u i l d effective t e a m s if t h e y c o n s i d e r c o m p l e m e n -

ual s t a t i o n s as c i v i c l a n d m a r k s , c o m m u n i t y i c o n s , o r

tary skills. E n g i n e e r s , f o r e x a m p l e , are g o o d w i t h details

p o w e r f u l a e s t h e t i c s t a t e m e n t s . I n d i v i d u a l a r t w o r k s are

a n d f o r m . Artists b r i n g a p e r s p e c t i v e h e calls " t h e c r e -

also f o u n d in m o s t systems. If artists are i n v o l v e d early

ative, t h e sensing, t h e feeling." A r c h i t e c t G a r y H a r t n e t t

e n o u g h , a r t w o r k s can b e i n t e g r a t e d i n t o t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e

prefers h a v i n g an e x p e r i e n c e d artist lead t h e process, " t o

o r l a n d s c a p i n g , w i t h n o sense t h a t t h e a r t has b e e n

set t h e t o n e a n d help e v e r y o n e u n d e r s t a n d t h e p u b l i c art

" b o l t e d o n " after t h e station has b e e n d e s i g n e d .

C a r o l Valenta, w h o has w o r k e d i n t h e

realm w i t h i n t h e p r o j e c t . " B u t design t e a m s are n o t r i g h t f o r every

field f o r s e v e n t e e n years a n d r u n s t h e art p r o g r a m f o r

s i t u a t i o n o r every a r t i s t . T h e w o r k , says artist N o n e Sato,

S o u n d Transit in Seattle, c a u t i o n s t h a t art has b e e n lost in

"is n o t g r a t i f y i n g as an art e x p e r i e n c e . It's a b o u t i n f l u -

this i n t e g r a t e d , design t e a m process. "I t h i n k t h e p e n d u -

e n c i n g , n o t m a k i n g things." S h e adds, " S o m e artists are

l u m has s w u n g t o o far in t h e d i r e c t i o n o f i n t e g r a t i o n , "

b e t t e r e q u i p p e d psychologically to d o this w o r k . "

she says. " S o m u c h o f w h a t t h e artists d o has b e c o m e lost

" I n s o m e situations, a m o r e t r a d i t i o n a l a p p r o a c h is better," says W e n d y Feuer, f o r m e r d i r e c t o r o f

in t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e . W e n e e d t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n art a n d a r c h i t e c t u r a l detail."

Transportation

A n o t h e r c o n c e r n r a i s e d b y artist T a d

A u t h o r i t y in N e w Y o r k C i t y a n d n o w a c o n s u l t a n t .

Savinar a n d M a y a E m s d e n , w h o r u n s Los A n g e l e s ' MTA

" W h a t w o r r i e s m e is f o r m u l a s . W e have t o l o o k at each

art p r o g r a m , is d e s i g n i n g a r t w o r k that w o n ' t b e b u i l t f o r

s i t u a t i o n w i t h fresh eyes. E a c h n e w p r o j e c t is j u s t t h a t —

six o r e i g h t years. H o w s h o u l d artists b e e n g a g e d t o get

a n e w project."

their

the

art

program

for

Metropolitan

freshest

ideas?

Savinar

offers

one

solution:

T h e r e is o v e r w h e l m i n g c o n s e n s u s f o r

" A p p r o v e t h e artist's initial c o n c e p t u a l a p p r o a c h b u t

early i n v o l v e m e n t o f artists in LRT p r o j e c t s . W h e t h e r

delay d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f specific i m a g e s a n d c o n t e n t until a year o r t w o b e f o r e r i b b o n c u t t i n g . T h i s m e e t s e n g i n e e r i n g a n d c o m m u n i t y n e e d s , y e t gives t h e artist t h e greatest a m o u n t o f f r e e d o m in d e t e r m i n i n g t h e art o f t h e piece."

P u b l i c a r t is o f t e n v i e w e d b y t r a n s i t agencies as t h e m o s t effective m e c h a n i s m f o r c o n n e c t i n g LRT stations visually a n d e m o t i o n a l l y w i t h s u r r o u n d i n g c o m m u n i t i e s . It can b e a n especially s t r o n g palliative f o r

( l e f t ) Historic St. Louis. Laclede's Landing. ( b e l o w ) Laclede's Landing Station, MetroLink Light Rail System, A r t s in Transit, Bi-State D e v e l o p m e n t Agency, St. Louis, Mo. Photos courtesy A r t s in Transit

Karen W i r t h and Tad Savinar c o n c u r . " T h e result c a n ' t j u s t b e a r e f l e c t i o n , " says W i r t h . " I t m u s t b e an e x p a n s i o n o f an idea o r c o n c e p t . " Savinar adds, " T h e art can all b e g i n t o l o o k t h e s a m e — e a c h syst e m w i t h its kid's tile p r o j e c t , a n i m a l p a w p r i n t s , a n d m a p s o f rivers in t h e p l a t f o r m . Artists m u s t l o o k b e y o n d t h e q u i c k r e s o l u t i o n o f history a n d place."

O n e p r o b l e m w i t h c h a r g i n g p u b l i c art t o o heavily w i t h t h e task o f g a i n i n g c o m m u n i t y s u p p o r t is g e t t i n g stuck o n icons r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e historical past, says J a c k M a c k i e . "I w a n t to m a k e art that's a b o u t today ( a b o v e ) URS c o r p o r a t i o n with Meyer S c h e r e r & Rockcastle,

a n d t h e f u t u r e . W h o are w e today? I w a n t t o f i n d t h e

a r c h i t e c t s , and Karen W i r t h , artist,

c o m m o n g r o u n d o f e v e r y o n e in a c o m m u n i t y : It isn't

design f o r 38th S t r e e t Station, Hiawatha Line, Minneapolis, Minn., 2001.

a b o u t g e n d e r o r e t h n i c i t y o r age. Artists n e e d t o f i n d t h e

Image courtesy URS Corp.

language of a c o m m u n i t y through what those people have in c o m m o n . "

( r i g h t ) Gloria Bornstein, d e c o r a t i v e archway, Puyallup Station, C e n t r a l Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, Seattle,Wash., 2000.

Managing

a public

art

collection—

maintenance, conservation, and repair—requires ongoing

P h o t o by Peter d e L o r y © 2001

staff a n d f u n d s . Transit systems such as Boston's, w i t h art a light rail p r o j e c t f r a u g h t w i t h political o r c o m m u n i t y

that was installed fifteen o r t w e n t y years ago, are s t r u g -

controversy. D i a l o g u e a n d i n t e r a c t i o n a m o n g c o m m u n i -

gling w i t h a r t w o r k s in various states of disrepair. T h e lack

ties, artists, a n d e n g i n e e r s are key t o successful p u b l i c art.

of knowledge about maintenance and conservation on

E n g a g e d artists can distill c o m m u n i t y t h o u g h t s a n d f e e l -

t h e part o f administrators, artists, and architects, a n d t h e

ings i n t o a visual p r e s e n c e . C o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s local-

lack o f expertise a n d f u n d i n g f o r m a i n t e n a n c e in transit

ize t h e process by s e r v i n g o n selection c o m m i t t e e s o r as

systems, is an o m i n o u s c o m b i n a t i o n .

p r o j e c t t e a m m e m b e r s , a n d by p r o v i d i n g stories, p h o t o -

M a i n t e n a n c e a n d c o n s e r v a t i o n are f r e -

graphs, a n d r e s o u r c e materials t o a r t i s t s . T h e y can also b e

q u e n t l y u n d e r t a k e n by t h e a g e n c y itself. H o w e v e r , m a i n -

involved in a r t - m a k i n g . W h e n c o m m u n i t i e s are regularly

t e n a n c e d e p a r t m e n t s are c o m m o n l y u n d e r f u n d e d a n d

i n f o r m e d a b o u t t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a r t w o r k , their s u p -

u n d e r s t a f f e d . M o s t a d m i n i s t r a t o r s struggle w i t h m y r i a d

p o r t f o r b o t h p u b l i c art a n d t h e p r o j e c t increases.

Karen W i r t h ' s c o l l a b o r a t i o n o n t h e 3 8 t h Street Station w i t h a r c h i t e c t G a r t h R o c k c a s t l e is o n e o f t h e best e x a m p l e s in t h e c o u n t r y o f " c o m m u n i t y i d e n t i t y " a r t i c u l a t e d t h r o u g h a r c h i t e c t u r e . In a n e i g h b o r h o o d o f b u n g a l o w s , " t h e c o m m u n i t y w a n t e d t o feel t h e ' c o m f o r t o f h o m e ' at their station," explains W i r t h . S h e a n d R o c k c a s t l e listened closely at c o m m u n i t y m e e t i n g s . " W e c o n c e p t u a l l y p u l l e d t h e b u n g a l o w h o u s e apart, s t u d i e d t h e c o m p o n e n t s , a n d , u s i n g those, d e s i g n e d t h e station. It required research, collaboration, time, and patience to u n d e r s t a n d t h e c o m m u n i t y ' s ideas."

B u t p u b l i c art is n o t a p a n a c e a . " T h e r e 14

is a d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n p u b l i c relations a n d p u b l i c art," artist J o y c e K o z l o f f p o i n t s o u t . 3 A r t c a n n o t

replace

s t r o n g c o m m u n i t y relations f o r LRT projects, w h i c h d r a matically affect t h o u s a n d s o f individuals a n d businesses.

A n o t h e r h a z a r d is t h e a l l - t o o - c o m m o n p r o j e c t t h a t d i r e c t l y reflects r a t h e r t h a n distills ideas. K o z l o f f c a u tions, " G o o d ideas a n d i n t e n t i o n s are n o t art, a n d even t h e b e s t ideas s e e m d u m b w h e n p r e s e n t e d as literal, untransformed data.... O u r communities expect more a n d deserve b e t t e r . "

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

p r o b l e m s : a r t w o r k that is n o t d e s i g n e d to w i t h s t a n d h a r d use o r w e a t h e r c o n d i t i o n s , lack o f f u n d i n g , a n d l a b o r issues. C o m p l e x e l e c t r o n i c o r a u d i o / v i s u a l c o m p o n e n t s n e e d to b e closely s c r u t i n i z e d . C o n s e r v a t o r s s h o u l d evalu a t e p r o j e c t s b e f o r e t h e y are f a b r i c a t e d , a n d m a i n t e nance instructions should be a contractual requirement o f all artists.

Artists' w o r k is c r o p p i n g u p in a variety o f ways in light rail systems: t e m p o r a r y a n d p e r m a n e n t sculpture, integrated artworks, lighting, functional elem e n t s , l a n d s c a p i n g design, a n d in t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e itself.

T h o u g h t h e results h a v e b e e n m i x e d , t h e r e is g r e a t excitement a m o n g participants about the projects that have b e e n b u i l t o r p l a n n e d a n d t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s f o r d e e p e r i n f l u e n c e by artists o n t h e transit e n v i r o n m e n t .

S o m e lessons are clear.

E x p e c t a t i o n s f o r art m u s t b e

clearly

articulated, realistic, a n d f o c u s e d o n creativity a n d i n s p i r a t i o n . A n art p r o g r a m s h o u l d b e u n d e r t a k e n

because

t h e r e is a desire t o have a r t w o r k a n d artists' perspectives as an integral p a r t o f t h e system. B u t e x p e c t a t i o n s can easily get o u t o f h a n d . As if t h e goal o f " m a k i n g t h e system a w o r k o f a r t " isn't lofty e n o u g h , artists are also o f t e n e x p e c t e d t o h u m a n i z e t h e system, foster a sense o f i d e n t i t y f o r s u r r o u n d i n g c o m m u n i t i e s , a n d create a

Roy C r o s s , Martin Luther King Boulevard station,

sense o f place at e a c h station. T h a t ' s a p r e t t y tall order.

Jersey City, N.J.

Finally, if t h e c o n t e n t o f a r t w o r k is i m p o s e d a n d s u b -

P h o t o courtesy Transit Arts, NJ Transit

j e c t e d t o t o o m a n y reviews, artists b e c o m e f r u s t r a t e d , t h e w o r k is w a t e r e d d o w n , a n d t h e passion disappears.

b u t it m u s t h a v e a v i s i o n f o r a s y s t e m - w i d e

N o r i e Sato says, " A r t can't fix e v e r y t h i n g ; it n e e d s to b e

art c o l l e c t i o n a n d t h e a u t h o r i t y t o c a r r y it o u t . A c o m -

its o w n t h i n g . "

m i t t e e also m u s t have t h e b a c k b o n e t o stand u p t o i n a p A c o m m o n e x p e c t a t i o n is that a r t w o r k

b e " e n d u r i n g " o r " t i m e l e s s . " It is, h o w e v e r , a c e r t a i n t y t h a t t r a n s i t s y s t e m s will c h a n g e o v e r t i m e .

Parking

propriate

interventions,

inadequate

public

artwork,

and

u n c o o p e r a t i v e participants.

Arts a d m i n i s t r a t o r s m u s t b e leaders. T h e

garages will b e built a t o p stations, p l a t f o r m s will b e

layers o f b u r e a u c r a c y r u n d e e p in a t r a n s i t

lengthened, electronic

be

A d m i n i s t r a t o r s m u s t n e g o t i a t e , m e d i a t e , a n d translate at

a d d e d . I m p e r m a n e n c e is a reality o f o u r culture, p e r h a p s

e v e r y t u r n t o p r e s e r v e t h e i n t e g r i t y o f artistic vision a n d

a s t r e n g t h t o b e c e l e b r a t e d t h r o u g h art. J a c k

c a r r y o u t t h e goals o f t h e p r o g r a m w h i l e r e s p e c t i n g v e r y

monitoring

s y s t e m s will

Mackie

project.

advises, " S t o p w o r r y i n g a b o u t m a k i n g a 'timeless' piece.

real p r o j e c t p a r a m e t e r s . " T h e a d m i n i s t r a t o r b e c o m e s an

P u b l i c art in transit s h o u l d n ' t all b e ' b r i c k s a n d m o r t a r . '

a d v o c a t e t o r e v e r y o n e — a r t i s t s , architects, m a i n t e n a n c e

W e n e e d to b e m o r e e x p e r i m e n t a l , e x p l o r i n g t e m p o r a r y

staff," says artist Tad Savinar.

w o r k s , p h o t o g r a p h y , residencies, g r e e n t e c h n o l o g y . "

It is d i f f i c u l t a n d d e m a n d i n g

work,

D e s i g n e r s s h o u l d e x p l o r e t h e possibili-

requiring a huge learning curve. G o o d administrators

ties f o r a r t w o r k s that weave t h r o u g h an entire transit line.

c o n n e c t t h e i r p r o g r a m s w i t h t h e design o r r e n o v a t i o n

T h i s s y s t e m - w i d e a p p r o a c h has b e e n t h w a r t e d in several

o f t h e e n t i r e transit system as well as t h e city a n d s u b -

cities by h a v i n g d i f f e r e n t architectural f i r m s f o r o n e line,

urban communities. Administrators must

ostensibly to "spread t h e w e a l t h " o f c o n t r a c t i n g o p p o r t u -

e d u c a t e t h e m s e l v e s a b o u t art, u r b a n d e s i g n , a r c h i t e c -

nities. O n e t e a m can best p r o v i d e an overall aesthetic.

ture, c o n s t r u c t i o n , c o m m u n i t y relations, a n d c o n s e r v a -

continually

A n arts-savvy oversight c o m m i t t e e c a n

t i o n . In W e n d y Feuer's w o r d s , " W e have t o take e a c h

h e l p b a l a n c e t h e artist's v i s i o n , t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e o f t h e

s i t u a t i o n as it is a n d t h i n k o f t h e b e s t s o l u t i o n t o a

system, and

p r o b l e m . S o m e t i m e s t e a m c o l l a b o r a t i o n is b e s t

community

or project expectations. A

c o m m i t t e e can b e a p o w e r f u l v o i c e f o r an art p r o g r a m ,

s o m e t i m e s it's n o t . T h a t ' s t h e r o l e w e

15

and

play—assessing

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

r a n g e s o f artists' i n v o l v e m e n t . E a c h p r o j e c t s h o u l d b e l o o k e d at individually," says C a r o l Valenta. S h e c a u t i o n s a g a i n s t f o l l o w i n g a n o t h e r city's m o d e l , a s e n t i m e n t shared by many.

T r a n s i t a g e n c i e s across t h e n a t i o n are a p p l a u d i n g t h e success o f p u b l i c art in t h e i r LRT systems.

P u b l i c e n t h u s i a s m is h i g h , a n d a n e c d o t a l e v i d e n c e p o i n t s t o a r e d u c t i o n in vandalism a n d an increase in s t e w a r d ship f o r n e i g h b o r h o o d stations. U s i n g a tiny f r a c t i o n o f p r o j e c t b u d g e t s , artists are a d d i n g a s e n s e o f b e a u t y , d e l i g h t , curiosity, a n d i d e n t i t y t o stations a n d systems W a s h i n g t o n Park Fences Project, t e m p o r a r y c o n s t r u c t i o n fence, W a s h i n g t o n P a r k Station, W e s t s i d e MAX Public A r t P r o g r a m ,

alike. A g e n c i e s t h a t e n t e r e d t h e w a t e r s t e n t a t i v e l y t e n

P o r t l a n d , O r e g . , 1995.

years ago are c a r r y i n g o n w i t h b e e f i e r b u d g e t s a n d m o r e

P h o t o c o u r t e s y R e b e c c a Banyas

staff. T h i s n e w a n d c o m p l e x p u b l i c art arena has s o m e significant challenges, b u t talk t o t h o s e w h o have b e e n

situations a n d a p p l y i n g o r a d a p t i n g existing m o d e l s o r

d e e p l y e n m e s h e d f o r t h e last t e n years a n d they'll tell

creating n e w approaches."

y o u e m p h a t i c a l l y that it's a r i d e well w o r t h t a k i n g . N e x t urgently

t i m e y o u ' r e in Los Angeles, N e w Jersey, Dallas, o r P o r t -

n e e d e d . " A d m i n i s t r a t o r s have t o b e m o r e self-critical,"

l a n d , see f o r y o u r s e l f . Artists are c h a n g i n g t h e t r a n s i t

says F e u e r . " W e have t o a d m i t w h a t ' s w o r k i n g a n d w h a t ' s

l a n d s c a p e all across t h e U n i t e d States.

Program

evaluations

are

n o t w o r k i n g , a n d m a k e c h a n g e s in o u r processes." T r i M e t in P o r t l a n d , O r e g o n a n d t h e FTA have p r o d u c e d

Interview participants

h e l p f u l e v a l u a t i o n s . 4 T h e r e is a also a critical n e e d f o r

ant, Via Partnership, St. Louis, Mo.; G r e g Bryla, architect,

included E m i l y B l u m e n f e l d , consult-

d i a l o g u e a m o n g e x p e r i e n c e d artists, d e s i g n e r s , e n g i -

Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin

neers, and administrators. Precious few opportunities

Fla.; Steve D u r r a n t , landscape architect, URS Corp.,

Min-

exist f o r s h a r i n g "lessons l e a r n e d . "

neapolis, Minn.;

Metro-

Artists, a d m i n i s t r a t o r s , a n d c o m m i t t e e s n e e d t o plan f r o m t h e b e g i n n i n g tor m a i n t a i n i n g a r t -

Lopez Rinehard,

Orlando,

Maya E m s d e n , Director, Metro Art,

politan Transportation Authority,

Los Angeles, Calif;

Wendy

F e u e r , public art consultant, New York City; G a r y H a r t n e t t ,

w o r k s . If p u b l i c a r t w o r k s are t o survive f o r any l e n g t h

architect,

o f t i m e in a transit e n v i r o n m e n t , e d u c a t i o n a b o u t m a t e -

scape architect, Sasaki Associates, Inc., San Francisco, Calif.;

rials, f a b r i c a t i o n , transit m a i n t e n a n c e practices, a n d c o n -

J a c k M a c k i e , artist, Seattle, Wash.; N o r i e Sato, artist, Seat-

s e r v a t i o n is n e c e s s a r y f o r e v e r y o n e i n v o l v e d . S p e c i f i c

tle, Wash.; Tad Savinar, artist, Portland, Oreg.; C a r o l

plans f o r m a i n t e n a n c e a n d c o n s e r v a t i o n m u s t b e w o v e n

Valenta, public art program manager, Sound Transit,

i n t o t h e process.

