I feel ambivalent about public art. On occasion I am uplifted, and that, thankfully, is happening more frequently. At other times I simply see material white noise—stuff. Often this happens when I see an abstract red sculpture placed in front of a glassy corporate structure that from a sensory perspective is a no building. You … Read More

The world of social media offers interesting territory for artists to explore. The emergent values of the medium—most centrally an anarchic, user-created information experience—lend themselves especially to social practice works, where social media can serve as an important connector. But two recent projects show how artists are using the new medium in other ways. For … Read More

Tacoma, Washington, is the site of a unique project to train artists in the processes associated with creating public art. The Public Art: In Depth (PA:ID) program, which wrapped up its first year at the end of 2012, combines traditional workshop training with a unique series of opportunities that culminates in a real-life competition for … Read More

Tania Bruguera is a Cuban-born international artist working to discover how art can actively influence politics rather than merely comment on them. Her most recent project, Immigrant Movement International, functions as a community and advocacy center for immigrants in Queens, New York. Recently awarded Southern Methodist University’s Meadows Prize for pioneering artists, Bruguera talks in … Read More

Hailey, Idaho – I live in Hailey, Idaho, a mountain town with a population of 8,500. The town didn’t have an arts commission until 2006, and it passed a percent-for-art ordinance in 2008. Events drawing thousands have happened annually since 2007. There are $20,000 of integrated and site-specific public art projects finished, and another $80,000 … Read More