Public Art

CREATIVE PLACEMAKING 2 Creative placemaking integrates arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities. Creative placemaking requires partnership across sectors, deeply engages the community, involves artists, designers and culture bearers, and helps to advance local economic, physical, and/or social change, ultimately laying the groundwork for systems change.

-National Endowment for the Arts

PUBLIC ART

Public art is likely the most straightforward and permanent method to engage creative residents in community improvement activities. Public art implementation includes a broad variety of media, scales, and budgets. A strategy for public art can be developed to achieve numerous goals related to revitalization and community engagement.

It is important to note that most public art improvements are relatively inexpensive and have short timelines for implementation compared to larger infrastructure and construction projects. A public art strategy may be among the better solutions to achieve quick results that are embraced by the community. A public art strategy may also be most appropriate for building momentum towards larger goals that may have higher associated costs. Public Sculptures Public sculptures are generally more expensive and have longer production cycles than public murals and other types of public art. However they can generate significantly more community engagement and have much longer lifespans. Some of the more notable public sculptures include monuments to an individual or a key community event. It's important to explore other subject matters such as key elements of the community's history, geography, or other notable features. Abstract shapes and bold colors should be explored for a highly memorable experience. This will contrast intentionally with a historic downtown environment and create interest and a dynamic quality.

Murals

Public murals can be located on the sides, backs, and even fronts of numerous building types. A highquality mural brings vibrant color and cultural vitality to the public realm. The content of a mural design can be tailored for each site and is a great storytelling opportunity for the community. The most impactful murals often will turn a blank wall into a community landmark. Murals have the ability to achieve incredible results at a relatively low cost and short implementation timeframe.

Many murals are intentionally designed to generate public interaction. This can be achieved through the use of visually expressive forms, bold colors, and other features. When the public interacts with the mural, often they will take a video or image and post it to their social media. This type of interaction creates a positive experience for that individual while also promoting a positive impression of the community to others. This is an important strategy for building interest in tourism, which in turn will generate visitation and economic activity in the community. While murals have significant benefits, there are some fundamental issues that should be considered. Murals should generally not be painted on the principal facade of a historic building. Additionally, murals should not be painted on historic building facades that have original masonry that has not been previously painted. If there is a sensitive building facade that should not be permanently altered, an adhesive vinyl wall covering may be considered as an alternative strategy.

Murals also have scheduling considerations. Murals are generally painted in the late summer months when the likelihood of inclement weather is the lowest. The schedule should be considered when planning out a mural project. The Nelsonville Brick mural was initially installed in 2015 by local artist Barry O'Keefe. The mural features four patterns that were originally cast into bricks that were originally made in Nelsonville. These include the star brick, flower brick, circle brick, and snowflake brick.

The mural is located on the back facade of a building owned by a local law firm. The bright color scheme brings vibrancy to Downtown Nelsonville, and the bold patterns serve as a great backdrop for photos and social media posts.

Image: Michelle Waters for BHRC