Wash.; Steve Willis, engineer, Carter and Burgess, Inc., P u b l i c art i n t r a n s i t is n o t r i g h t f o r

OTAK,

Inc., Portland, Oreg.; O w e n Lang, land-

Seattle,

Orlando, Fla.; and Karen W i r t h , artist, Minneapolis,

Minn.

e v e r y p u b l i c artist, j u s t as p u b l i c art is n o t r i g h t f o r every s t u d i o artist. "It's a h u g e l e a r n i n g c u r v e , " says M a c k i e . " I t ' s d i f f e r e n t f r o m p u b l i c art. It's m u c h m o r e

hard-

R e b e c c a Banyas m a n a g e d t h e public a r t p r o g r a m f o r T r i - M e t in P o r t l a n d , O r e g o n f o r six y e a r s and is a u t h o r of t h e Westside

Light Rail Public Art

Guide.

n o s e d ; y o u have t o u n d e r s t a n d a n d deal w i t h c o m p l e x

As a c o n s u l t a n t , s h e has h e l p e d establish public a r t p r o g r a m s f o r t r a n s i t

p o l i t i c a l a n d social e n v i r o n m e n t s . " T h a t s e n t i m e n t is

a g e n c i e s in Minneapolis, Cincinnati, D e n v e r , and B r e m e r t o n , W a s h i n g t o n .

e c h o e d by W i r t h , w h o a d d s t h a t it's o f t e n a l e a r n i n g c u r v e f o r architects, t o o . " Y o u have t o l e a r n a b o u t c o n 16

s t r u c t i o n a n d u n d e r s t a n d b o t h t h e limitations a n d possi-

Notes

1. Monograph, Public Art Funding,

4. Westside Light R a i l P u b l i c A r t

bilities w i t h i n t h e p r o j e c t . T h e r e are a h u g e n u m b e r of

A m e r i c a n s f o r t h e Arts, D e c e m b e r

P r o g r a m ; Lessons L e a r n e d R e p o r t ,

players w h o are n o t necessarily a t e a m , a n d t h e y all have

2000.

Tri-Met, Portland, Oreg.,January 25, 1999. Federal Transit A d m i n i s t r a -

a say a n d an i n v e s t m e n t . Y o u ' v e g o t t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e hierarchy. It is e x t r e m e l y c o m p l e x b u t r e w a r d i n g . " T h e best p u b l i c art is c o m i n g f r o m p r o -

2. Art ill Transit.. .Making it Happen, U.S. G o v e r n m e n t P r i n t i n g O f f i c e , P u b l i c a t i o n # 7 1 0 - 2 5 8 , 1996.

3. J o y c e K o z l o f f , " T h e K u d z u Effect (or:The Rise of a N e w Academy),"

line a n d every site w i t h i n that line deserves a fresh eye a n d a t a i l o r - m a d e plan. " T h e r e are o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r all

P u b l i c Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

17, 1995. ( w w w . f t a . d o t . g o v / f t a / library/program/)

g r a m s that foster i n n o v a t i o n a n d a variety o f a p p r o a c h e s to projects, d e p e n d i n g o n needs, t i m i n g , a n d goals. E v e r y

tion, Lessons L e a r n e d P r o g r a m , Lesson # 7 A r t s - i n - T r a n s i t , J a n u a r y

Public Art Review, 1996,41.

Fall/Winter

SUSTAINABLE ART?

Andrew

Guest

I

T MAY SEEM A TYPICALLY BRITISH A C H I E V E M E N T F O R A T I N Y O R G A N I Z A T I O N SET U P IN T H E LATE

1970s by a g r o u p o f c y c l i n g enthusiasts t o g r o w i n t o o n e o f t h e c o u n t r y ' s largest land d e v e l o p e r s a n d in less t h a n t w e n t y years d e l i v e r a ÂŁ 4 0 0 m i l l i o n ( $ 2 8 3 m i l l i o n )

n a t i o n w i d e d e v e l o p m e n t p r o j e c t . B u t f o r that s a m e o r g a n i z a t i o n also t o have b r o u g h t i n t o b e i n g t h e largest " c o l l e c t i o n " o f p u b l i c art in Britain is u n e x p e c t e d in a c o u n t r y w i t h a p a t c h y c o m m i t m e n t t o p u b l i c art.

Sustrans (short f o r sustainable t r a n s p o r t ) was established in Bristol in 1 9 7 7 to o p p o s e t h e a p p a r e n t l y u n s t o p p a b l e j u g g e r n a u t o f cars a n d l o r r i e s t a k i n g o v e r p u b l i c space in Britain. O t h e r f o r m s o f sustainable t r a n s p o r t such as canals a n d railways already h a d t h e i r v o l u n t e e r a r m i e s o f enthusiasts, b u t n o t so f o r bicycles. F u r t h e r m o r e , w h i l e t h e canal a n d railway societies w e r e generally b u i l t o n nostalgia t o r s t e a m , f o l k songs, a n d past t i m e s , Sustrans was a r e s o l u t e l y m o d e r n e n v i r o n m e n t a l

organization

w i t h a clear vision o f a b e t t e r society in t h e f u t u r e . As well as p r e a c h i n g , it was g o i n g t o practice, b e i n g i n t e n t i o n a l l y o r g a n i z e d t o b u i l d t h e p a t h s t h a t w o u l d e n a b l e p e o p l e t o get f r o m p o i n t A t o p o i n t B w h i l e s p e n d i n g less t i m e in t h e i r m o t o r car.

"People-centered design" b e c a m e fundamental to the construction of 6 , 5 0 0 miles o f b i c y c l e r o u t e s a n d paths built over t h e last t w e n t y - f i v e years. T h e a d d i t i o n o f art t o t h a t p r o j e c t o w e s m u c h t o t h e f o u n d e r o f Sustrans, J o h n G r i m s h a w . T h e d r i v i n g f o r c e b e h i n d Sustrans since its f o u n d a t i o n , G r i m s h a w (by t r a i n i n g an e n g i n e e r ) is h i m s e l f an i m a g i n a t i v e " m a k e r " a n d t h e c r e a t o r o f several o f t h e s t r u c t u r e s f o u n d o n Sustrans' paths. " S c u l p t u r e is t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t p a r t o f t h e p r o j e c t , " h e says, " a n d t h e r e is n o q u e s t i o n that w o r k i n g w i t h artists has i n f l u e n c e d t h e w o r k t h a t t h e e n g i n e e r s have d o n e . " S u s t r a n s sees t h r e e p a r t i c u l a r roles f o r art in c r e a t i n g p u b l i c spaces.

First, m o s t of t h e r o u t e s f o l l o w u n u s e d lines o f f o r m e r railways. Traveling at t h e s p e e d o f b i k e o r f o o t a c c e n t u a t e s t h e blandness o f t h e routes. A d d i n g n e w " f e a t u r e s " n o t o n l y attracts p e o p l e t o use t h e r o u t e s b u t also articulates t h e m f o r t h e n e w users. S c u l p t u r e s also b e c o m e h u m a n - s c a l e a d d i t i o n s that b a l a n c e t h e m o r e massive railway s t r u c t u r e s such as b r i d g e s a n d viaducts. S e c o n d , m a n y o f t h e a r t w o r k s take t h e f o r m o f seats o r s t o p p i n g p o i n t s , n o t o n l y f o r physical rest b u t also t o f o c u s a t t e n t i o n o n t h e s u r r o u n d i n g e n v i r o n m e n t — w h a t Sustrans calls t h e " t r a v e l i n g l a n d s c a p e . " T h i r d , Sustrans sees t h e transfer o f art f r o m t h e d o m e s t i c t o t h e p u b l i c e n v i r o n m e n t as, i n G r i m s h a w ' s w o r d s , " s e n d i n g t h e message that this place is also special" w i t h t h e result t h a t p e o p l e " w i l l l o o k after it as if it w e r e t h e i r private place." S t i m u l a t i n g b o t h m a x i m u m use a n d a sense o f o w n e r s h i p o n t h e part o f users is seen as key t o m a k i n g p a t h m a i n t e n a n c e sustainable.

Sustrans first v e n t u r e d i n t o substantial c o m m i s s i o n s f o r artists in 1 9 8 6 , w h e n m a j o r artists o f t h e t i m e s u c h as T o n y C r a g g , A n d y G o l d s w o r t h y , R i c h a r d H a r r i s , and David K e m p were commissioned to w o r k o n the route b e t w e e n C o n s e t t and S u n d e r l a n d in n o r t h e a s t E n g l a n d . T h i s p h a s e p r o d u c e d s o m e o f t h e m o s t f a m o u s w o r k s in t h e " c o l l e c t i o n , " such as Cragg's Terris Novalis

a n d G o l d s w o r t h y ' s Lambton

Earthwork,

a n d it w a s e n a b l e d largely t h r o u g h t h e s u p p o r t o f t h e r e g i o n a l arts f u n d i n g b o d y P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

( a b o v e ) Andy G o l d s w o r t h y , The Lambton

Worm,

N o r t h e r n Arts a n d t h e e n t h u s i a s m o f its t h e n d i r e c t o r Les H o o p e r . R e c a l l i n g this p e r i o d , G r i m s h a w a n d Katy

Sunderland, 1988.

P h o t o s c o u r t e s y Sustrans Picture LibraryŠ

H a l l e t t (overall art c o o r d i n a t o r f o r Sustrans)

remark

wistfully that t h e r e w e r e n o t so m a n y strings a t t a c h e d t o ( b e l o w ) David Kemp, The XVIII

Legion, Scotland, 1990.

P h o t o by KaiŠ, c o u r t e s y Sustrans Picture Library

m o n e y f o r p u b l i c c o m m i s s i o n i n g in t h o s e days. Artists could be directly invited w i t h o u t g o i n g t h r o u g h the l a b o r i o u s process o f p u b l i c c o n s u l t a t i o n , a n d p l a n n i n g

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

permission

was easier t o o b t a i n . " T h e

art was

not

t h o u g h t to b e any big deal; it j u s t h a p p e n e d as p a r t o f t h e j o b , " says G r i m s h a w .

O v e r t h e n e x t ten years, c o m m i s s i o n i n g t o o k a d i f f e r e n t t u r n , largely d u e t o t h e a b s e n c e o f such f r e e l y available p u b l i c f u n d s . D u r i n g this phase, o t h e r characteristics of t h e w o r k Sustrans c o m p l e t e d b e c a m e m o r e easily visible. M a n y w o r k s are m a d e w i t h recycled materials, w h e t h e r o f railway o r i g i n , such as w o o d e n a n d c o n c r e t e sleepers, o r d o n a t e d scrap of o t h e r kinds. Seats a b o u n d , and m a n y features were designed, made, and e r e c t e d by t h e p a t h - b u i l d i n g t e a m s themselves, led by a particularly enthusiastic r e g i o n a l e n g i n e e r .

By 1995 Sustrans h a d a c h i e v e d t h e i r b i g b r e a k , w i n n i n g £ 4 3 . 5 m i l l i o n f r o m Britain's n e w M i l -

( a b o v e ) Stefanie B o u r n e , Bothie-Memorial

l e n n i u m C o m m i s s i o n ( f u n d e d f r o m t h e sale o f L o t t e r y

Blackridge, Scotland, 1995.

tickets), t o create a

five-thousand-mile

National Cycle

to

Miners,

P h o t o by G.L. Jones©, c o u r t e s y Sustrans Picture Library

N e t w o r k . G r i m s h a w is sure that t h e organization's c o m -

( b e l o w ) T o n y Cragg, Terris Novalis,

m i t m e n t t o p u b l i c art played a large part in w i n n i n g t h e

Photos c o u r t e s y Sustrans Picture Library©

C o n s e t t - S u n d e r l a n d r o u t e , 1997.

m o n e y . £ 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 o f t h e a w a r d was d e s i g n a t e d f o r art c o m m i s s i o n i n g , a n d five r e g i o n a l arts c o o r d i n a t o r s w e r e

W i t h the national n e t w o r k

complete

appointed throughout the United K i n g d o m . T o keep up

a n d leaflets, m a p s , a n d g u i d e b o o k s b e g i n n i n g t o a p p e a r ,

with the engineering schedule, the coordinators were

it is n o w possible f o r t h e first t i m e t o see a p i c t u r e o f t h e

o b l i g e d t o w o r k quickly, w h i l e at t h e same t i m e raising

a r t w o r k t h a t was c r e a t e d as an o u t c o m e o f this phase.

f u n d s to m a t c h t h e L o t t e r y m o n e y a n d a t t e m p t i n g t o

H o w e v e r , m o s t o f t h e w o r k d o e s n o t l o o k its best in t h e

fulfill t h e L o t t e r y ' s r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t i m e - c o n s u m i n g

c o n t e x t o f a p r i n t e d c a t a l o g u e . I m a g e s pile u p in a j u m -

"public consultation."

bled s e q u e n c e o f styles a n d tactics saying (generally o n a

m t m ( a b o v e ) Katy Hallet, Willow

Walk, G l a s t o n b u r y , 1999.

P h o t o by Katy Hallet©, c o u r t e s y Sustrans Picture Library ( b e l o w ) Jim P a r t r i d g e and Liz Walmsley, Sleeper

n u m b e r s o f p e o p l e t o use t h e p a t h s w h o w o u l d

not

already b e d o i n g so.

Staff r a n g e r f o r S u s t r a n s i n S c o t l a n d ,

Seat,

Bristol and Bath r o u t e , 1990.

D e r e k M u l l i n s , says t h a t t h e m o s t p o p u l a r w o r k s are t h e

P h o t o c o u r t e s y Sustrans Picture Library©

o n e s c h i l d r e n can i n t e r a c t w i t h , s u c h as D a v i d K e m p ' s XVII

Legion o n t h e Glasgow-Paisley r o u t e . T h e o t h e r s ,

l o w b u d g e t ) " l o o k at m e " o r " s t o p here." F o r m is o f t e n

says M u l l i n s , are "at w o r s t i g n o r e d . " H o w e v e r , it w o u l d

uncomfortably married with function. But for the pant-

b e w r o n g t o i g n o r e t h e role n o w o f t e n played by artists

i n g cyclist o r t h e c h i l d - c a r i n g p a r e n t , a r t w o r k s p r o v i d e

as ambassadors f o r t h e paths w h i l e c r e a t i n g t h e a r t w o r k s ,

m a r k e r s a l o n g t h e way, relief f r o m t h e blandness o f t h e

w o r k i n g w i t h c h i l d r e n a n d o t h e r g r o u p s in t h e c o m m u -

r o u t e o r surface, a n d a d i v e r t i n g o p p o r t u n i t y f o r a c l i m b

nity. B u t c o u l d that have h a p p e n e d separately, a n d as p a r t

or a conversation.

of a m a r k e t i n g r a t h e r t h a n an art activity?

T h e m o s t s u c c e s s f u l w o r k s are t h o s e

As overall c o m m i s s i o n e r , S u s t r a n s is

that a i m at a s i m p l e f u n c t i o n a l i t y , are well d e s i g n e d , a n d

aware that standards o f c o m m i s s i o n i n g b e c a m e p a t c h y

u s e s i m p l e m a t e r i a l s . J i m P a r t r i d g e a n d Liz W a l m s l e y

d u r i n g t h e L o t t e r y b o o m , a n d t h e y base t h e i r c u r r e n t

h a v e d e s i g n e d a v a r i e t y o f p l e a s i n g seat s t r u c t u r e s , as

c o m m i s s i o n i n g p r o g r a m o n a n e w t e m p l a t e that is n o w

have K e i t h R a n d a n d K a t y Hallett. R i c h a r d H a r r i s c o n -

b e i n g i m p l e m e n t e d in five areas o f B r i t a i n , w i t h t h r e e

t i n u e s t o m a k e stylish e a r t h w o r k s . In S c o t l a n d , S t e f a n i e

m o r e areas in t h e p i p e l i n e . S t a r t - u p f u n d s c o m e f r o m a

B o u r n e r e c y c l e d a p p r o p r i a t e m a t e r i a l s — r o a d signs a n d

n e w p o t of arts L o t t e r y m o n e y , w i t h each area w o r k i n g

coal b l o c k s — t o special e f f e c t i n t w o w o r k s at M o f f a t

o n a total b u d g e t o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y £ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 . T h e t e m -

a n d B l a c k r i d g e . W o r k s such as t h e s e (particularly t h e f o r -

plate i n c o r p o r a t e s t h r e e e l e m e n t s . A lead artist will w o r k

m e r ) are m o r e c o m f o r t a b l e in t h e i r c o n t e x t a n d m a n a g e

o n e a c h s e c t i o n t o d e v e l o p an overall c o n c e p t a n d will

t o avoid t h e a c c u s a t i o n o f alien i n t r u s i o n o f t e n m a d e by

b r i n g in o t h e r artists as h e o r she sees fit. T h i s will b e

t h o s e w h o d o n o t e x p e c t t o f i n d all t h e h a r d w a r e o f s c u l p t u r e in w h a t is usually a natural e n v i r o n m e n t .

20

B u t d o e s t h e art s t i m u l a t e a g r e a t e r s e n s e o f o w n e r s h i p a n d e n c o u r a g e m o r e use o f t h e paths? T h e r e is n o d o u b t that t h e paths are well used. I n its first year, t h e r o u t e f r o m t h e C u m b r i a n C o a s t t o t h e N o r t h Sea was used by 1 0 , 0 0 0 cyclists, w h o s p e n t an estimated £ 1 million w h i l e there. Very f e w a r t w o r k s have s u f f e r e d v a n d a l i s m , w h i c h i m p l i e s t h a t a t t i t u d e s m u s t b e generally positive. B u t t h e r e is n o e v i d e n c e yet that t h e p r e s e n c e o f t h e a r t w o r k s e n c o u r a g e s significant

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

m M p *

a c c o m p a n i e d b y w o r k i n g w i t h c o m m u n i t i e s o f users in

J o a n n e Hatty, Blue

Frame.

