Public Art Tip Sheet from the Acadiana Arts Council When creating a piece of artwork that will be permanently installed at a site, here are some items the commissioning agency and the artist should consider to ensure a successful project.
Artist Selection:
- Evaluate the quality of the artists work. Remember that you need to submit a sample of the artists work along with your grant application.
- If applicable, does the artist have experience creating large-scale artwork?
- Does the artist work with materials that are suitable for a durable and structurally sound piece of art?
Site Selection:
- Public artwork is usually located outdoors and therefore the environment of the site needs to be considered. Does the site flood? If there are trees nearby, can tree roots possible undermine the artwork, and will the trees shed leaves or sap on the artwork? Do birds tend to congregate nearby?
- Can the artwork be easily seen? Is the site accessible?
- Outdoor locations may also pose security problems. Is the site vulnerable to vandalism?
- Who owns the site? For example, if a mural is painted on a private building, what happens if the site is sold? In this case, you would need to have plans for retaining the image regardless of future ownership of the building.
Design Considerations:
- Since the artwork will be installed in a public and therefore visible and accessible space, the community should be involved in the design process to make sure the artwork will be accepted. One way to encourage public acceptance of the piece is by including representatives or residents of the area where the artwork will be installed in the planning process.
- Is the design appropriate for the community and the site? A small piece of sculpture might be dwarfed by a large site, for example, or a stark contemporary piece of artwork may be jarring in a traditional setting.
- The artist should be aware of safety concerns: is there a possibility that people could hurt themselves on the sculpture? For example, glass components might have sharp edges or fragile projections that could break off.
- Is the artwork meant to be touched or climbed on? If so, the artwork must be very safe for interaction with people. If not, some kind of barrier, like a surrounding fountain or railing, should be included in the design to discourage people from touching the piece.
- Will the artwork need to be supported under the ground?
Materials:
- Because the piece is intended to be permanent, the materials chosen for the piece must be extremely durable. Bronze, stone, concrete, and stainless steel are commonly used for sculpture, and sealers are used to protect painted surfaces.
- Can the piece be easily vandalized? Smooth materials may be more vulnerable to spray paint than rough surfaces.
Maintenance:
- Once the piece is installed, who will be responsible for maintaining it? Over time, weather will cause the artwork to deteriorate, but regular maintenance can prevent serious damage.
- Some maintenance (cleaning, re-painting, etc.) can be costly who will be responsible for paying for it?
- The artist should provide instructions for maintaining the piece. For example, if the piece is a mural, the paint colors will need to be specified so that re-painted areas will match the original paint.
- Artwork with water elements (like fountains), electrical components, and painted surfaces will require more maintenance.
Legal Considerations:
- There should be a contract between the artist and the commissioning agency specifying the nature of the artwork, a timeline for creating and installing the piece, the payment schedule, liability, insurance, and maintenance responsibilities.
- If public artwork is removed from public view, will the commissioning agency or the artist keep the piece?
Other Considerations:
- Will the artwork be displayed on a platform?
- Will there be landscaping around the artwork? If so, the landscaping should be compatible with the artwork.
- How will the artwork be labeled? People like to know who created the piece and why it was created.
- Will be the sculpture be lit at night? Lights tend to discourage vandalism, but will also attract insects and will need to be maintained.
- Will there be public walkways and benches around the artwork? Making the surrounding area comfortable will encourage people to visit the artwork.
Public Art Project Ideas:
Mosaics, murals, creative landscaping, banners, interactive play sculptures, neon light installations and environmental sculpture are all possibilities for public art. Public art can be functional as well as beautiful or interesting: consider artist-designed benches, trash containers, retaining walls, fences and light posts.
(Editors note: This tip sheet originally appeared in a slightly different format.)
FAQs
Public art is not an art “form.” Its size can be huge or small. It can tower fifty feet high or call attention to the pavement beneath your feet. Its shape can be abstract or realistic (or both), and it may be cast, carved, built, assembled, or painted. It can be site-specific or stand in contrast to its surroundings.
What are the criteria for public art evaluation? ›
Selection criteria might include: Quality of artist's work to date - concept and realisation. Artist's experience of, or interest in, working in the public realm. Artist's interest in collaboration or ability to work as part of a team.
What is the difference between public art and street art? ›
The difference is that street art is illegal, uncoordinated art without a budget, while public art has a customer, an initiator, often has a curator. Sometimes these notions are confused with each other, and some people may associate any art in public places with vandalism.
What is the formula for art pricing? ›
(Height x Width) × Price per square inch
It's also pretty straight forward: it takes the surface area of a work and multiplies by a rate of your choosing. Determining the price per square inch is the tricky part.
How to price your art for beginners? ›
(Hourly Wage × Hours Spent) + Cost of Materials
- Determine what your “hourly rate” is as an artist. For our purposes, let's say $25.
- Figure out how many hours you spent on the piece. If it was five hours, that's 25 x 5, or $125.
- Now consider materials. If you spent $50, that's $125 + $50 for a total price of $175.
Public art is typically funded through the government, but increasingly through public-private partnerships as well.
What is not considered public art? ›
Independent art created or staged in or near the public realm (for example, graffiti, street art) lacks official or tangible public sanction has not been recognized as part of the public art genre, however this attitude is changing due to the efforts of several street artists.
Does public art have value? ›
Cities gain value through public art – cultural, social, and economic value. Public art is a distinguishing part of our public history and our evolving culture.
What are the 7 criteria for art? ›
These are line, shape, color, value, form, texture, and space. Meanwhile, the principles of art represent how the artist uses the elements of art to create an effect and to help convey the artist's intent.
What are the elements of public art? ›
Works of art in the public arena may take on many forms; including paintings, prints, murals, photography, sculpture, earthworks, details in streetscapes, performance, installation, sound works, text, audio or multimedia. They may be permanent, temporary or ephemeral.
Appointing a Selection Committee
The artist or art work may be selected by an established public art committee; by a board or commission with defined roles; or by an ad hoc review committee that has been put together for the sole purpose of selecting the artist and approving the work.
What is the purpose of public art? ›
Public art can express community values, enhance our environment, transform a landscape, heighten our awareness, or question our assumptions. Placed in public sites, this art is there for everyone, a form of collective community expression.
What is the difference between community art and public art? ›
Public art refers to projects that may be conceived by individuals, a group of residents, or local government. The primary difference between it and community art is that public art is executed by commissioned artists rather than being created by community members themselves.
How is public art different from private art? ›
Public art differs from art produced for display in a museum, gallery, or other public place, and from art collected by individuals, in three major ways: It is commissioned by a very public process, in which the community has a clear and defined role in selecting the artist, the site, and the artwork.
What is the value of public art? ›
Public art can express community values, enhance our environment, transform a landscape, heighten our awareness, or question our assumptions. Placed in public sites, this art is there for everyone, a form of collective community expression.
How much is the artist fee for public art? ›
Public Art
| Project Budget | Minimum Fee Range |
|---|
| $5,000+ | $500.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $20,000+ | $1,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| $100,000+ | $3,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| $300,000+ | $4,000.00 | $6,000.00 |
2 more rowsThe brief
- The overall vision, aims and objectives.
- Context – history, background to project.
- Information on the commissioner.
- Physical or technical constraints.
- Role of the artist – scope of what you will need to deliver.
- Project management structure.
- Copyright and ownership.
- Budget – what is and isn't included.
Several criteria are taken into account when deciding on a price: - The artwork's size: Firstly, the price depends on the size of the artwork. The larger the artwork, the more materials and effort it requires, so the higher the price. - The materials used: The price may also depend on the materials used by the artist.
