Going Public
A deeper dive into the stories behind Palo Alto public art installations alo Alto is home to over three hundred displays of public art. They are located in a variety of locations—parks, tunnels and buildings—each with its own story to tell. Elise DeMarzo, the Palo Alto Public Art Program Director, has grown to love public art after a decade of working for the city. Her job is to commission artists for spaces that could benefit from an installation. “We don’t shop for artists, we really just try to find the right artist for the job,” DeMarzo said. After they propose a project, DeMarzo and the Public Art Commission interview applicants and choose the best fit. The hired artist is then given guidelines for their site. Take for example an art installation at a new public safety building associated with reporting crimes, it should convey a sense of calm. Or in a place with a lot of kids, DeMarzo might propose a flashier, more interactive piece. To fit these guidelines, sculptor Roger Stoller tries to understand his audience first and does so by engaging directly with the community. “[Locals] know the city in a way I’ll never
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know,” Stoller said. “I realized it was to all of our advantage to create a public piece together rather than by myself.” This collaborative process is what sets public art apart. Unlike painters in an art gallery, public artists must consider both the community and their own voice in order to create something meaningful. And that meaning must be transparent to the public, Stoller said. “Why make it so hard for people? It’s public art, they’re not going to a museum,” Stoller said. “Let’s figure out what they can relate to.” Konstantin Dimopoulos, creator of “The Blue Trees,” often invites passersby to paint with him. “We had people come in who had never been to an art gallery before,” Dimopoulos said. “But I remember one lady said to me [while] we were coloring the trees, ‘This is the first time I’ve felt like an artist.’” Putting art out in the open for everyone to see is what “going public” means for our community. But the impact of these public works go beyond Palo Alto. They show us we can work together toward something beautiful—a universal truth we all can stand for.
Text by SAMANTHA FELDMEIER, AUDREY GUO and CASEY WALTERS Art and design by SAMANTHA FELDMEIER and AUDREY GUO • Photos by SAM MUTZ