River Lagan, N o r t h e r n Ireland, 2000.

t h e area o f t h e r o u t e , c o u p l e d w i t h t h e local c o n s u l t a t i o n

P h o t o c o u r t e s y Sustrans Picture LibraryŠ

p r o c e s s . Also, f u n d s are set aside f o r m a r k e t i n g so t h a t p e o p l e k n o w w h a t is g o i n g o n . A p o o l o f f o r t y artists has

with the route engineers, w o r k with the fundamentals of

b e e n chosen by a c o m m i t t e e of eleven f r o m responses to

cutting and e m b a n k m e n t , and perhaps provide

n a t i o n a l a d v e r t i s e m e n t s . L e a d artists will b e d r a w n f r o m

w a y s t o v a r y t h e r o u t e s u r f a c e s , p a r t i c u l a r l y w h e r e it is

this p o o l , w i t h o t h e r artists m a t c h e d t o o p p o r t u n i t i e s as

e n d l e s s t a r m a c . Artists c o u l d also tease o u t m y s t e r y f r o m

t h e y arise.

e x i s t i n g s t r u c t u r e s s u c h as p l a t f o r m , s i d i n g , a n d A l t h o u g h t h e n a t u r e o f a Sustrans art

p r o j e c t is b e c o m i n g

more

variable, certain

criteria

more

work-

man's hut, and provide arresting features w i t h o u t feeling o b l i g e d t o c o n t i n u a l l y c o n j u r e u p n e w feats o f artistry.

r e m a i n the same. Any w o r k c o m m i s s i o n e d m u s t b e p e r -

F o r all its i n s p i r a t i o n a n d b r i l l i a n c e , t h e

m a n e n t a n d r e q u i r e l o w m a i n t e n a n c e , t h e artists m u s t b e

ÂŁ 4 0 0 million National Cycle N e t w o r k may be looked

in s y m p a t h y w i t h S u s t r a n s ' a i m s , " u n s u s t a i n a b l e " w o r k s

b a c k o n i n t w e n t y years as m e r e l y a w a r m - u p f o r a m o r e

(e.g., t h o s e u s i n g e l e c t r i c i t y ) w i l l n o t b e f a v o r e d , a n d , in

f u n d a m e n t a l s h i f t i n g o f t r a n s p o r t h a b i t s . S u s t r a n s is n o w

Katy H a l l e t t ' s w o r d s , " w o r k w h i c h d o e s n ' t r e l a t e q u i t e

looking ahead to the need for further programs to curb

q u i c k l y t o p e o p l e t r a v e l l i n g o n t h e p a t h " is n o t l o o k e d

t h e car a n d e n c o u r a g e c i v i l i z e d u s e o f p u b l i c s p a c e in

for. " I ' d like a n artist w e are w o r k i n g w i t h t o t h i n k v e r y

B r i t a i n ' s c r o w d e d c i t i e s . T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n has a f o r m i d a -

carefully about relating the w o r k to the

environment

ble r e s e a r c h a n d i n f o r m a t i o n m i s s i o n a n d is d e t e r m i n e d

a n d t o t h e p e o p l e u s i n g it," H a l l e t t says. "I w o u l d like it

t o w o r k w i t h as m a n y p a r t n e r s as p o s s i b l e t o m a x i m i z e

t o b e q u i t e c h a l l e n g i n g , b u t if it is t o o o b s c u r e , it's n o t

t h e b e n e f i t s in h e a l t h , e n v i r o n m e n t , a n d o t h e r areas t h a t

r i g h t f o r us."

will r e s u l t f r o m p e o p l e ' s c l o s e r p r o x i m i t y t o p u b l i c t r a n s gave

port hubs and increased walking or cycling to w o r k and

meaningfully

s c h o o l . T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n has j u s t w o n a g r a n t o f ÂŁ 7 . 4

It w o u l d b e g o o d if t h i s p h a s e o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r artists t o c o l l a b o r a t e

m i l l i o n t o f o c u s its c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t w o n e w

central

g o v e r n m e n t initiatives: "Sale R o u t e s to S c h o o l s " a n d " H o m e z o n e s . " T h i s p h a s e will see S u s t r a n s w o r k i n g in

21

p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h health d e p a r t m e n t s , city planners, a n d u r b a n t r a n s p o r t s p e c i a l i s t s . S i m i l a r l y , it c h a l l e n g e s t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n t o w o r k w i t h i n n o v a t i v e artists a n d p r o f e s sional

art-commissioning bodies to truly integrate O J C artists' c o n t r i b u t i o n s i n t o t h e p u b l i c s p a c e s o f t h e f u t u r e .

A n d r e w G u e s t is d i r e c t o r of t h e Scottish Sculpture T r u s t and a f r e e l a n c e w r i t e r and p r o j e c t manager.

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

ART IN FLIGHT

Megan Wilson

I

R E M E M B E R T H E FIRST TIME I REALLY N O T I C E D T H E PUBLIC SPACE OF AN A I R P O R T . A B O U T FIFTEEN

years ago, I was w a l k i n g t h r o u g h a c o r r i d o r at C h i c a g o O ' H a r e a n d e n c o u n t e r e d a light installation by M i c h a e l H a y d e n in t h e U n i t e d Airlines t e r m i n a l t h a t c r e a t e d

t h e sense o f a t u n n e l . I loved it. T h e a t m o s p h e r e it c r e a t e d s e e m e d so s o p h i s t i c a t e d a n d a l i v e — d i f f e r e n t f r o m h o w I was a c c u s t o m e d t o e x p e r i e n c i n g a i r p o r t s as c o l d , b o r i n g , a n d g e n e r i c . T h e installation was later r e m o v e d d u e t o n e g a t i v e f e e d b a c k .

It's h a r d t o say w h a t m y r e s p o n s e t o this w o r k w o u l d b e n o w , b u t w h a t was i m p o r t a n t t h e n was t h e awareness it b r o u g h t t o m y u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f p u b l i c space.

A f t e r this pleasantly s u r p r i s i n g i n c i d e n t , I b e c a m e m u c h m o r e a t t u n e d t o h o w I felt in t h e p u b l i c d o m a i n o f air travel. As an artist, this awareness has b e c o m e a l m o s t s e c o n d n a t u r e . For m a n y p e o p l e , h o w e v e r , t h e i m p a c t o f civic s u r r o u n d i n g s o n o n e ' s i n n e r state is p r o b a b l y n o t u n d e r s t o o d in t e r m s o f d e l i b e r a t e design. Yet, t h e p o w e r o f s u c h c o n structs can m e a n t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n b e g i n n i n g a t r i p w i t h h o p e a n d g r e a t e x p e c t a tions o r w i t h stress a n d anxiety. It can also m e a n t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n p e r c e i v i n g a city as dull a n d c r a m p e d versus lively a n d e n g a g i n g .

In 1994 t h e San Francisco I n t e r n a t i o n a l A i r p o r t u n d e r t o o k a $ 2 . 4 b i l lion e x p a n s i o n o f its facilities t o m e e t t h e d e m a n d s o f i n c r e a s i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l air t r a f fic, i n c l u d i n g a n e w 2 . 5 m i l l i o n square f o o t (the e q u i v a l e n t o f t h i r t y - f i v e f o o t b a l l fields) I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e r m i n a l , t h e largest s u c h facility in N o r t h A m e r i c a . As p a r t o f this large p r o j e c t , t h e A i r p o r t Arts P r o g r a m c o m m i s s i o n e d s e v e n t e e n n e w w o r k s o f art t h r o u g h t h e San Francisco Arts C o m m i s s i o n in a c c o r d w i t h t h e city's p e r c e n t f o r art o r d i n a n c e , w h i c h p r o v i d e s an art e n r i c h m e n t allocation e q u a l t o 2 p e r c e n t o f a n e w o r r e n o v a t e d civic structure's c o n s t r u c t i o n cost. T h e total b u d g e t f o r t h e art ( i n c l u d i n g a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ) was $ 1 1 . 1 m i l l i o n , w i t h i n d i v i d u a l p i e c e s r a n g i n g in c o s t f r o m $ 9 1 , 3 8 9 t o $ 1 , 6 3 8 , 6 3 7 . I n c l u d e d are w o r k s by V i t o A c c o n c i . J u a n a Alicia a n d E m m a n u e l M o n t o y a , S q u e a k C a r n w a t h , J a m e s C a r p e n t e r , E n r i q u e C h a g o y a , Lewis d e S o t o , Viola Frey, S u ( t o p ) A n n P r e s t o n , You Were in Heaven,

C h e n H u n g , M i l d r e d H o w a r d , J o y c e K o z l o f f , R u p e r t Garcia, C a r m e n L o m a s G a r z a ,

C o n c o u r s e A,

San F r a n c i s c o I n t e r n a t i o n a l

A n n P r e s t o n , L a r r y S u l t a n a n d M i k e M a n d e l , R i g o 02, a n d K e i t h S o n n i e r .

T h e result is impressive. Seven o f t h e w o r k s are large-scale installations

Terminal, 2 0 0 0 .

P h o t o by Lewis W a t t s

that have b e e n i n t e g r a t e d i n t o t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e . T h e s e i n c l u d e C a l i f o r n i a artist A n n P r e ston's You Were in Heaven, an elegant, c l o u d - l i k e , s c u l p t u r a l wall p i e c e m a d e f r o m f i b e r -

( m i d d l e ) Entrance t o San F r a n c i s c o I n t e r n a t i o n a l

glass a n d installed o n five s i x t y - f o o t c u r v i n g c o n c a v e w a l l s . T h e w o r k was c h o s e n f o r its

Terminal.

r e l a x i n g a n d r e j u v e n a t i n g effects as a respite b e t w e e n a traveler's l o n g flight a n d u p c o m -

P h o t o by Richard Barnes

( b e l o w ) James Carpenter, Four Sculptural

Light

Reflectors,

San F r a n c i s c o I n t e r n a t i o n a l Terminal, 2 0 0 1 .

P h o t o by Richard Barnes

23

i n g i m m i g r a t i o n lines. Artist J a m e s C a r p e n t e r w o r k e d w i t h t h e m a i n t e r m i n a l ' s design t e a m to d e v e l o p a series o f l i g h t - d i f f u s i n g tensile s c u l p t u r e s t h a t are i n t e g r a t e d w i t h t h e skylights a n d central trusses o f t h e m a i n t e r m i n a l r o o f . T h e b i l l o w i n g s t r u c t u r e s r e i n f o r c e t h e idea o f t h e n e w I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e r m i n a l as a visual m e t a p h o r f o r flight. San F r a n c i s c o - b a s e d artist S u - C h e n H u n g c r e a t e d a n installation o n t h e arrivals level t h a t i n c o r p o r a t e s c o l l o q u i a l g r e e t i n g s in over o n e h u n d r e d l a n g u a g e s cast in f i v e - f o o t p r i s m a t i c glass slabs.

P u b l i c Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

EEHfflsE

-i

• " • ^ a w s s

• ? m Hi_ JilSil m •J3JSIB J 3 B » W I A t i i

' "nSffl'

"

!«UJ -si"..JOSE IBuoirj

' V 5 . 0 a i l 5 i n j . - J - !

(left) Ik-Joong Kang,

Gateway,

San Francisco International Terminal, 2000. ( a b o v e ) Ik-Joong Kang, Gateway, detail Photos by Lewis Watts

T h e r e m a i n i n g eleven w o r k s are smaller

between the airport and the Arts Commission,

selecting the

m u s e u m - q u a l i t y pieces in a variety of m e d i a . K o r e a n -

artists in conjunction with committees from the Arts

b o r n N e w York artist I k - J o o n g K a n g d r e w o n personal

sion and the Airport Commission,

m e m o r i e s , e x p e r i e n c e s , a n d reflections to create

with the general contractor and construction management

Gate-

way, an intricate and impressive c o m p o s i t e of f i f t y - f o u r h u n d r e d separate images on t h r e e - i n c h square canvases, ceramic

tiles, w o o d b l o c k s , a n d cast acrylic

cubes

installed in a g r i d f o r m a t i o n . jBaile!, by San Francisco artist C a r m e n

Lomas Garza, transforms the fragile

m e d i u m of p a p e r c u t o u t s i n t o laser-cut c o p p e r f o r m s , m o u n t e d on panels of cobalt blue p o w d e r - c o a t e d steel.

T h e w o r k , inspired by the artistic traditions of M e x i c a n a n d C h i n e s e tissue p a p e r c u t o u t s , is a lively i m a g e of M e x i c a n f o l k l o r i c dancers.

I was i n t e r e s t e d to l e a r n m o r e a b o u t this a m b i t i o u s p u b l i c p r o j e c t a n d c u r i o u s w h e t h e r the participants' e x p e r i e n c e s reflected the s m o o t h e x t e r i o r o f t h e final p r o d u c t . I also w o n d e r e d a b o u t the effects of S e p t e m b e r 11 a n d h o w n e w s e c u r i t y m e a s u r e s have reflected o n t h e p r o j e c t . To that e n d , I talked w i t h three o f the p e o p l e directly involved w i t h the project.

24 • • •

SUSAN PONTIOUS, PUBLIC ART PROGRAM MANAGER

Susan Pontious has twenty-two

years of experience as a spe-

cialist in developing public art programs. Since 1990 she has been a curator and senior project manager for the San Francisco Art Commission's

Public Art Program. Her responsibilities for

the SFO project included forming an Airport Art Steering mittee (AASC), developing a memorandum Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

of

Com-

understanding

Commis-

coordinating art installation team,

and developing a master plan.

M e g a n W i l s o n : W h a t do you see the role of art to b e at the airport, specifically these n e w works?

Susan P o n t i o u s : T h e art a n d a r c h i t e c -

Pontious: Coordinating eighteen proj-

ture soften and h u m a n i z e t h e space. I also t h i n k that a

ects at o n c e , s o m e v e r y c o m p l i c a t e d , i n t o t h e c o n s t r u c -

place like the a i r p o r t is p r o m o t i n g the culture of y o u r

t i o n o f t h e a i r p o r t . Perhaps t h e m o s t difficult was t h e

city and the r e g i o n . So I think t h e a i r p o r t is w h e r e a city

installation of J a m e s C a r p e n t e r ' s structural steel, w h i c h

makes its first and last impression; t h e art is part of e n s u r -

had to b e attached to t h e b o w trusses of t h e central s k y -

i n g that that impression is a g o o d o n e . T h e i n t e n t of art

lights, n i n e t y f e e t in t h e air. W e w a n t e d t o attach t h e

at SFO is to celebrate and p r o m o t e San Francisco and the

pieces b e f o r e t h e y e r e c t e d t h e trusses. W e c o u l d n ' t d o

Bay Area as a place t h a t is s o p h i s t i c a t e d , e t h n i c a l l y

that, so w e h a d to wait until t h e trusses w e r e u p a n d t h e n

diverse, and culturally vibrant.

h a d to hire u n i o n installers.

Wilson:

Were

there

guidelines

W i l s o n : Did you look for other proj-

the

artists were asked to follow?

P o n t i o u s : In general, proposals h a d to

ects, such as the D e n v e r a i r p o r t , to serve as m o d e l s f o r t h e public art process?

Pontious:

w o r k w i t h i n the operational realities of the airport; the w o r k had to b e m a i n t a i n a b l e . W e asked artists to consider

We

looked

at

Denver's

process b u t rejected it early o n as a m o d e l . It s e e m e d t o o

that the w o r k w o u l d be v i e w e d by a very diverse a u d i -

chaotic. I t h i n k t h e process w e used was p r e t t y m u c h t h e

ence. All w o r k had to m e e t ADA physical access r e q u i r e -

process w e use o n all o u r p u b l i c art projects, t h e m a i n

m e n t s . T h e projects designed for t h e gate r o o m walls had

difference b e i n g scale.

W i l s o n : Was t h e process effective?

to use materials that w o u l d n o t d e g r a d e w h e n e x p o s e d to high light levels. Also, s o m e a d j u s t m e n t s in i m a g e r y

P o n t i o u s : Yes. I believe it was effective

were necessary to m a k e projects a p p r o p r i a t e for the air-

because w e established t h e g r o u n d rules early o n so that

p o r t e n v i r o n m e n t . For example, M i l d r e d H o w a r d ' s first

t h e r e was a clear p r o c e s s . T h e p a r t i c i p a t i o n of h i g h - r a n k -

proposal had to b e a b a n d o n e d because h e r pile of suit-

i n g individuals f r o m t h e a i r p o r t o n t h e

cases r e m i n d e d p e o p l e of a crash site.

that t h e c o m m i t t e e ' s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s w e r e a d o p t e d .

W i l s o n : W h a t were the m o s t c h a l l e n g ing aspects of the project?

ensured

AASC

S u p p o r t o f t h e airport's p r o j e c t m a n a g e r s e n s u r e d that issues relating to t h e c o o r d i n a t i o n o f t h e artists' w o r k w i t h the architects and the general contractor were

C a r m e n Lomas Garza, iBaile!, C o n c o u r s e G,

facilitated a n d resolved appropriately.

W i l s o n : H o w have S e p t e m b e r 11 a n d

San Francisco International Terminal, 1999.

Photo by Lewis Watts

c u r r e n t policies at t h e a i r p o r t c h a n g e d t h e project? D o y o u t h i n k those changes will affect f u t u r e public works?

P o n t i o u s : It m a k e s t h i n g s m o r e d i f f i cult, w h i c h is u n f o r t u n a t e . T h e b o a r d i n g areas are n o l o n g e r accessible by persons n o t h a v i n g a valid ticket. O f course, t h e w o r k s are still seen by t h o u s a n d s o f p e o p l e o n a daily basis. It is t o o early to say w h a t effect this m a y have o n f u t u r e works.

RIGO 0 2 , ARTIST

Portuguese-bom

Rigo Gouveia,

whose official artist's

changes with each new year; drew on traditional stone mosaic and a community

name

Portuguese

art philosophy for his gate room

wall portrait of a youth engrossed in painting a circle. The work is an outgrowth

of an earlier mural ( C o l o r s ) that Rigo 02

25

painted on Balmy Alley, a narrow one-block stretch in the heart of San Francisco's culturally diverse Mission

district.

Rigo is well known for his large-scale murals that subvert the ubiquitous

iconography of street signs to communicate

greater

social concerns. For instance, his public mural O n e T r e e , a wall-size painting at Ninth

and Bryant Streets in San Fran-

cisco, is modeled after a one-way sign and points to an actual tree along one of the main routes to the Bay Bridge. Rigo has shown widely in the Bay Area, including

the San Francisco

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

Rigo 99, Thinking

W i l s o n : W h a t was the process used d u r -

of Balmy Alley, C o n c o u r s e G,

San Francisco International Terminal, 1999.

i n g this p r o j e c t ? D i d y o u m e e t w i t h the architects or

P h o t o by Craig Mole

o t h e r artists?

R i g o 0 2 : T h e r e wasn't m u c h d i a l o g u e Buena

b e t w e e n t h e artists that I ' m aware of. W e got to see each

Center for the Arts, UC Berkeley, and many public projects;

other's proposals, the ones p r e s e n t e d to t h e Arts C o m -

and abroad, including the creation of a series of stone mosaics

mission. We never m e t w i t h the architects, b u t mostly

on a pedestrian

w o r k e d w i t h Susan ( P o n t i o u s ) a b o u t t h e f a b r i c a t i o n ,

Museum

EXPO

of Modern Art, Gallery Paule Anglim,Yerba

walkway

in Lisbon,

Portugal,

as part

of

98's Urban Art Project. Most recently he exhibited in

w o r k time, and w h e n w e c o u l d be there.

New York City with the Deitch Project.

W i l s o n : W h a t d o y o u think the role of art is at t h e airport?

T h e initial c o m m u n i t y f o r t h e w o r k e n d e d u p b e i n g the c o n s t r u c t i o n w o r k e r s at the a i r p o r t .

T h e y offered b o t h criticism and e n d o r s e m e n t . O n e guy

Rigo 0 2 : C o m p a r e d to o t h e r airports I

p r e d i c t e d there w o u l d b e an incredible o u t c r y w h e n t h e

k n o w , t h e art is clearly m o r e p r o m i n e n t in this o n e . I

a i r p o r t o p e n e d to the public because I was p a i n t i n g a

t h i n k that's a positive t h i n g . It gives art a role that's m o r e

t a g g e r — a graffiti artist. A lot o f p e o p l e asked w h y I

t h a n j u s t d e c o r a t i v e — a t least it's like glorified d e c o r a -

wasn't d o i n g the G o l d e n Gate B r i d g e — s o m e t h i n g m o r e

tive. T h e a i r p o r t itself is so vast that the art m i g h t f u n c -

"San Francisco." So t h e n begins this dialogue that will

t i o n as s o m e t h i n g y o u u n e x p e c t e d l y r u n i n t o as y o u

ideally lead to g r o w t h on b o t h sides. At the e n d there

walk a r o u n d .

was a clear b o n d .

W i l s o n : D i d t h e process go s m o o t h l y

W i l s o n : D o you t h i n k the art acts as a s t a n d - a l o n e rather than j u s t as a b a c k d r o p ?

Rigo 0 2 : I think b o t h things happen,

for you?

Rigo 0 2 : It did go pretty smoothly, aside

a n d s o m e responsibility lies w i t h t h e artists to address

f r o m the initial reaction to t h e design. I s u b m i t t e d t w o

t h e c o n t e x t o f the p u b l i c space a n d n o t j u s t have t h e

designs. T h e o n e that wasn't selected was a y o u n g girl

o u t c o m e b e a translation f r o m studio w o r k .

w i t h l o n g braids sitting o n t h e f r o n t steps of a h o u s e

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

reading a s u p e r h e r o c o m i c b o o k a n d w e a r i n g a s u p e r -

Rigo 98. Super Heroine

h e r o mask. I liked that design b e t t e r t h a n the o n e they

original design f o r San Francisco International Terminal,

chose, b u t t h e y t h o u g h t s o m e p e o p l e m i g h t t h i n k she

in the

Making,

n e e d l e p o i n t rug by artist's m o t h e r Zita Gouveia, 1998.

P h o t o c o u r t e s y Megan Wilson

was a hijacker. Also, she had a skateboard b e h i n d her, and they t h o u g h t there was s o m e t h i n g k i n d of phallic a b o u t of

Rigo 0 2 : I t h i n k so. I ' m definitely satis-

b o u n d s because t h e y s u p p o r t e d the idea that kids are a

fied w i t h t h e way m y p r o j e c t t u r n e d o u t , t h e e x p e r i e n c e

threat. I did like that the w o r k they chose, the kid p a i n t -

o f d o i n g the w o r k , the final result, and the p r e s e n c e it

the skateboard. I think their concerns were out

ing, sort of f u n c t i o n e d as an a d v e r t i s e m e n t for art.

W i l s o n : W h a t w e r e the m o s t challengi n g aspects of the project?

has there. I t h i n k t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g o f a street p r e s e n c e o r c o m i c b o o k p r e s e n c e a b o u t it. In t e r m s of t h e overall presence t h e art has there, I t h i n k it's successful. I ' m sure

Rigo 0 2 : T h e t i m e and the labor intensity

it c o u l d b e better. In t e r m s of t h e art that was h a p p e n i n g

w e r e trying. Also, I was w o r k i n g w i t h t w o professional tile

in San Francisco t h e n , t h e w o r k s at t h e a i r p o r t d o n ' t

setters and eventually b r o u g h t in a third p e r s o n , so I felt I

r e f l e c t e v e r y t h i n g t h a t was g o i n g o n . T h e r e isn't any

had to m a n a g e t h e i r e n t h u s i a s m — o r lack t h e r e o f — f o r

v i d e o - b a s e d w o r k o r different m e d i a . T h e r e ' s n o sexual-

t h e process. W h e n w e started it was really slow. W e started

ity or n i g h t c u l t u r e expressed o r celebrated in any o f t h e

in July of 1999 a n d by the third o r f o u r t h day they w e r e

w o r k s , and that's a b i g part o f San Francisco identity.

asking w h a t I was g o i n g to b e d o i n g for Christmas. I said I'd b e g o i n g back to Portugal, a n d they said no, no, w e t h i n k you're g o i n g to b e h e r e setting tiles. So it was a big

W i l s o n : W h a t do you think about the effect of S e p t e m b e r 11 o n t h e p r o j e c t ?

R i g o 0 2 : As s o c i e t y tries t o

address

j o k e w h e t h e r w e w e r e ever g o i n g to finish. O f course I

g a n g v i o l e n c e as s o m e t h i n g w e s h o u l d b e c o n c e r n e d

w a n t e d t h e m to be in a g o o d m o o d a n d believe in the

a b o u t , wars b e t w e e n c o u n t r i e s a n d aggressive t u r f - g r a b -

project, w h i c h h a p p e n e d at t h e e n d .

b i n g attitudes are causing v i o l e n c e . So I t h i n k g a n g v i o -

W i l s o n : D i d y o u feel like t h e p r o j e c t was a success—for you a n d overall?

l e n c e has spread f r o m safely r e m o t e societal areas like blighted i n n e r cities to t h e m o s t sanctified realm o f the

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

Mildred H o w a r d , Salty Peanuts, C o n c o u r s e A,

W i l s o n : W h a t role d o you see t h e art

San Francisco International Terminal, 2000.

h a v i n g at the airport?

P h o t o by Craig Mole

O v e r s t r e e t : It's an e n r i c h e d space. T h e art adds to the quality of t h e space. It's an abstract qual-

W o r l d T r a d e C e n t e r . T h e turf wars of i n n e r - c i t y gangs

ity of life that's hard to articulate. You have it, you may

have spread to t h e e x t e n t that w e n e e d to have a r m e d

n o t n o t i c e it all the time, b u t if y o u d o n ' t have it, you

soldiers patrolling t h e airports because we're afraid the

n o t i c e it. W e take so m a n y things for g r a n t e d , and art is

o t h e r g a n g m i g h t attack. I t h i n k it's a step b a c k w a r d in

s o m e t h i n g that improves t h e quality of one's life.

t e r m s of w h a t k i n d of p u b l i c space w e ' r e allowed to have. T h i n g s always felt m u c h m o r e p a r a n o i d in L o n don or Israel—the constant security

W i l s o n : W h a t c r i t e r i a w e r e used

in

selecting the artists?

reminders—and

O v e r s t r e e t : We l o o k e d at a public space

n o w it's here. So I guess the f u t u r e is a little less Utopian

w h e r e diverse p e o p l e w o u l d c o m e . W e l o o k e d at pieces

n o w t h a n it was a f e w years ago. Instead o f this place

w e t h o u g h t w o u l d m a k e a positive s t a t e m e n t a b o u t San

w h e r e p e o p l e f r o m different nations can s h o p t o g e t h e r

F r a n c i s c o a n d its c u l t u r e . W e l o o k e d at t h i n g s

we

a n d get to k n o w each other's cultures, p e o p l e are n o w

t h o u g h t w o u l d fit well w i t h the a i r p o r t e n v i r o n m e n t . I

p a r a n o i d , l o o k i n g over t h e i r s h o u l d e r s . It's a m u c h

didn't w a n t to have a n y t h i n g in o u r area that was g o i n g

m o r e O r w e l l i a n space.

to b e h i g h m a i n t e n a n c e b e c a u s e n o p u b l i c a g e n c y is g o i n g to maintain it, and the a i r p o r t can't m a i n t a i n it.

28

W i l s o n : H o w m u c h contact did you

HARRY L. OVERSTREET, GERSON/OVERSTREET ARCHITECTS

The Airport

Commission

throughout the International with architectural

wanted a consistent design Terminal. Thus, C/o

collaborated

O v e r s t r e e t : We had regular meetings. 1 r e m e m b e r A n n (Preston) c o m i n g i n t o the office five or

Boarding Area G to develop a common exterior building vocab-

six times as she developed her c o n c e p t . T h e r e was c o n -

ulary for window

mechanical, and electrical

c e r n if a fire t o o k place w h e t h e r any t o x i c m a t e r i a l

building systems, while encouraging each architect to explore his

w o u l d be released. W e w e r e also c o n c e r n e d a b o u t its

or her own expression of the interior volume in order to produce

w e i g h t and if it w o u l d fit w i t h i n the b u i l d i n g f r a m e . So

wall, structural,

and richness reflective of the diverse

dynamic flavor of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

Terminal

have w i t h the artists?

and

variety, interest,

teams for the International

theme

and

there was a lot of collaboration that was n o t i m p a c t i n g h e r c o n c e p t as such b u t that led to a b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d -

ing o f w h a t she was g o i n g to do. A n d I think that was

N o w m u c h of the w o r k will o n l y b e seen by t h e passen-

t r u e n o t only w i t h A n n , b u t also w i t h most of the artists.

gers. It's n o l o n g e r a gallery.

With Mildred (Howard) we had to work with

W i l s o n : Was t h e p r o j e c t a success?

her

O v e r s t r e e t : I t h i n k it was a f a b u l o u s

design to m a k e sure that w e had t h e s t r u c t u r e p r e p a r e d

p r o j e c t . San Francisco puts a h i g h value o n its culture.

for the w o r k .

W i l s o n : D i d you look at any o t h e r airports d u r i n g this process?

T h e a i r p o r t reinforces that. You l o o k a r o u n d San F r a n cisco and there's so m u c h emphasis placed o n t h e arts

O v e r s t r e e t : SFO has a w h o l e art staff

c u l t u r e , a n d y o u l o o k at t h e a i r p o r t a n d it r e i n f o r c e s

and director. It was easy for this a i r p o r t to e m b r a c e the

that. Even b e f o r e this p r o j e c t , t h e a i r p o r t already h a d a

public art c o n c e p t because it was already so well devel-

$ 1 0 0 million collection.

o p e d a n d had such a large collection of works. A n d that m a d e it very easy for us as architects to also e m b r a c e it. 1 I n t e r v i e w i n g t h r e e p e o p l e involved in

d o n ' t t h i n k most airports can c o m p a r e w i t h w h a t San Francisco has d o n e w i t h its public a r t . T h e only o n e that

the art c o m m i s s i o n i n g p r o j e c t at San Francisco I n t e r n a -

I think m i g h t b e c o m p a r a b l e to San Francisco w o u l d be

tional A i r p o r t m a d e it clear that t h e p r o j e c t was success-

Atlanta's airport.

ful, b o t h individually (for the artists) a n d collectively (for W i l s o n : H o w have the recent n e w p o l i -

cies at the a i r p o r t c h a n g e d the project?

the airport). As a highly visible r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e city, the a i r p o r t can offer an impression o f t h e art b e i n g c r e -

O v e r s t r e e t : T h e n e w policy at the air-

ated there. Precisely for that reason, I was d i s a p p o i n t e d

p o r t is affecting the large n u m b e r of p e o p l e w h o w o u l d

that the a r t w o r k is n o t m o r e reflective o f t h e v i b r a n c y

have had the o p p o r t u n i t y to visit and e n j o y the w o r k .

a n d freshness of t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y art b e i n g created in the Bay Area d u r i n g the late 1990s. As an artist myself, I

Welcome,

reacted like R i g o 02: t h e p r o j e c t felt safe, neutral, a n d

San Francisco International Terminal, 2000.

predictable. It w o u l d have b e e n interesting a n d e x c i t i n g

S u - C h e n Hung.

P h o t o by Lewis W a t t s

to see a p o r t i o n of t h e p r o j e c t d e v o t e d t o t i m e - b a s e d a n d m u l t i - m e d i a w o r k s p r o d u c e d w i t h the a s s u m p t i o n that t h e y w o u l d be t e m p o r a r y a n d s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e .

B u t w h a t is a public art c o m m i s s i o n to d o w h e n faced with

a culture

in w h i c h

C a l i f o r n i a artist

Thomas

K i n k a d e , self-described " p a i n t e r of light," is t o u t e d as t h e " m o s t collected artist in t h e w o r l d " ? W h a t does this say a b o u t the public that s h o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e d w h e n develo p i n g a p r o j e c t o f this n a t u r e , o r t h e s t a n d a r d s f r o m w h i c h to measure?

Yet it is possible t o subversively present w o r k that at first glance appears to m e e t the standards o f m i d d l e A m e r i c a b u t u p o n closer v i e w i n g reveals a m o r e authentically h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e . S u c h is t h e case w i t h artist I k - J o o n g Kang's Gateway, small t h r e e - i n c h canvases in t h e d e p a r t u r e s lobby. W h i l e a n u m b e r of these m i n i a ture

blocks

("Happy

communicate

a

Landscape," " H a p p y

celebratory

message

Speculation,"

"Happy

O r e g o n , " " H a p p y R e s i s t a n c e " ) , m i x e d w i t h i n these are

29

darker i d e a s : " C r u e l H a n d s , " " F o r c i n g G i r l s , " " H o m o s e x ual Envy," " E c h o i n g G u n f i r e . " K a n g ' s w o r k is a g r e a t e x a m p l e of t h e tricky balance that is n e e d e d , b u t possible t o a c h i e v e , w h e n t h e g e n e r a l p u b l i c a n d t h e art w o r l d m e e t . W h e n that h a p p e n s successfully, it can b e a magnificent experience.

Megan W i l s o n is San Francisco artist, writer, and f u n d r a i s e r f o r a r t s organizations.

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR.SUM.02

ART TO GO T h i s p u b l i c art is o n t h e m o v e , a n d s o m e w h a t o f f b e a t .

T h e f o l l o w i n g p r o j e c t s are m e a n t t o give y o u a heads u p o n n e w a n d u p c o m i n g efforts a r o u n d t h e c o u n t r y . C l i c k o n w w w . p u b l i c a r t r e v i e w . o r g f o r details. E n j o y t h e ride!

Artist Josie Winship as "Ms. Scrappy" wore a costume made of shredded, recycled paper at the seventh annual Wheels as Art parade in 2001, sponsored by Intermedia Arts in M i n nesota, Minnesota, and featuring over fifty art cars and other movable artworks.

P h o t o by Neil Johnson

Design courtesy Magnffico

Magm'fico and N e w M e x 30

ico Arts have partnered to present the Trails

Millennium

Billboard

Art

W h e r e will I g o ? w h e r e will I go? % To the road, to the road Is it within the heavens?

&

Poetry Project, featuring art and poetry on existing billboards in Albuquerque.

Millennium

Trailblazer, by

R o b Neilson, o n e of six artists selected, features a poem by Nahuatl written in the 15th century.

www.magnifico.org

Digital m o d e l provided by t h e artist

To celebrate the experience of using public transit in Ventura, California, Dennis O p p e n heim developed Bus Home. T h e bus transfer center, scheduled to be dedicated J u n e 12, includes seating, restrooms, d r i n k i n g f o u n tains, and bike racks.

William Joyce and Shirlene Alexander's Rolie Polie Rumba Dance was one of fifteen Moving Murals painted under the a r t W O R K S program of the Shreveport Regional Arts C o u n cil. For the third year in a row the Arts Council has partnered with S P O R T R A N to produce five new painted buses for the city.

P h o t o by Dennis Cline, c o u r t e s y of t h e O r a n g e S h o w Foundation

Produced by the Orange Show Foundation, Powered by Pennzoil, the annual Art Car Parade in H o u s t o n , Texas, is the oldest and largest of its kind, featuring 250 art cars. Swamp Mutha, created by Ann Haritha, was featured last year.

REPORT

ART AFLOAT

By Moira F. Harris • • •

( b e l o w ) T h e regatta on t h e G r a n d Canal,Venice.

P h o t o f r o m historic postcard

In the first chapter of The Wind in the Willows, Water R a t

but rather decorated boats representing variations on a basic

invites Mole to go for a boat ride on the river. They set off in

theme. For this brief survey of transportation on a watery sur-

a blue and w h i t e craft while Water R a t extols the joys of

face, only three will be considered: the Venetian gondola, the

"messing about in boats." Mole isn't quite so entranced by this

Chinese dragon boat, and the English narrow or canalboat.

new pleasure, since he, like this author, has not learned to pad-

Each has a long history as well as a m o d e r n presence.

dle, row, or sail with Water Rat's facility. Nonetheless, like Mole, there are many w h o appreciate boats, even if only from

Every visitor to Venice since at least the sixteenth century has been struck by the gondola and its graceful gondolier. For

the safety of the shore.

anyone interested in establishing either a new Venice on a N u m e r o u s notable examples of art afloat exist through time.

local canal (say in Florida, California, or Las Vegas) or an Ital-

Sailing ships with their carved

ian restaurant, the image of a gondola emphasizes the roman-

figureheads,

royal barges,

Malaysian fishing boats, Pacific island canoes with carved

tic link to this city on the Adriatic. A gondola measures

prows, Korean metal-clad boats built like turtles, totora reed

approximately thirty-six feet in length and four feet in width

boats of LakeTiticaca with bird head prows, milk carton boats

and is fashioned of nine different woods. Ever since the Venet-

built for festivals in Portland and Minneapolis, Portuguese

ian Sumptuary Laws of 1572 made ostentatious display a

moliceiros or seaweed boats—the list is long and varied. These

crime, gondolas have been painted black. O n l y the doge

are not "art boats" in the sense of the one-of-a-kind art cars

(Venice's ruler), his family, and foreign ambassadors could dec-

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

REPORT

( b e l o w ) P r o w of a gondola,

D r a g o n b o a t in

Venice, 2001.

H o n g Kong Race, 1991.

P h o t o by Moira F. Harris

P h o t o by Elizabeth Keller S e e - T h o

orate their gondolas; everyone else was expected to obey the law, except at festival time, when lanterns and other decorations could be used.

T h e ferro or prow of a gondola was originally made of iron; now aluminum is usually chosen. Its six traditional prongs are said to represent the six districts ofVenice, topped by the dolphin-shaped hat (or corno ducale) suggesting the doge. T h e gondolier stands at the stern facing the prow; his oar changes position in a specially carved oak oarlock. Passengers sit on upholstered chairs and a bench. They can grasp bronze a r m rests in the shape of seahorses, tritons, or mermaids.

Motorboats, launches, ferries, barges, and even rowboats with motors carry out many of the functions once undertaken by gondolas. But there has been a rebirth of interest in them, not only for the tourist trade but also for private use. Regattas like the Regata Slcrica, races like the Vogalonga, and annual

A gondola is Venice, but although the dragon boat is C h i -

parades call upon the participation of the city's 450 remain-

nese, no particular Chinese city can lay sole claim to its cre-

ing gondolas for history, tradition, and the magic they supply

ation. Most often the dragon boat is linked to the festival

to a city by the sea.

held on the fifth day of the fifth m o o n in the lunar calendar, the festival of a poet named Q u Yuan. In 278 B.C. that poet, an adviser to the king of C h u in Hunan province, was so distraught over the lack of attention paid to his wise counsel that he walked into the Milo river and drowned himself.

Fishermen set out in boats to rescue him, but it was too late.

Instead, all they could do was to throw rice, hoping that the fish would eat the grains rather than nibbling on the body of the poet. In the festival developed to celebrate the m e m o r y of the poet, people race in boats like those of the fishermen and eat zongzi (sticky rice cakes). 1 From a homeland in south China, the dragon boat race has become part of festivals in cities of the Chinese diaspora as well as in other areas lacking a large Chinese population. It may be that builders of the original Chinese fishing boats borrowed the dragon head idea from other Asian festivals in w h i c h dragon boats were raced, like the O o c - o m - b o c festivals of Cambodia. O r it may be that since dragons can live in rivers, it seemed appropriate to have a boat with a dragon's head.

A dragon boat is essentially an elongated canoe, forty feet or more in length, traditionally made of teak, camphor, or jasperwood. Paddlers sit in pairs facing the drummer, w h o is seated behind the dragon's head. T h e steersman is at the stern, in front of the dragon's tail. T h e dragon's head and tail are carved and painted, and are either removable (in H o n g Kong style dragon boats) or firmly attached (on boats from Taiwan).The smaller H o n g Kong dragons' heads sport b o b b i n g whiskers (missing on their Taiwanese cousins), b u t all dragon boats indicate the bodies of the beasts in the scale patterns painted along the sides of the boats. While dragon boats used in China

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

REPORT

Taiwanese d r a g o n boat,

( b e l o w ) N a r r o w b o a t along canal,

Honolulu, Hawaii, 1996.

Sawley, U.K., 1992.

P h o t o by Louray Huang

P h o t o by Moira F, Harris

In thirty years, American dragon boat racing has built on an ancient festival; drawn upon boat racing traditions from Thailand, Cambodia, and Japan; and b e c o m e a popular international sport while still linked to its original Chinese art forms and ceremonies.

T h e history of painted narrow or canalboats is more recent.

T h e narrowboat carried cargo on England's canals from the eighteenth century until about

1970. C o m p e t i t i o n

was

afforded first by railroads and then by trucks, until shipping by canal was no longer economical. Today's narrowboats are rented to tourists for short cruises or purchased for travel and used as homes.

T h e first narrowboats were pulled by horses walking on nearby towpaths; power was later provided by steam and now comes from diesel fuel. As their name suggests, narrowboats are long (seventy feet) and narrow (six feet), designed so they could pass through locks and tunnels.

Decoration of a narrowboat followed certain rules. Painting on the outside of a company-owned narrowboat was paid for by the company; inside was the province of the captain. Narrowboats, inside and out, follow the old rule, "If it moves, salute it. If it doesn't move, paint it."

O n the outside of a narrowboat certain spaces were allotted to geometric shapes, playing card motifs, and company or owner

may have as many as 100 paddlers, dragon boats used elsewhere m the world are typically smaller, with twenty paddlers being the n o r m .

H o w did the dragon boat j o u r n e y from the Yangtze to the Mississippi, San Francisco Bay, and the Schuylkill, a m o n g other places? Two people were largely responsible for popularizing dragon boats in the United States. Sue Smith had long been involved in canoeing on the Mississippi. W h e n she discovered dragon boats, she went to Taiwan to learn more about them. In 1985 Taiwanese authorities shipped two dragon boats to Iowa and Smith established the American Dragon Boat Association. 2 Ray Gatchalian was a m e m b e r of the Oakland Fire Department in 1979 when an invitation was extended to Oakland's sister city. H o n g Kong, requesting that their firefighters participate in a 10K race. They came and reciprocated by inviting the Californians to a dragon boat race in China. This led to races in northern California and eventually to the formation of the Pacific Dragon Boat Association. Both dragon boat groups are now branches of the United States Dragon Boat Federation.

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

REPORT

N a r r o w b o a t detail, Inland Waterways Association convention, Birmingham, U.K., 1992.

P h o t o by Moira F. Harris

names. Most painting is believed to have been done in boatyards by painters w h o understood the traditions. L.T.C. Rolt, w h o was restoring a narrowboat called the Crcssy in the early 1940s, visited the Banbury boatyard of the Tooiey family. T h e Tooleys were finishing work on the Florence. Rolt noted the family specialization: Son George did the lettering of the boat's name on the cabin's side panel, his father added garlands of bright flowers in the corners of that panel, while brother Herbert painted castles on the panels alongside. W h e n the Florence was floated out, her captain said to the Tooleys, "I reckon she looks well," and she probably did. 3 Frequently mentioned in early accounts of narrowboats is a journalist's report from 1858 describing a craft called the Stourport, which was "bright in red, yellow, and blue" and had a "couple of landscapes" with lakes, castles, mountains, and sailboats. 4 This suggests that narrowboat decor, the famous "roses and castles," was already well established by the 1850s.

O n a traditionally painted narrowboat, the sprays of flowers—

mountains in the background are reminiscent of architectural

roses, daisies, chrysanthemum, pansies, asters—appear on the

follies constructed on English estates.

wood of drawers, doors, panels, and stools inside the cabin.

Similar floral designs are used on the metal water cans, dippers, buckets, and barrels. Landscapes with castles are painted on cabin woodwork as well but usually appear on the inside of the cabin door. In those landscapes, small many-towered castles are always placed near water with a bridge for access;

Today's narrowboat owner may do his or her own painting, learning from museum displays and books or even taking a painting class. Professional narrowboat painters advertise their services at boat shows and through museums. Some narrowboat owners avoid the traditional and decorate their

floating

homes as they please. A marina today is a sea of white; only sails and boat covers bear a touch of color. But there are rivers, lakes, canals, and even oceans where art is afloat. Water R a t would hardly k n o w where to begin "messing around."

With thanks to the Peru Crew, Marion Waters, Sue Smith, William Wittmer, Louray Huang, Clara Keller, Marlin Brce, and many others who aided the research.

Moira F. Harris is an a r t historian and a u t h o r of Art on the Road: Vehicles of the

Painted

Americas.

Notes 1 Barbara E.Ward and Joan Law,

William W i t t m e r , O a k l a n d ,

Chinese Festivals in Hong Kong

California, D e c e m b e r 1991; Sue

(Hong KongtThe Guidebook

Adolphson, "Dragons L o o m Around

C o m p a n y , Ltd, 1993) 4 9 - 5 0 .

the Bay," San Francisco Chronicle, (February 2 4 , 1 9 9 1 ) 30.

2. Sue S m i t h , " F r i e n d s h i p T h r o u g h Paddling," The l-Vorld and I ( O c t o b e r

3. L.T. C Rolt, Narron' Boars

1992): 6 6 2 - 6 6 9 ; interview w i t h

( L o n d o n : M a n d a r i n Paperbacks,

Sue Smith, D u b u q u e , Iowa,

1991, first edition, 1944), 2 4 - 2 5 .

S e p t e m b e r 1 0 , 1 9 9 2 ; William W i t t m e r , " R a c i n g the D r a g o n , " Transpacific Magazine

(May-June

1992): 22-26; interview w i t h

4. Q u o t e d in A.J. Lewery, Narrow Boat Painting ( N e w t o n A b b o t : David & Charles. 1991, f o u r t h ed.) 134.

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

CONFERENCE ( b e l o w l e f t ) s t r e e t bench,Taipei,

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC ART

Taiwan, 2001.

( b e l o w r i g h t ) Pu and Yang Tsong,

By Wendy Feuer

Musical

Skies, CKS Memorial Hall

Station,Taipei,Taiwan, 1998.

• • •

Photos by W e n d y Feuer

T a i p e i , T a i w a n , D e c e m b e r 12-14, 2 0 0 1

ture and transit areas, where people wait and have more time

T h e International Conference on Transportation and Public

to observe.

Art generated great expectations. Organized by the Founda-

I spoke directly after her about Terminal 4 at JFK, noting that

tion for Research on O p e n Space, and held in Taipei,Taiwan,

we took almost the opposite approach. Since the design of

it was the fourth international symposium dedicated to this

the terminal encouraged people to wait in retail halls, where

subject in the last fifteen years. As an attendee, 1 hoped to learn

they can eat and shop, we decided not to compete with those

from colleagues from different parts of the world through lis-

activities but instead to meet arriving passengers with a few

tening, discussing, and debating. As a presenter, I synthesized

large installations.

my experiences working on projects in mass transit systems and airports. While I was at first disappointed at the level of

It was exciting to learn about the Australian architect-trained

discussion and debate (partly due to the difficulties of translat-

artist R i c h a r d G o o d w i n and his extensive and innovative

ing into multiple languages), I believe the conference was

work on freeways and bypasses in Sydney and other places in

valuable. N o t only did I learn of noteworthy projects but also

Australia. Marianne Strom's talk about public art policy in

I was reminded of the universal issues confronting our field.

France made it clear that the French are still French, with a lingering stalemate between artists and architects on transit

Six of the presenters at this two-and-a-half-day event were

and other types of projects. Naoyuki Kuniyoshi, director of

from Australia, France, Japan, and the United States, and four

the Urban Design Office in Yokohama, Japan, showed innova-

f r o m Taipei. T h e ambitious organizer, Virginia

tive projects from that city. It was refreshing to hear someone

Hui-Ting

C h e n , the executive director of the foundation, had spent several months in the United States studying public art programs.

With a number of high-level professionals from government agencies attending the conference, I suspect she hoped to give the field a nudge forward in her country.

For example, the sheer quantity of art installed in the twentytwo new or upgraded airports in Australia over ten years had to impress Taiwan's General Director of the Civil Aeronautics Administration in the Ministry of Transportation and C o m munications, Oliver Fang Lang-Lai Yu. Curator Jean Battersby has amassed a large collection, much of it created by Australian Aborigines. She noted that rather than commissioning large iconic sculptures, they elected to fund a greater n u m b e r of pieces that would affect the whole interior space. Furthermore, while they placed some art in arrival areas, she and the commissioning agency decided to focus installations in depar-

36

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR.SUM.02

CONFERENCE

Richard G o o d w i n , Bicentennial Park Pedestrian Bridge, Sydney

Richard G o o d w i n , G l e b e Island

Olympic Park, Australia, 2000.

s o u n d wall, Sydney,Australia, 1998.

P h o t o by A n t h o n y Bon/vell

P h o t o by A n t h o n y Borwell

U.S. have made similar remarks, but certainly we have added that art could also be challenging and must be of high quality.

Further, some speakers and respondents from Taiwan felt that artworks should have the approval of the general public, even going so far as to have the public select the art.

Charlotte C o h e n , director of N e w York City's Percent for Art Program, said that her agency welcomes the "involvement of the community as a form of art education." H o w ever, she did not say that the community's taste is the final decision maker. Rather, she said it is a process of negotiation among the artist, client, and community, and that it is critical to respect the artist's interpretation and vision. Jean Battersby from an urban planning bureau speak about public art as inte-

noted that before she took the j o b of commissioning art for

gral to the city's approach to urban design.

the airports, she stipulated that projects would not be subject

Presentations by the Taiwanese participants made it clear that

to public review.

while there is an acknowledgement of the value ot art in the

Like many places in the U.S., the work we saw in Taipei was

public realm, there are still many questions, some fears about

uneven. Clearly, there is no formula for creating strong and

what might be created, and disagreement about what type ot

relevant public art in mass transit settings or elsewhere. H o w -

art is "appropriate" for public settings and w h o should make

ever, the invited guests strongly suggested that controlling

the selection.The topic was sparked by a presentation from an

images by prescribing themes and opening decision making to

engineer w h o manages Taipei's metro art program. She

the general public u n d e r m i n e s the valuable c o n t r i b u t i o n

described a process for commissioning public art that includes

artists can make to projects in transportation environments.

developing themes that artists must incorporate, or directing

Hopefully, the nudge that Ms. C h e n may have secretly desired

them to present art "in a vivacious, interesting, friendly, and

was accomplished.

lively way." She added, "Metro public art should arouse the sympathy of the public and should be simple and easily under-

W e n d y Feuer consults on public a r t , u r b a n design, and planning

stood, and furthermore amuse people and make people feel

projects. She was t h e founding d i r e c t o r of t h e N e w York Metropolitan

relaxed and pleasant." Obviously, some of my colleagues in the

T r a n s p o r t a t i o n Authority's A r t s f o r Transit office.

Public Art R e v i e w

CONFERENCE

CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC ART

By R i c a r d o Barreto • • •

( b e l o w l e f t ) R e s t o r a t i o n of W a y n e Alaniz Healy's Ghosts of the Barrio

(1974),

Los Angeles, Calif.

P h o t o by Aneta Zebala ( b e l o w r i g h t ) R e s t o r a t i o n of Lloyd Hamrol's Gate House

(1986), C a m b r i d g e , Mass.

P h o t o by Rica Smith McNally

C a m b r i d g e , Massachusetts, O c t o b e r 26-28, 2001

Impressive in its scope and effective as a stimulant for ongoing discussion, the Conservation and Maintenance of C o n t e m p o rary Public Art conference brought together two professional

about materials and their role.Yes, the feeling was often one of academic intensity; but the real problems, the insistent questions, and the proposed solutions could not help but impress those w h o saw the slides and heard the speakers.

worlds that meet increasingly in the field yet seldom assess the

T h e challenge of conservation brought responses from Massa-

relationship and share experiences. So soon after the terrible

chusetts, California, Florida, Hawaii, Washington, Wisconsin,

events of September 11, it was gratifying to see over 150 pro-

and N e w York, in addition to Canada and Great Britain. It was

fessionals from both the conservation and public art worlds

fascinating, for example, to hear Julie Boivin, curator of the

gather from around the country and several foreign countries

Bureau d'Art Public for the city of Montreal, link the practi-

for a sold-out event.

cal issues of conservation to the meaning and philosophy of

T h e Cambridge Arts Council, through the vision and hard work of Director of Public Art Hafthor Yngvason, organized the conference. If a single goal were to be identified for which this conference might be the professional launching pad, it would be Mr. Yngvason's plea for a comprehensive program for the care of objects in public spaces as coherent and clear as that found in museums. Indeed, for the duration of the c o n ference, the need for a record of "best practices" for the care and maintenance of public art hovered in the air, not always explicitly mentioned, but repeatedly assumed. H o w to practically achieve this goal included making conservators available to artists during the planning phases for all public art projects—a concise suggestion—and educating the public—a more general but no less necessary ambition.

T h e list of topics discussed and the speakers and panelists gathered in Cambridge provided an unusual opportunity to learn about the issues, share experiences, and establish an ongoing public dialogue for what in many ways has been a clandestine relationship. A major step towards this goal 'will be the publication of the conference proceedings. T h e level of polish repeatedly brought to the speakers' podium indicated

public art and to find that Michele Cohen, director of Public Art in Public Schools in N e w York City, needs to grapple with similar issues. C o h e n manages the Conservation in Context program, which addresses the meaning of public art in order to make sound treatment decisions. Participants also learned about legal challenges and funding issues as well as the details of particular conservation problems in the field, the physical solutions attempted, and the ethical dilemmas raised. If there was one overall c o m m e n t that carried special resonance for artists, administrators, and conservators alike, it was the exhortation "You are investing in meaning," forcefully delivered by Saralyn R e e c e Hardy from the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. At the end of the third day it was clear that one of the most interesting aspects of this conference was the way two sets of professional values often met. O n one hand are conservators, whose ingrained impulse is to try to save a work of art and the artist's original intentions as well as modern science will allow, and on the other are artists, w h o may or may not share this goal. It is, of course, the public art administrator w h o is often suspended between the two.

careful planning for this step in advance. An excellent example

Ricardo B a r r e t o is t h e d i r e c t o r of t h e U r b a n A r t s Institute at Massachusetts

was critic Patricia Phillips's presentation " M e d i t a t i o n on

College of A r t in Boston.

Materials: Truth or Fiction," in which she articulately spoke about perceptions of time and the history of how we think

REPORT

FORECAST UPDATE

By F O R E C A S T Staff • •

( b e l o w ) DungTri Mai,Grasshopper, p r o j e c t model, 2002.

Photo courtesy DungTri Mai

Public Art Affairs is a twelve-year-old program of F O R E -

exploring the durability and fragility of nature. Sharol Nau

C A S T Public Artworks, supported by the Jerome Foundation

will create large ink drawings of trees on muslin sheets to hang

and serving emerging Minnesota artists of all disciplines w h o

over the C a n n o n River in Northfield, Minnesota, recalling

want to create public art. Grants are awarded in two cate-

images of laundry on a line and drawing attention to conser-

gories—Research and Development and Public Projects. In

vation issues. Research and Development grants were awarded

recent years F O R E C A S T has begun partnering with organi-

to O t t o Ramstad and the Body C a r t o g r a p h y project to

zations to increase the amount of grant support available for

research sites for dance in rural Minnesota; Marty Hicks, to

one project. We believe the idea of funding emerging artists to

develop a sculptural skateboard park; Daniel Zielske, to

do temporary projects is one that can be replicated with ease

develop playground e q u i p m e n t pieces that would produce

around the c o u n t r y and provides the benefits of increased

different sounds, ultimately playing melodies, harmony, and

artist activity, audience development, exposure to new ideas,

rhythm when operated; Marlaine Cox, to work with an engi-

and artist training. Public art cannot flourish without training

neer in developing a kinetic sculpture; and T i m Armato, to

emerging artists.

develop the electronics for a sculpture that would respond sonically to the movement of light over water. These projects

Beyond the development of emerging artists, the promise of temporary public art intrigues us—the mind-freeing practice of inserting art into daily life and then leaving behind nothing but an enriched m o m e n t and memory. W h e n training artists to respond to the vagaries of public projects, we allow them to pursue their wildest ideas, knowing that failure can sometimes be as enlightening as success.

We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2002 I'ublic

are emblematic of the diversity of themes, media, and places used by artists creating temporary public art.

• • • F O R E C A S T Public Artworks has now completed the exciting first phase of our new website, www.publicartreview.org.

We made the website easy to use with clean, eye-catching design and more opportunities for reader feedback. We want

Art Affairs grants. Daniel Polnau and friends received the

Public Art Review to reach new audiences and allow our cur-

matching grant, sponsored in part by the Flint Hills Interna-

rent readers to contact us more easily. Visitors to the site will

tional Children's Festival and Ordway C e n t e r for the Per-

find information on the current issue of PAR, descriptions of

forming Arts. This group of imaginative and creative artists

back issues, and previews of upcoming issues. Featured articles

will fascinate festival-goers with puppets, tents of magic and

from recent issues appear in full, and listings from the maga-

mystery, and spontaneous parades in d o w n t o w n Saint Paul,

zine and updated artist opportunities are available. Want to

Minnesota. R o b e r t Johnson will create the Peace Circle, a trav-

subscribe to PAR? You can now find subscription forms online.

eling neon sculpture encouraging people to envision peace

Interested in advertising? You will find information, mechani-

and to share in others' thoughts of peace. Erin Gleeson will

cal specifications, and agreements on the new site. Want to

work with the United Cambodian Association of Minnesota

write for PAR? Send us an e-mail using the c o m m e n t forms

(UCAM) to facilitate photography workshops for Cambodians

provided. In the future, we plan to add a searchable database of

living in Saint Paul, while d o c u m e n t i n g the experiences of

PAR articles, expanding MR'S educational use and offering an

Cambodian elders. T h e photographs will then hang in the

electronic anthology. C o m e visit our site! T h e Web allows us

UCAM building's windows. D u n g T r i Mai will create hundreds

to expand the ways our subscribers, casual readers, and inter-

of small grasshoppers out of coconut leaves, and install them

ested browsers can read about, ponder, debate, and engage in

in one tree at the Anderson Center in R e d Wing, Minnesota,

public art through Public Art Review.

39

REVIEW

ART: 21 ART IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURV

( b e l o w ) Maya Lin, the character

of a

hill, under glass, American Express

R e v i e w e d by J u d y A r g i n t e a n u • • •

Financial Advisors, Minneapolis, Minn., 1999-2002.

P h o t o courtesy American Express

I n t r o d u c t i o n by e x e c u t i v e p r o d u c e r and c u r a t o r Susan Sollins N e w Y o r k : H a r r y N . A b r a m s , Inc., 2 0 0 1 , $ 4 5 . 0 0 A r t : 2 1 H o m e V i d e o s , 2001, f o u r h o u r s , t w o tapes, $ 2 9 . 9 8

f r o m the postmodernist extravaganza of the 1980s, as well as others, such as sculptor R i c h a r d Serra, w h o made their reputation decades ago.

T h e PBS series Art: 21, n o w on video, touts itself as "an

W h i l e the age of the artist may not make a d i f f e r e n c e — B r u c e

u n p r e c e d e n t e d look at the shape and direction of art in c o n -

N a u m a n , for example, continues to make work that is as revo-

t e m p o r a r y A m e r i c a , " but take that with a grain of salt. In

lutionary n o w as at any time in his career—the series brings

t r u t h , it breaks little n e w g r o u n d and its stately pace can

few n e w faces to the forefront. And a m o n g those artists w h o

b e c o m e ponderously slow. T h a t said, with r e m o t e in hand,

are classed as "emerging," most, even the younger ones such as

fast forward b u t t o n at the ready, it certainly has its m o m e n t s

M a t t h e w Barney, have at least o n e m a j o r exhibition at a large

ot illumination.

art institution u n d e r their belt. If having a show at the W h i t ney qualifies as "emerging," then I'm the q u e e n of England.

T h e t w o segments, at two episodes apiece, profile seventeen artists, with introductions by four o t h e r artists, h e n c e the "21."

T h e producers would u n d o u b t e d l y argue that the point is not

Each e p i s o d e c o n c e n t r a t e s o n o n e idea: place, spirituality,

to showcase absolutely u n k n o w n artists still creating in obscu-

identity, and c o n s u m p t i o n , w h i c h work reasonably well most

rity, but simply to feature h o w artists at the dawn of the twenty-

of the time, with a few exceptions. P h o t o g r a p h e r Sally Mann's

first c e n t u r y are w o r k i n g . In that respect, they

c o n n e c t i o n to her h o m e in Virginia, w h i c h may well be strong

admirably, with a wide variety of artists w o r k i n g in a wide vari-

succeed

and real, is t o u c h e d u p o n in a few seconds; the rest of her seg-

ety of media, from video to environmental art to f u r n i t u r e to

m e n t is devoted to her relationship with her children, w h o

good old representative painting and sculpture—a good third

were her subjects as they were growing up.

of w h o m work almost exclusively in, or have taken their c h o sen media into, the public realm. T h e roster spans the range

T h e introductory pieces, presented by a rather baffling selec-

f r o m the straight-ahead sculpture of Serra and Louise B o u r -

tion of m e d i a personalities, range f r o m L a u r i e A n d e r s o n ' s

geois to Maya Lin's gifted architectural meditations to James

i n n o c u o u s big chair and the s t r a i g h t - t o - t h e - p o i n t approach of

Turrell's land art, Mel Chin's environmental processes and the

Beryl Korot and S. Epatha M e r k e r s o n (of TV's " L a w and

guerrilla muralists Barry M c G e e and Margaret Kilgallen.

O r d e r " ) , to the hilarious collaboration ot William W e g m a n and comedian Steve Martin, and the ex-tennis star/celebrity

T h e series is a c c o m p a n i e d by a perfectly respectable b o o k

brat J o h n M c E n r o e paired with Barbara K r u g e r (whose dry,

published by Abrams that also provides m o r e examples of each

neutral word assemblages have aged surprisingly well.)

artist's work, and a website, w w w . p b s . o r g / a r t 2 1 , w h i c h has an intriguing little section on art activities that look like a lot of

T h e actual artists in question prove a less baffling, if safer, lot of

f u n for cognoscenti and regular folks alike.

"established and e m e r g i n g " artists. In the first category, this means many familiar names, including a n u m b e r of darlings

Judy Arginteanu is a f r e e l a n c e w r i t e r living in Minneapolis.

RECENT

In a s k e t c h b o o k - l i k e f o r m a t ,

A p r o p o s a l m e n t i o n e d in t h e

artist N i n a Karavasiles d o c u -

last issue o f Public Art

m e n t s the process o f creating

Towers of Light, c a m e t o f r u i t i o n

Review,

PROJECTS

Paul M a r a n t z p r o v i d e d t e c h n i c a l

P u b l i c A r t F u n d , c o n t i n u i n g its

expertise. T h e installation cost

tradition of supporting works of

around $500,000, a figure

a r t in n o n t r a d i t i o n a l spaces, p r e sented Josiah McElheny's THE

RECIPE FOR F R I E N D S H I P , a p u b l i c art

f r o m M a r c h 1 1 - A p r i l 14 as

including construction, two

p i e c e sited in A m i c i Park in

TRIBUTE IN LIGHT, b e g i n n i n g o n

t w e n t y - f o u r - h o u r guards, and a

M E T A L PARTY, a r e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a

d o w n t o w n San D i e g o . T h e

the six-month anniversary of

t e c h n i c i a n . F i n a n c i n g has c o m e

p a r t y h e l d at t h e B a u h a u s

p i e c e consists o f t e n s i d e w a l k

t h e a t t a c k s o n N e w York City.

f r o m c o r p o r a t i o n s like AOL-

S c h o o l in D e s s a u , G e r m a n y ,

p l a q u e s a n d f o u r c a f e - l i k e tables

A f t e r t h e a t t a c k s , five artists a n d

T i m e Warner, Deutsche Bank,

F e b r u a r y 9, 1 9 2 9 . O n v i e w

t h a t s e r v e as p e d e s t a l s f o r b r o n z e

architects almost simultaneously

and General Electric; f o u n d a -

D e c e m b e r 1 - J a n u a r y 13, t h e

s c u l p t u r e s o f plates o f f o o d w i t h

b e g a n w o r k i n g w i t h t h e idea o f

tions; a n d individual c o n t r i b u -

sculptural installation and o n g o -

recipes engraved o n a napkin.

b e a m s o f l i g h t in t h e f o r m o f

t i o n s . C o n s o l i d a t e d E d i s o n is

ing participatory performance

T h e s k e t c h b o o k invites t h e

the t w o towers. O n c e the vari-

d o n a t i n g t h e p o w e r , a n d GE also

w a s p r e s e n t e d at B r o o k l y n

reader to use the included p e n -

ous people and organizations

provided 100 x e n o n bulbs. T h e

Front.The project examined the p a r t y as c u l t u r a l a r t i f a c t , also

cil t o m a k e a r u b b i n g o f e a c h

backing t h e m b e c a m e aware o f

w o r k , reminiscent of votive can-

r e c i p e . T h e artist c o l l e c t e d c o m -

each other, w o r k i n g together

dles, is s i m p l e a n d b e s t v i e w e d ,

recalling later historical events

like f i r e w o r k s , f r o m a d i s t a n c e .

s u c h as F l u x u s h a p p e n i n g s .

m u n i t y r e c i p e s in p e r s o n , 011 h e r

b e c a m e t h e sensible o p t i o n .

website, and t h r o u g h the stu-

J o h n Bennett and Gustavo

d e n t s at a n e a r b y e l e m e n t a r y

Bonevardi of P r o u n Space

s c h o o l . T h e ten sidewalk plaques

S t u d i o , w h i c h specializes in

Warhol's Factory parties, and t h e MTA A r t s f o r T r a n s i t a n d MTA N e w York C i t y Transit

o f f e r q u o t a t i o n s , sayings, a n d

architectural c o m p u t e r m o d e l -

a d v i c e . Karavasiles states,

ing; Julian LaVerdiere and Paul

for Friendship

"Recipe

celebrates f o o d —

the m a k i n g and the sharing of

floor

it. It's b a s e d o n w h a t ' s c o m m o n

of the World Trade Center; and

t o all i m m i g r a n t s a n d e t h n i c i -

Richard Nash Gould, a N e w

t i e s — w e all b r i n g tastes t h a t are f a m i l i a r t o us t o n e w places."

Recipes and quotations were chosen primarily to reflect the c o m m u n i t y ' s Italian a n d M e x i -

l a t i o n o f N E W YORK I N T R A N S I T , t h e last p u b l i c c o m m i s s i o n o f artist

M y o d a , t w o artists w h o h a d worked on the ninety-first

a n n o u n c e the p e r m a n e n t instal-

Y o r k a r c h i t e c t , all c a m e u p w i t h v e r s i o n s o f t h e p r o j e c t . I n its final f o r m , primarily sponsored by t h e M u n i c i p a l A r t S o c i e t y , eighty-eight searchlights were

i n t e r a c t i v e i n s t a l l a t i o n s o f Felix G o n z a l e z - T o r r e s . E x p l o r e d also is t h e B a u h a u s c o n c e p t i o n o f m e t a l as q u i n t e s s e n t i a l l y m o d e r n . V i e w e r s . u p o n a r r i v i n g at

Jacob Lawrence. Coinciding

The Metal

w i t h a retrospective of the w o r k

w i t h a 100 p e r c e n t mylar cos-

o f J a c o b L a w r e n c e at t h e W h i t -

t u m e to put over their o w n

ney M u s e u m of American Art,

clothing. O n the ceiling, h u n -

this glass m o s a i c p i e c e is

d r e d s o f m i r r o r e d glass s p h e r e s

designed for the T i m e s Square/

reflected the f u n h o u s e atmos-

4 2 n d Street subway station,

p h e r e o f t h e rest o f t h e r o o m , a n

Party, w e r e p r o v i d e d

[ r i g h t Photo courtesy MTA Arts

e n v i r o n m e n t of reflective m e t a l -

forTransit]

lic s u r f a c e s . T h e p r o j e c t w a s

can h e r i t a g e a n d i m m i g r a n t s .

installed i n t w o f i f t y - f o o t - s q u a r e

Recipe for Friendship

arrays i n B a t t e r y P a r k C i t y t o

concurrently on view atYerba

by t h e P u b l i c A r t Sites p r o g r a m

c r e a t e t h e b e a m s , w h i c h w e r e lit

B u e n a C e n t e r f o r t h e A r t s in

o f t h e C i t y o f San D i e g o

f r o m d u s k u n t i l 11 p m . Lights

San Francisco. T h e Metal Party

C o m m i s s i o n for the Arts and

will b e e x t i n g u i s h e d at t h e

was sponsored by Banana

t h e Little Italy A s s o c i a t i o n ,

request o f the Federal Aviation

R e p u b l i c a n d was a p r o j e c t o f

Administration or the N e w York

t h e Public A r t F u n d series In

A u d u b o n Society, w h i c h w o r -

t h e P u b l i c R e a l m , w h i c h is s u p -

ries t h a t m i g r a t o r y b i r d s w i l l d i e

p o r t e d by t h e N e w York State

if d r a w n t o t h e b e a c o n s . A r c h i -

C o u n c i l o n the Arts, the N e w

tectural lighting technician

York City D e p a r t m e n t o f

was f u n d e d

[left Photo courtesy t h e artist]

41

RECENT

PROJECTS

C u l t u r a l Affairs, the O f f i c e o f

T h e Walters Art M u s e u m and

A n d r e w Leicester created

H i g h in the Cascade m o u n t a i n s ,

the B r o o k l y n B o r o u g h Presi-

the C o n t e m p o r a r y M u s e u m of

PLATONIC FIGURE f o r t h e M e c h a n i c a l

the Cedar River Watershed, a

dent, the Greenwall Founda-

Baltimore jointly commissioned

E n g i n e e r i n g B u i l d i n g 011 t h e

p r o t e c t e d area, p r o v i d e s d r i n k -

tion, the J e r o m e Foundation,

SEIZE, a public art project a n d

East B a n k o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f

i n g w a t e r f o r t h e c i t y o f Seattle.

the Silverweed Foundation, the

v i d e o i n s t a l l a t i o n by artist

Minnesota's campus. D u b b e d

T h e area has b e e n c l o s e d t o

JP M o r g a n C h a s e F o u n d a t i o n ,

Dennis Adams. Adams and a

the " T i n M a n " by faculty and

p u b l i c use, a n d a l i m i t e d area

and friends of Public Art Fund.

p r o f e s s i o n a l c l i m b e r c h o s e small

staff, t h e o u t d o o r s c u l p t u r e rests

was recently o p e n e d for t h e

objects f r o m the Walters collec-

on two seven-foot stone

n e w Seattle Public Utilities

Artist S k o w i n o n H a s t a n a n

t i o n t o u s e as h a n d a n d

c o l u m n s in the middle of the

Cedar River Watershed Educa-

recently c o m p l e t e d ORBIS

footholds. For the p e r f o r m a n c e

sidewalk, creating a bridge-like

t i o n C e n t e r . In t h e first p u b l i c

V E N U S T A S . a floating glass p a i n t i n g

s e g m e n t t h e c l i m b e r scaled t h e

structure under which people

art c o m m i s s i o n s to b e realized o u t s i d e t h e city o f S e a t t l e f o r

project including p h o t o

e x t e r i o r c o n c r e t e wall o f t h e

will walk to enter the n e w

silkscreen, sand blasting, h a n d -

W a l t e r s u s i n g t h e cast o b j e c t s

b u i l d i n g . I n s p i r e d by L e o n a r d o ' s

the Seattle Arts C o m m i s s i o n ,

sprayed paint, k i l n - f i r i n g , and

while wearing video cameras

d r a w i n g Vitruvian

artist D a n C o r s o n i n t e g r a t e d

t e m p e r i n g . T h e n i n e glass p a n -

s t r a p p e d t o his w r i s t s a n d

s c u l p t u r e is m a d e o f stainless

several p i e c e s i n t o t h e C e d a r

els, overall d i m e n s i o n s

ankles. E a c h camera's v i e w

steel, w i t h l i m b s c o n s t r u c t e d

River Watershed Education

1 4 5 - i n c h e s , are installed i n t o t h e

corresponds to a m o n i t o r inside

out o f conical forms. Steven

C e n t e r , d e s i g n e d by t h e a r c h i -

e x i s t i n g glass c u r t a i n wall a b o v e

the C o n t e m p o r a r y M u s e u m ,

Girshick, professor and director

t e c t u r e firm J o n e s a n d J o n e s .

t h e e n t r a n c e o f PS 2 2 8 in East

s h o w i n g t h e i t e m s at v a r i o u s

o f g r a d u a t e s t u d i e s in m e c h a n i -

Sculptural projects inside and

E l m h u r s t , Q u e e n s , as a w e l c o m -

a n g l e s , a g a i n p l a c e d in a

cal e n g i n e e r i n g , says t h e f i g u r e

o u t i n c l u d e t h e RAIN D R U M C O U R T -

i n g sign f o r n e w k i n d e r g a r t e n

m u s e u m c o n t e x t . T h e resin-cast

provokes "a vaguely h u m o r o u s

YARD, w h e r e t w o artist-designed

s t u d e n t s in t h e n e w E a r l y

orange multiples of varied

feeling that emanates from the

drums magnify and echo the

C h i l d h o o d C e n t e r . Visible

objects, often items originally

robot-like appearance, express-

s o u n d o f f a l l i n g w a t e r . W h e n it

i n d o o r s a n d o u t , day and night,

for personal use and a d o r n m e n t ,

ing our ambivalence about the

is n o t r a i n i n g , c o m p u t e r a c t i -

the panels depict night t u r n i n g

provide a direct contrast to the

ever-increasing role of t e c h n o l -

v a t e d " d r i p p e r s " play m a n y d i f -

t o day a n d t h e c h a n g i n g o f t h e

stark m u s e u m e x t e r i o r a n d

o g y in o u r lives." Platonic

ferent rhythms on the

seasons.The project was c o m -

bypass q u e s t i o n s o f a e s t h e t i c

is f u n d e d by t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f

i n s t r u m e n t s . S N A K I N G ROOT C E I L I N G ,

missioned by the N e w York

c r i t e r i a in t h e s e l e c t i o n o f t h e

Minnesota's Public Art o n

t r e e r o o t s h a r v e s t e d in t h e

City Board of Education, the

objects, since they w e r e selected

Campus Program,

watershed, intertwined with

N e w York City C o n s t r u c t i o n

for their potential to be grasped

[ m i d d l e Photo courtesy t h e Public

rivulets of argon and k r y p t o n -

Authority, and the N e w York

w h e n climbing.

A r t on Campus Program]

filled glass t u b e s , h a n g s u s -

116-by-

City D e p a r t m e n t of Cultural

Man,

the

Figure

p e n d e d f r o m t h e c e i l i n g in t h e

Affairs Percent for A r t P r o g r a m ,

W e l c o m i n g R o o m , directly

[left Photo courtesy t h e artist]

a b o v e D E N D R I T I C ROOT F L O O R , a n image of a root system sandblasted a n d s t a i n e d i n t o t h e concrete

floor.

[ r i g h t Rain Drum Courtyard.

Photo

courtesy Seattle Arts Commission]

RECENT

PROJECTS

T I M E TO C O N S I D E R : T H E ARTS R E S P O N D

and others. O f the submissions,

original song, p e r i o d costume,

TO 9 . 1 1 , N e w Y o r k C i t y , is m a d e

w o r k s by t h e p o e t E l e n a

live m u s i c , a n d c h o r e o g r a p h e d

r e c e n t l y c o m m i s s i o n e d SOLAR

u p o f p o s t e r s d e s i g n e d by artists,

A l e x a n d e r , y o u n g activists t h e

movement. Focusing mainly

W I N D , b y artist R o b e r t Perless,

poets, designers, and architects,

Anti-Bias Squad, architect Eric

o n t h e 1930s organizational

for the n e w High Technology

and features a street c a m p a i g n ,

L i f t i n , a n d C r o a t i a n artist N e b o -

movement of the International

C a m p u s o f t h e Salt L a k e C o m -

exhibition, and submissions

jsa S e r i c S h o b a w e r e s e l e c t e d

Ladies G a r m e n t W o r k e r s

munity College. Fabricated

available at w w w . t i m e t o c o n -

for poster printing. Posters were

U n i o n , the w o r k explores the

e n t i r e l y b y Perless a n d his assis-

sider.org.The W h Y W o m e n in

d i s t r i b u t e d f r e e at c e r t a i n l o c a -

o n g o i n g e c o n o m i c significance

t a n t , t h e s c u l p t u r e is c o n s t r u c t e d

Poetry Series sponsored a read-

tions and were " s n i p e d " o n

o f t h e g a r m e n t i n d u s t r y in

o f stainless steel a n d p o l y m e r

i n g o f select p o e m s at t h e

m e d i a walls a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n

L o s A n g e l e s . R a t h says,

p r i s m s . Solar Wind i n d i c a t e s t h e

F o u r t e e n t h S t r e e t YWCA o n

site s c a f f o l d i n g , d r a w i n g o n a

"Inspired by the M e t r o system

direction of the wind and

M a r c h 13. P o s t e r s a p p e a r e d o n

l o n g tradition of grassroots

as p u b l i c space, I c h o s e a visual

r e f l e c t s l i g h t t h r o u g h its m a n y

t h e streets f r o m F e b r u a r y I 1

activism to e x p a n d geographic

i m a g e — t h a t of the 1930s

prisms, projecting rainbows

t h r o u g h 18, t h e D e u t s c h e B a n k

s c o p e a n d street visibility,

d r e s s m a k e r s ' p i c k e t l i n e in

t h r o u g h o u t t h e site a n d c e l e -

L o b b y Gallery hosts the e x h i b i -

[left Poster by Anti-Bias Squad.

d o w n t o w n LA—as a w a y t o

brating technology on a n u m b e r

tion from February 4 through

Image from website]

interact w i t h a diverse audience

o f levels, f r o m its c r e a t i o n a n d

and to present a lineage of

fabrication to the natural ele-

M a r c h 22, and submissions will

T h e Utah Public Art Program

b e available o n t h e w e b s i t e f o r

R E T U R N E N G A G E M E N T TO G A R M E N T

c o m m u n i t y in a c i t y that's

m e n t s it w o r k s w i t h a n d s c i e n -

a p p r o x i m a t e l y o n e year. F o u r

C I T Y , J e s s i c a Rath's theatrical

b e t t e r k n o w n f o r its p e r s o n a l

tific p r i n c i p l e s it m i r r o r s ,

organizations, inspired by the

a r t w o r k , w a s p e r f o r m e d at t h e

a n d c u l t u r a l islands." Also, a

[ r i g h t Photo courtesy t h e artist]

n e e d f o r a visual salve a f t e r t h e

Seventh Street/Metro

m o c k newspaper provides

e v e n t s , j o i n e d to create a project

Center/Julian Dixon Metro

viewers with additional

T h e Southeastern Center for

that w o u l d i n t r o d u c e a different

R e d L i n e S t a t i o n in L o s A n g e l e s

information o n the history

C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t (SECCA) i n

lens f o r r e f l e c t i n g , a c t i n g , a n d

throughout the m o n t h of Feb-

o f t h e strikes, i n c l u d i n g p e r t i -

Winston-Salem. N.C., presented

c h a n g i n g , s o m e t i m e s in w a y s

ruary, f o l l o w e d b y i m p r o v i s a -

nent quotations from Franklin

Lesley Dill's T O N G U E S O N F I R E :

n o t yet a p p a r e n t . C r e a t i v e T i m e ,

tional scenes alternating a m o n g

D. R o o s e v e l t a n d t h e Los

V I S I O N S A N D ECSTASY, a n artist a n d

P o e t s & W r i t e r s , t h e Van A l e n

vehicles o n the M e t r o B l u e Line

Angeles Times'

c o m m u n i t y p r o j e c t . Tongues

Institute, and Worldstudio

and M e t r o Bus d o w n t o w n .

o n t h e story. L o s A n g e l e s - b a s e d

Fire, a n artist r e s i d e n c y , b e c a m e

1933 spin

on

F o u n d a t i o n collectively

Return

D u r f e e F o u n d a t i o n also s u p -

a multifaceted project involving

approached different segments

s e n t e d as p a r t o f MTA-LA's

ported the project.

an e x h i b i t i o n of n e w w o r k s

o f t h e city's artistic p o p u l a -

M e t r o L a b , a series o f t e m p o r a r y

[Photo courtesy MTA-LA]

inspired by m o r e than 7 0 0

t i o n — s o m e of w h o m directly

commissioned artworks

p r o b e social issues in t h e i r

designed to e n h a n c e the

t h e artist, a s e r i e s o f l a r g e b i l l -

w o r k — f o r poster content sub-

transit e n v i r o n m e n t f o r MTA

boards placed around W i n s t o n -

missions. Submissions c a m e

customers. T h e far-reaching

Salem, an o p e n i n g n i g h t

from Sophie C a b o t Black,Vija

performance, focusing on the

Spiritual Sing w i t h the

Celmins, Mel Chin, Leon

h i s t o r y o f g a r m e n t w o r k e r s in

E m m a n u e l Baptist C h u r c h

Golub, Hans Haacke, Colette

Los Angeles in the 1930s and

Spiritual Choir, a d o c u m e n t a r y

Inez, H e t t i e Jones, R o g e r s M a r -

1940s, i n c o r p o r a t e s d i v e r s e

film b y t h e N o r t h C a r o l i n a

vel A r c h i t e c t s , G a e t a n o Pesce,

elements in theatrical tableaux,

School of the Arts chronicling

Frederic Schwartz Architects,

including spoken word.

the history of the choir and

Engagement

was pre-

vision statements collected by

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR.SUM.02

RECENT

PROJECTS

Dill's i n v o l v e m e n t i n it, a n d t w o

T h e R e g i o n a l Arts and C u l t u r e

Portland's R e g i o n a l Arts and

s m o k e stacks, a n d h o l d s a l o f t a

publications—an edited printed

Council of Portland, Oreg.

C u l t u r e C o u n c i l recently

J a p a n e s e glass fishing float,

collection of t h e vision state-

s p o n s o r e d t e m p o r a r y public art

commissioned n e w public

[ n e x t p a g e Alluvial

ments and a catalogue with

i n s t a l l a t i o n 2 8 DAYS O F GRAY

a r t at U r b a n C e n t e r Plaza, PGE

Photo courtesy Regional Arts and

essays b y v a r i o u s p a r t i c i p a n t s

t h r o u g h its in situ P O R T L A N D

Park, and the Eastliank

Culture Council]

and exhibited artwork. F r o m

p r o g r a m . A r t c l u b , a n artist c o l -

Esplanade. Artist/architect

her w o r k with the community,

lective f o r m e d b y L a u r a

collective R I G G A (Ean Eldred,

s o m e vision statements inspired

D o m e l a , Ellen G o l d s c h m i d t ,

Richard Garfield,James Harri-

t h e large billboards, o n e o f

Allen Kinast, and Karen Lynn,

son. J o h n Kashiwabara, Peter

w h i c h read "I was b o r n w i t h a

w a s i n s p i r e d by P o r t l a n d ' s g r a y

Nyten) created four sculptures

veil. W h e n I see v i s i o n s , I always

w i n t e r t o ask, " T h e I n u i t p e o p l e

for the Eastbank Esplanade, a

Minnesota worked for eight

tell s o m e b o d y . T h e y are m y w i t -

h a v e o v e r fifty w o r d s f o r s n o w .

p r o j e c t p r o v i d i n g access t o

years t o revisit t h e h i s t o r y

ness." T h e b i l l b o a r d s w e r e u p o n

Surely Portlanders deserve a f e w

the eastern shore of the

plaque c o m m e m o r a t i n g the

R o u t e 52 f r o m m i d - A p r i l

n e w w o r d s f o r g r a y ? " 28 Days of

Willamette River and building

S p a n i s h - A m e r i c a n W a r at t h e

t h r o u g h mid-July, 2001. David

Gray is c o m p o s e d o f t w e n t y -

a pedestrian loop connecting

state c a p i t o l in S a i n t Paul.

Wall.

• • • N E W S BRIEFS T h e Philippine Study Group of

B r o w n , s e n i o r c u r a t o r at SECCA,

e i g h t n i n e - f o o t steel p o l e s ,

the esplanade to the western

P o s i t i o n e d p r o m i n e n t l y in t h e

says, " D i l l ' s p r o j e c t suggests

topped with thirty-inch metal

Waterfront Park.The four sculp-

r o t u n d a o f t h e c a p i t o l , a large

l a r g e r issues: t h e q u e s t i o n o f

disks o f v a r i o u s s h a d e s o f g r a y

tures, c o m p o s e d of b r o n z e ,

b r o n z e plaque stated that t h e

c o n t e m p o r a r y art's r o l e in s p i r i -

a n d installed in a 1 5 0 - f o o t - b y -

c o p p e r , glass, i r o n , a n d stainless

T h i r t e e n t h M i n n e s o t a All

tualism, the differences b e t w e e n

1 5 0 - f o o t area in T o m M c C a l l

steel, are m e a n t t o s e r v e as relics

Volunteer Infantry "battled to

the spiritual w o r l d of organized

W a t e r f r o n t P a r k . T h e disks

standing for w h a t the river o n c e

free the oppressed people of the

religion a n d the mystical revela-

swivel in t h e w i n d , r e c a l l i n g

was. A c c o r d i n g to R I G G A ,

Philippines, w h o suffered u n d e r

tions of the individual, h o w lan-

everything from weathervanes

P o r t l a n d lives " a m i d t h e g h o s t

the despotic rule of Spain."

g u a g e affects p e r c e p t i o n , to

t o w i n d t u r b i n e s , a n d will

o f a river." R e c a l l i n g t h e river's

O t h e r statements on the plaque

n a m e a f e w , b u t t h e s e are f o r

remain through the winter. T h e

h i s t o r y o f i n d u s t r y a n d utility,

referred to Philippine President

o t h e r s to tackle."

shades of gray bear n e w names,

an interstate h i g h w a y ensures a

E m i l i o A g u i n a l d o as " C h i e f

[left Photo courtesy t h e artist]

s u c h as " w h i m , " " p r e m o n i t i o n , "

n o i s y rest f o r t h e relics. A L L U V I A L

A g u i n a l d o " and to the Philip-

" d u m p e r , " " m e m b r a n e , " "civic

W A L L , i n t e r w o v e n layers o f s e d i -

p i n e soldiers as " i n s u r g e n t s . " T h e

gloom," "aspiration," and

m e n t and erosion, marks the

Philippine Study Group wanted

" d r o o l , " in p l a c e o f d r a b , dreary,

natural, preindustrial shape of

to correct the misinformation

and bleak. For m o r e i n f o r m a -

t h e river. U n d e r t h e M o r r i s o n

a n d so a d d e d t h e i r o w n p l a q u e

t i o n , visit w w w . r a c c . o r g o r

B r i d g e , E C H O GATE p r e s e r v e s a

o n F e b r u a r y 4, 2 0 0 2 u n d e r n e a t h

www.domela.com/artclub.'

m o r e i n t i m a t e scale in a large

the original, stating that the w a r

[ r i g h t Photo by Brian Foulkes]

space. G H O S T S H I P , a g l o w i n g glass

w i t h Spain was nearly over

l a n t e r n o n a large b r o n z e

w h e n the Minnesotans arrived,

pedestal, references the m a n y

the Filipinos had declared i n d e -

44

MY

NA^E

V/AS C A V R . ^ U D **

I U DAR^ESS E H 2k

smI

SEE

m

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MM M H ^ B xrvx. * r > i i s F • iryfYOCll

ships t h a t h a v e passed t h r o u g h

p e n d e n c e , a n d U.S. t r o o p s

P o r t l a n d , especially t h o s e t h a t

e n d e d up battling mostly

have g o n e d o w n c r o s s i n g t h e

F i l i p i n o t r o o p s in w h a t is n o w

C o l u m b i a R i v e r Bar. STACK STALK

k n o w n as t h e P h i l i p p i n e -

a l l u d e s t o w h e a t stalks a n d

A m e r i c a n War. T h e second

NEWS

BRIEFS

plaque explains that Filipinos

e x a m p l e s o f h o w trails c a n i n t e -

publish a

were fighting for i n d e p e n d e n c e

g r a t e t h e arts a n d o t h e r c u l t u r a l

c a t a l o g u e this y e a r h i g h l i g h t i n g

for their h o m e l a n d and that

c o m p o n e n t s into their design.

t h e artists w h o h a v e p a r t i c i p a t e d

t a n . T h e c o a l i t i o n has c o m p i l e d

t h e largest t h r e a t c a m e f r o m

N u m e r o u s case s t u d i e s f r o m

in p r e v i o u s festivals. O n S e p -

a p r e l i m i n a r y r e p o r t o f its r e c -

fifteenth-anniversary

a d d r e s s t h e issues s u r r o u n d i n g the rebuilding of lower M a n h a t -

U.S. t r o o p s . T h e p l a q u e also

across t h e U n i t e d States are

t e m b e r 2 1 , f o r t h e first t i m e

o m m e n d a t i o n s . T h e website

mentions the anti-war reaction

i n c l u d e d , f r o m T a l l a d e g a , Ala., t o

ever, D o w n c i t y b e c o m e s t h e

s t a t e s , " I t is o u r h o p e t h a t t h e s e

i n t h e U n i t e d States o n c e l e t t e r s

S o u t h D a k o t a ' s O y a t e Trail.

core exhibition space for the

r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s will i n f o r m

began arriving from troops

A p p e n d i c e s detail a p p l y i n g f o r

festival. Island M o v i n g C o m -

the large-scale e c o n o m i c a n d

s t a t i o n e d in t h e P h i l i p p i n e s .

TEA-21 f u n d i n g , o t h e r p a r t n e r s ,

pany, a d a n c e c o m p a n y t h a t

real e s t a t e d e v e l o p m e n t d e c i -

Between 200,000 and 600,000

and o t h e r financial resources.

p e r f o r m e d f o r t h e first C o n v e r -

sions to b e m a d e in t h e c o m i n g

F i l i p i n o s w e r e killed, a n d t h e

For m o r e information contact

g e n c e , will p e r f o r m a n e w p i e c e

months

w a r e n d e d in d e f e a t f o r t h e

K i m b e r C r a i n e at k i m b e r @

in c e l e b r a t i o n o f t h e festival's

because of the great urgency of

Filipinos. T h e Philippines

n a s a a - a r t s . o r g o r call 2 0 2 -

m o v e to d o w n t o w n . For a c o m -

the situation, recognizing that

r e m a i n e d u n d e r U.S. rule until

347-6352.

plete schedule, images f r o m pre-

speed must be balanced with

W e o f f e r it n o w

v i o u s years, a n d f u r t h e r

well-thought-out solutions and

C o n v e r g e n c e International Arts

i n f o r m a t i o n o n this year's

sensitivity to m a n y c o n s t i t u e n -

saying, " W e d o n ' t w a n t t o o b l i t -

Festival in P r o v i d e n c e , R . I .

s c h e d u l e , see w w w . c a p a r t s . o r g

cies a n d issues." T h e f u l l r e p o r t

e r a t e h i s t o r y j u s t b e c a u s e it's

c e l e b r a t e s its f i f t e e n t h a n n i v e r -

o r call t h e P r o v i d e n c e T o u r i s m

c a n b e v i e w e d in PDF f o r m a t at

inaccurate." T h e original plaque

sary this y e a r . T h e festival r u n s

C o u n c i l at 8 0 0 - 5 6 2 - 9 8 9 5 .

www.newyorknewvisions.org.

is o n e o f m a n y a r o u n d t h e

from September 6-22, 2002,

country reproducing misinfor-

presenting city-wide, large-scale

T h e debate concerning h o w to

I n w h a t c o u l d b e v i e w e d as a

mation about the Philippine-

p u b l i c s c u l p t u r e in c o n j u n c t i o n

appropriately memorialize the

subset of a w i d e r debate o n

A m e r i c a n War.

with the C o n v e r g e n c e Street

e v e n t s o f S e p t e m b e r 11 c o n t i n -

m e m o r i a l s f o r S e p t e m b e r 11,

P a i n t i n g Festival, S e p t e m b e r 2 1 ,

ues to grow. M a n y different p r o -

articles in t h e Washington

and the P r o v i d e n c e Jazz and

posals, t o o m a n y t o t r a c k , h a v e

a n d New York Times d e t a i l e d

People and Culture, p u b l i s h e d in

B l u e s Festival, S e p t e m b e r 1 3 - 1 4 .

circulated, f r o m rebuilding the

fighters'

t h e s p r i n g o f 2 0 0 2 by t h e

T h i s year, o v e r s e v e n t y - f i v e arts

trade center towers to creating a

b r o n z e f i g u r a t i v e m e m o r i a l in

N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y o f State A r t s

o r g a n i z a t i o n s will p a r t i c i p a t e in

park w h e r e the office buildings

their honor. George Johnson,

A g e n c i e s , o u t l i n e s t h e arts' r o l e

t h e festival, c o n c e n t r a t i n g o n

o n c e s t o o d . A l m o s t as m a n y

D a n M c W i l l i a m s , a n d Bill

in transportation, particularly

creating c o m m u n i t y through

f o r u m s for discussion have

Eisengrin, captured raising the

h o w c o m m u n i t i e s are a p p l y i n g

shared cultural experiences.

arisen, f r o m Creative Time's

flag at G r o u n d Z e r o o n S e p -

1 9 4 6 . T h e Study G r o u p did not oppose the older plaque,

Arts &

Transportation—Connecting

Post fire-

o p p o s i t i o n t o a cast

transportation enhancement

S i n c e 1 9 8 8 , C o n v e r g e n c e has

website inviting c o m m e n t s o n a

t e m b e r 11, are t h e base f o r t h e

funds to design and c o m m u n i t y

commissioned hundreds of

t e m p o r a r y proposal to pbs.org's

m e m o r i a l . In t h e clay m o d e l o f

redevelopment projects incor-

international, national, and local

d i s c u s s i o n b o a r d filled w i t h

the memorial, the white

porating the arts.The publica-

artists t o c r e a t e l a r g e - s c a l e p u b -

opinions about the subject.The

fighters

fire-

a r e d e p i c t e d as a b l a c k , a

t i o n is d e s i g n e d as a c o m p a n i o n

lic s c u l p t u r e s , p e r f o r m a n c e s ,

projects, organizations, and p r o -

white, and a Latino firefighter

piece for the Arts Projects o n

concerts, and exhibitions. T h e

posals b e l o w r e p r e s e n t o n l y a

r a i s i n g t h e flag. O v e r a t h o u s a n d

M i l l e n n i u m Trails initiative, c u r -

o n l y s t a t e - w i d e arts festival in

small s e c t i o n o f t h e d i s c u s s i o n .

signatures had b e e n collected

rently s u p p o r t i n g thirty-seven

t h e n a t i o n . C o n v e r g e n c e is

Time to Consider, a t e m p o r a r y

opposing the memorial, w h i c h

trail p r o j e c t s as t e s t b e d s f o r ideas

important for e m e r g i n g and

p o s t e r initiative, a n d Tribute in

some

a n d p a r t n e r s h i p s t o s e r v e as

e s t a b l i s h e d artists alike, a n d will

Light are d e t a i l e d f u r t h e r in

ficed

R e c e n t Projects, and Remembering,

Rebuilding

Renewing, can be

f o u n d in t h e E x h i b i t i o n s e c t i o n .

firefighters

say has " s a c r i -

historical verisimilitude

for political correctness."

Because of the opposition, plans for the m e m o r i a l w e r e revisited.

45

T h e fraternal organization of N e w York N e w Visions, a coalit i o n f o r t h e r e b u i l d i n g of l o w e r M a n h a t t a n , is c o m p o s e d o f twenty architecture, planning, and design organizations that came together immediately foll o w i n g t h e attacks. T h i s g r o u p ,

black

firefighters,

the Vulcan

Society, stated that they w e r e m o r e c o n c e r n e d w i t h real-life d i v e r s i t y in t h e n a t i o n ' s l a r g e s t m u n i c i p a l fire d e p a r t m e n t t h a n the s y m b o l i c diversity d e p i c t e d in t h e m e m o r i a l m o d e l .

representing over 30,000 indiv i d u a l s , has p o o l e d c o l l e c t i v e

P u b l i c artist M a r y M i s s a n d

r e s o u r c e s in a p r o b o n o e f f o r t t o

landscape architects Victoria

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 02

ARTIST

OPPORTUNITIES

Marshall and Elliott M a l t b y

www.wyoarts.state.wy.us.

o f v i e w in style, taste, m e d i a , a n d

t i o n has f e a t u r e d w o r k s o f a r t

have proposed a vision for a

T h e p r o p o s a l d e a d l i n e is

s u b j e c t , as w e l l as r e f l e c t e t h n i c

c r e a t e d by t h i r t y - s i x A m e r i c a n

t e m p o r a r y m e m o r i a l called

April 22, 2002.

a n d g e n d e r diversity. If s e l e c t e d ,

a n d C a n a d i a n fine artists. O v e r

y o u r w o r k ( s ) o f a r t will b e

5 0 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e visit t h e h i s t o r i c

Moving

Perimeter: A Wreath

for

Ground

Zero. Miss's s t u d i o has

T h e G u n k F o u n d a t i o n seeks visual artists f o r its g r a n t p r o -

been in Tribeca for thirty years, a n d this p r o j e c t g r e w o u t ot the group's collected obser-

g r a m . Artists are e n c o u r a g e d t o s e n d p r o p o s a l s by A p r i l 3 0 , 2 0 0 2 for specific p u b l i c art projects,

vations on the reactions to

i n c l u d i n g t h e f u t u r e site f o r

G r o u n d Z e r o by the m a n y visitors f r o m a r o u n d t h e w o r l d .

E l e m e n t s p r o p o s e d are n u m e r ous and include painting existing fences and barriers blue, replacing chainlink fences and p l y w o o d walls w i t h c u r v i n g blue fence sections, replacing police crowd control barriers w i t h flexible p a r t i t i o n s w i t h

tops, and placing circular seating

y e a r . T h e e x h i b i t is p r e s e n t e d by

year. T o r e q u e s t a slide r e g i s t r y

t h e U n i t e d States C a n a d a P e a c e

f o r m , please c o n t a c t Cecilia

A n n i v e r s a r y A s s o c i a t i o n , in

C a r t e r at c e c i l i a . c a r t e r @ t t u . e d u .

cooperation with Washington State P a r k s . T h e e n t r y f e e is $ 1 0 .

exhibiting the work. Grant

T h e city o f A u s t i n , T e x . is c o n -

a m o u n t s range f r o m an average

ducting a p e r f o r m a n c e audit of

of $ 1 , 0 0 0 to $5,000 m a x i m u m .

its c u l t u r a l arts f u n d i n g p r o c e s s ,

For an application f o r m , contact

w h i c h provides for contracts

N a d i n e L c m m o n , Grants C o o r -

w i t h artists in s e v e n d i s c i p l i n e s ,

dinator, T h e G u n k Foundation,

i n c l u d i n g theater, music, litera-

P.O. B o x 3 3 3 , G a r d i n e r , ny,

t u r e , a n d m i x e d arts a n d will b e

12525; e-mail: i n f o @ g u n k . o r g ;

soliciting proposals f r o m public

website: w w w . g u n k . o r g .

a r t c o n s u l t a n t s f o r assistance in

An online prospectus can be d o w n l o a d e d at w w w . p e a c e a r c h park.org. For further i n f o r m a tion, contact Christina A l e x a n d e r at P.O. B o x 4 5 6 4 , B l a i n e , WA 9 8 2 3 1 ; tel.: 360-332-7165; e-mail: info@peacearchpark.org.

•

May

•

•

p r o c e s s a n d e v a l u a t i o n o f best

AWARDS

practice and f u n d i n g models.

e l e m e n t s in c e r t a i n areas t o

T h e Minnesota Percent for Art

c r e a t e s t o p p i n g places. A s t h e

in P u b l i c P l a c e s P r o g r a m is

r e s t r i c t e d area s h r i n k s , b l u e

a c c e p t i n g s u b m i s s i o n s f o r its

fig-

ure eights p a i n t e d o n the street

P e r c e n t f o r A r t Slide R e g i s t r y .

w h e r e fencing once stood

Slide R e g i s t r y d e a d l i n e is M a y

w o u l d r e m i n d visitors o f the

15, 2 0 0 2 . F o r a n a p p l i c a t i o n ,

progress of healing and r e c o n struction. O n c e reconstruction flexible

c o n t a c t t h e M i n n e s o t a State A r t s B o a r d at 6 5 1 - 2 1 5 - 1 6 0 0 ; e-mail: msab@arts.state, mn.us;

partitions would be reconfigured to f o r m a temporary

international peace park each

staff, s t u d e n t s , a n d v i s i t o r s e a c h

the assessment o f the c u r r e n t

o p e n i n g s f o r flowers at t h e

is c o m p l e t e t h e

v i e w e d b y t h o u s a n d s o f faculty,

T h e a u d i t is b e i n g c o n d u c t e d by the Office of the City Auditor,

S c u l p t u r e C e n t e r has a w a r d e d

t o w h o m t h e c o n s u l t a n t will

the

r e p o r t . If y o u w o u l d like t o

Prize to Alan F i n k e l . T h e prize

receive a copy of the R e q u e s t

will b e a w a r d e d e a c h y e a r t o a n

f o r P r o p o s a l s w h e n it is issued,

artist w h o s e w o r k is c o n t i n u a l l y

please c o n t a c t M a r i o n J a r r e t t

evolving yet proceeds f r o m a

at 5 1 2 - 9 7 4 - 1 8 8 4 o r m a r i o n .

m a t u r e base, a n d is u n d e r r e c o g -

jarrett@ci.austin.tx.us.

website: www.arts.state.mn.us.

first-ever

SculptureCenter

nized w i t h i n the art c o m m u n i t y .

T h e p r i z e is a w a r d e d b y a t h r e e -

figure Fifth A n n u a l Peace Arch Park

person jury and chosen from a

International Sculpture

p o o l o f t h i r t y n o m i n a t e d artists.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n this

T e x a s T e c h U n i v e r s i t y is a s s e m -

Exhibition, May 1-September

T h e 2001 j u r y consisted of

t h o u g h t f u l p r o j e c t , visit

bling a pool of applicants for

3 0 , 2 0 0 2 . Artists f r o m t h e

Dennis Oppenheim, Eugenie

n u m e r o u s p r o j e c t s t h a t will

U n i t e d States a n d C a n a d a are

Tsai, and Ursula v o n R y d -

i n c l u d e w o r k s o f a r t in glass.

invited to submit o u t d o o r

ingsvard. S K Y C U B E , a cata-

Glass artists w h o w o u l d like t o

s c u l p t u r e t o b e f e a t u r e d in t h e

logue d o c u m e n t i n g the work of

e i g h t , "its e n d l e s s l i n e c o n n e c t -

Open Deadlines

i n g o u r past a n d o u r f u t u r e . "

www.marymiss.com.

• • •

be considered for u p c o m i n g

Fifth A n n u a l P e a c e A r c h P a r k

F i n k e l , was p u b l i s h e d in t a n d e m

public art projects m a y apply to

International Sculpture Exhibi-

with the award. S K Y C U B E

t h e u n i v e r s i t y ' s slide registry.

tion. A panel o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l art

showcases Finkel's t w e n t y - f i v e

R e g i s t r y applicants must

e x p e r t s a n d p a r k m a n a g e r s will

years o f a r t in N e w Y o r k a n d

T h e W y o m i n g Arts C o u n c i l

include: a completed applica-

j u r y the e x h i b i t i o n . T h e criteria

a b r o a d , i n c l u d i n g his p u b l i c

a n n o u n c e s a call f o r e n t r i e s

t i o n , five t o t w e n t y slides o f

f o r s e l e c t i o n i n c l u d e artistic

commissions and awards.The

f o r t h e i r A r t in P u b l i c B u i l d i n g s

w o r k p r o d u c e d w i t h i n t h e last

i m p r e s s i o n , quality, durability,

catalogue documents the

ARTIST O P P O R T U N I T I E S April

P r o j e c t . T h e p r o j e c t requires an

five years, a slide list, a c u r r e n t

aesthetic appeal, and park and

l i v e / w o r k space Finkel created

artist t o i m p a r t a h u m a n q u a l i t y

r e s u m e , a n artist s t a t e m e n t , a n d

c o m m u n i t y a p p r o p r i a t e n e s s . All

a n d i n c l u d e s n u m e r o u s essays

to the State E m p l o y e e P a r k i n g

t w o professional references. T h e

materials m u s t be completely

by A r l e n e R a v e n a n d J o h n

S t r u c t u r e . T h e total p r o j e c t

mission of the Texas Tech U n i -

w e a t h e r p r o o f and suitable for

Michael Schwarting, the

b u d g e t is $ 6 7 , 5 0 0 . A p p l i c a t i o n s

v e r s i t y P u b l i c A r t P r o g r a m is t o

public v i e w i n g . A self-guided art

architect collaborating with

are available f r o m t h e W y o m i n g

c r e a t e an a r t - r i c h a n d a e s t h e t i -

and park history t o u r brochure

F i n k e l in t h e c r e a t i o n o f

Arts C o u n c i l , 2 3 2 0 Capitol

cally s t i m u l a t i n g l e a r n i n g

accompanies the exhibit. Since

S K Y C U B E . Selected works,

A v e n u e , C h e y e n n e , WY 8 2 0 0 2 ;

e n v i r o n m e n t . W o r k s in t h e c o l -

1 9 9 8 , t h e P e a c e A r c h Park

1 9 7 6 - 2 0 0 0 , c o m p r i s e t h e rest

tel. 3 0 7 - 7 7 7 - 7 7 4 2 ; w e b s i t e

l e c t i o n shall r e f l e c t m a n y p o i n t s

International Sculpture Exhibi-

of the catalogue.

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR.SUM.02

FRESH PERSPECTIVES: PUBLIC ART 2002 June 6-7 - Nashville, Tennessee Selected Conference Sessions: Key Speaker Dialogues: Jody Pinto and Tad Savinar Year in Review: Nancy Princenthal and Benito Public Art Tours Study Sessions Networking Opportunities

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Huerta

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YEAR IN REVIEW 2001 SLIDE SET A Public Art Tool for Art and Design Professionals, Community Planners, and Universities 155 Slides of 37 Public Art Projects Annotated Slide Script

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COMMUNITY BRIDGE

William C o c h r a n , the artist of C o m m u n i t y Bridge and f o u n d e r o f S h a r e d V i s i o n , is a v a i l a b l e f o r s p e a k i n g e n g a g e m e n t s .

" O n e of the most inspiring c o n f e r e n c e speakers I've heard."

— D o u g S a r n o , D i r e c t o r , I n t e r n a t ' l A s s o c . of Public Participation " T h i s is t h e k i n d o f p r o j e c t that s h o u l d b e d o n e all o v e r the c o u n t r y . " — F r a n c o i s e Y o h a l e m , public art c o n s u l t a n t "It t r i c k s the e y e , d a z z l e s t h e m i n d , a n d w a r m s the soul."

-— A s s o c i a t e d Press " S o a s t o n i s h i n g l y u n u s u a l that, at first, it is d i f f i c u l t to see its m a n y d i m e n s i o n s . Y o u ' v e g o t to [ h e a r ] t h e s t o r y b e h i n d it to g e t t h e f u l l i m p a c t of its q u i e t l y c r e a t i v e a u d a c i t y . " — N e t s u r f e r Digest, Silicon Valley

YOUR PLACE TO F I N D ARTISTS & ART" S h a r e d V i s i o n c r e a t e s l a r g e - s c a l e p u b l i c art p r o j e c t s that e n g a g e

•

ARTISTSREGISTER.COM

t h e p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e p u b l i c o n a m a s s s c a l e . C o n t a c t u s at 301-698-2647, w c o c h r a n @ e r o l s . c o m , or www.sharedvision.org.

M i n n e s o t a P e r c e n t for Art in Public P l a c e s f a c i l i t a t e s i n s t a l l a t i o n of c o m m i s s i o n e d a n d p u r c h a s e d a r t in p u b l i c s p a c e s of s t a t e b u i l d i n g s .

Slides on file with t h e Percent for Art Slide Registry will b e a m o n g t h o s e considered for u p c o m i n g

projects.

William Fiorini and

C o n t a c t t h e M i n n e s o t a S t a t e Arts

Kirsten Skiles, Koka Metalsmiths,

Board for an

application.

Itasca

Reflections—

Gateway to the

Slide Registry Deadlines May 1 5 , 2 0 0 2 • N o v e m b e r 1 5 ,

Mississippi, (Detail) 2002

forges and fabricated steel four-panel gate, 10 ft. x 16 ft., 2001.

Installed at

M i n n e s o t a State Arts Board msab@arts.state.mn.us www.arts.state.mn.us (651) 215-1600 (800) 8MN-ARTS/800.866.2787

the Itasca State Park Visitors Center in Itasca, Minnesota

Franz West

THE GARDEN GROWS: N E W W O R K S T O BE I N S T A L L E D I N THE MINNEAPOLIS SCULPTURE GARDEN Since 1986, Arts in Transit in St. Louis, Missouri has supported the involvement of artists in facility design, public art and community development initiatives. AIT has completed over 90 public art projects, design collaborations and a wide range of new prajfcts related to the expansion of the MetroLink light rail and Metro Bus systems are underway.

For information, contact AIT or visil our website.

ARTS. IN

T R A N S I T [BI-STATE NORTH ST. L O U I S , M O 63102-2595

DEVELOPMENT AGENCY] FIRST STREET P H . 314.982.1413

www.bi-state.orq/artsintransit.html

CELEBRATING (AND CONFRONTING) NATURE Appearing as fantastic anomalies in the natural environment, three boldly colored works—in electric green, orange, a n d pink—by Austrian artist Franz West will be installed in June, near the fountainsculpture Spoonbridge

and Cherry. Created to f u n c t i o n as garden

seating, these sausage-shaped sculptures are part of West's

Sitzwust

( 2 0 0 0 ) series. With s u c h intense colors, the sculptures challenge nature's beauty and mimic it with organically inspired shapes that are

FREEMAN WHITEHURST FACSIMILE

GROUP

m a d e to be touched.

TELEPHONE

= 912 0899

6 0 2 91 2 0 2 34 | fwg@sprintmail.com

Sarah Sze

Public Art Consultants

R E I M A G I N I N G THE G R O U N D BENEATH O U R FEET A n e w artwork by New York-based artist Sarah Sze (pronounced "Zee") debuts June I in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. To be permanently set beneath the floor in The Sage and John Cowles Conservatory, the work is a vast subterranean landscape populated by fake plants, found objects, and laboratory beakers, all spiraling downward and changing scale. Viewed through windows set in the floor, the u n d e r g r o u n d tableau will allow viewers, in Sze's words, to "discover a site similar to the way an archaeologist uncovers layers of objects, m o n u m e n t s , and foundations."

Gretchen Freeman Deborah Whitehurst

WALKER ART CENTER 612.375.7622 www.walkerart.org

Penland Public Art HARRIET F. SENIE

The Tilted Arc Controversy Dangerous Precedent?

Summer Workshops July 7 - 1 9

Elizabeth Conner Private Viewpoint:

Public Work

Jim Buonaccorsi & LeeAnn Mitchell Steel Fabrication for Outdoor

Sculpture

July 2 1 - August 6

Since its installation at a n d s u b s e q u e n t r e m o v a l f r o m N e w York City's F e d e r a l Plaza, n o t e d sculptor Richard Serra's Tilted Arc has b e e n a t o u c h s t o n e for d e b a t e s over t h e role of public art. Installed in 1 9 8 1 , t h e 10f o o t - h i g h , 1 2 0 - f o o t - l o n g curved wall of Cor-Ten selfrusting steel instantly b e c a m e a m a g n e t for criticism.

Harriet F. Senie explores t h e history of Tilted Arc a n d e x a m i n e s t h e tactics of t h o s e o p p o s e d t o t h e sculpture as well as t h e media's superficial a n d sensational c o v e r a g e of t h e controversy, reframing t h e d i a l o g u e in t e r m s of public art, public space, a n d public policy.

Carlos Alves Another

Mile of Tile

Penland School of Crafts A national center for craft education in t h e North Carolina mountains www.penland.org • 8 2 8 - 7 6 5 - 2 3 5 9

$19.95 p a p e r • $54.95 cloth • 224 p a g e s • 53 halftones

University of Minnesota Press www.upress.umn.edu 773-568-1550

King County Public Art Program works in partnership with King County Department of Transportation to produce artist-designed: pedestrian walkways • transit centers shelters • park & rides • poetry on buses transit-oriented developments • bridges street amenities

i A.

Established in 1989, MTA Metro Art seeks to expand the Los Angeles County Metropolitan T r a n s p o r t a t i o n A u t h o r i t y ' s goal of f o s t e r i n g i n n o v a t i o n s in t r a n s portation development. Believing t h a t a r t can m a k e t h e t r a n s i t experience m o r e inviting, comfortable a n d m e a n i n g f u l for the public, Metro Art h a s commissioned a r t i s t s f o r a wide a r r a y of b o t h t e m p o r a r y a n d perm a n e n t projects, r a n g i n g f r o m b u s stops to rail stations, streetscapes to b u s interiors, c o n s t r u c t i o n fences to poetry a n d p e r f o r m a n c e .

Current programs include: Metro Rail Metro Rapid Photo Lightboxes Docent Guided Tours

• • • •

Metro B u s Metrolink MetroLab P o e t r y In Motion®L.A.

O p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r n e w c o m m i s s i o n s a n d t h e debut of completed initiatives a r e f o r t h c o m i n g .

To receive a n n o u n c e m e n t s , MTA Metro A r t welcomes a r t i s t s , a r t s administrators, and the i n t e r e s t e d p u b l i c to j o i n i t s m a i l i n g list by c a l l i n g (213) 922-4ART

For a d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e www.mta.net/metroart

visit

Artists in Denver's Public Art Collection: Edgar Britton • Robert Garrison | Grant Stevenson • Frederick MacMonnies • Max Blondet • Mabel Landruml Torrey • Alexander Phimister Proctor • Allen True • Clara Soanson Diemanl Louis Paul Jones • Maurice Bardin • Gladys Caldwell Fisher • Eva Brand I Anthony Magar • Louis Paul Jones • Milt Erickson • Susan Pogzeba • Roger I Kotoske • Peter Forakis • Robert Mangold • Robert Morris • Angelol DiBenidetto • William F. Joseph • Emanuel Martinez

• Elanor Kinsman I

Abe Vigil • Leroy Butler • William F. Joseph • Gerald Cross

• Willi

Morton, VIII • Gary Dwyer • Zbigniew Maleszewski • William I. Mead I Carlota Espinoza • Kenneth Bunn • Paul Klite • Ronald W. Mays • Victor M. I Contreras • George Carlson • Bruce Taylor • T.H. Dickson • Dane Rombergerl Satoru Nishita • Brian Dreith • William Frederick Sargent • Elaine Calzolaril Erick Johnson • Steven F. Morath • Trine Bumiller • Carolyn Braaksmal Peter Kola • Joseph A. Cipri • Kevin Oehler • Ken and Judith Williams| Gary Sweeney • Barbara Jo Revelle • Steven DeVries • Julie BurringtonI Susan Cooper • Mike Davis • John Boak • Tony Ortego • George Woodman I Jim Sale • Barry Rose • Jim Green • Evelyn Rosenberg • Alice Adams I Betty Woodman • Buster Simpson and Sherry Wiggins • Carolyn Braaksmal and Mark Villarrea • Darrell Anderson and Barb McKee • Dick Alweis • Ed I Dwight • Jim Green • Juane Quick-To-See Smith and Ken Iwamasa • Lenil Schwendinger • Michael Singer • Patty Ortiz • Terry Allen • Toni Rosatol and William Maxwell • Alex Sweetman • Anna Murch • David Griggs I George W. Lundeen • Leo Tanguma • Doug Hollis • Luis Jimenez • Clay I Wright • Martha Keating and Bob Luna • Randi Eyre • Bill Gian | Jennifer O'Meara • Stan Meyer • Nick Vigil • Sherry Allen • Sherry Wiggins I Ross Barrable • JoeSam. • Susan Cooper • William Burgess • Andy I Libertone • Edward J. Ruscha • Thomas Jay Warren • Wang Po Shu I Laura Audrey • Steven Jensen • Ed Carpenter • Andrew Dufford | Marcus Akinlana • John Powell • Jill Burkee/Giancarlo Biagi • Lisa Kaslowl Judy Baca • Marcus Akinlana • Donald Lipski • Vance Kirklandl Fernando Botero • Barbara Baer • Michael Clapper • Nancy Lovendahl I Daniel Salazar • Ed Dwight • Oyedele Oginga • Bonny Lhotkal Steven Altman • Robert Murase • Jim Colbert • Larry Kirklandl Scott Greenig • Sue Quinlan • Dennis Oppenheim • Judith Tragerl Nathaniel Bustion • Barbara Grygutis • Bill Starke • Jonathan BorofskyI

For information about future opportunities contact:

Office of Art Culture and Film Public Art Program 1380 Lawrence Street, Suite 790 Denver, CO 80204 303.640.6950 or email mary.valdez@ci.denver.co.us

City and County of Denuer Mayor Wellington E. Webb