Public Art Review issue 28 - 2003 (spring/summer)

Political

Part;

eview

*<•«*. K.v-s'

WARE

V O L U M E 14

I S S U E 28

TRANSIT

Political

FOREWORD

by Neill Bogan

F

1

OR

ME, THIS

ISSUE

OF

PUBLIC

ART

REVIEW

BEGINS W I T H JAMIE

PURINTON

AND

MATTHEW

H Potteiger on the open versus closed street. I'm writing just after a federal judge has in effect partially closed Midtown Manhattan, creating a textbook case for their theory as h u n -

dreds of thousands, assisted a n d / o r thwarted by confused and angry police, struggled to assemble, to walk, or even to stand on the sidewalk near a huge antiwar protest that also became a piece of "theater of control" stretching across the borough. Surely one of the more interesting days in the long history of N e w York.

O f course, the other day in that history that hangs over this issue is September 11. After that day we experienced a great and necessary silence. But silence is breaking up now, and some of us are, if not glad, at least relieved to be entering one of those periods of clamor in American life that may literally keep our limited democracy alive.

It still isn't easy to speak. Suzanne Lacy comments here on this closed and open m o m e n t during a weekend of democracy and dialogue, some full-throated and some halfstrangled, as experienced in a space full of artists and administrators, mediated by a foundation.

For her, the clamor is as patriotic as any battle; and she's not giving up her grip on that wellstretched piece of public art, the flag.

Caron Atlas wants to break the silence around cultural policy, the metalevel of thinking on culture that led to the creation of the noisy space Lacy describes but at other times has led to structures that shut down debate. Atlas traces the outlines of our national cultural policy, hidden and revealed, then proposes one driven by the possibilities of social change. She sticks with the questions of equity among artist, community, and funder that she has raised for years, refusing to let war set the agenda.

Atlas represents one serious approach to community-based arts. Grant Kester gives a history of the continuum that joins community-based with critical, political, and other engaged art, and reflects on the shifts along that continuum over thirty years.Today's political situation is pushing some artists to a critical or statement-driven place on the continuum, so to organize this issue of Public Art Review we settled on the imperfect term "activist art." T h e Surveillance Camera Players are one of hundreds of simple, direct, activist responses popping up around the world in forms that could be called agitprop but could also be called "direct address."

They stand for an enormous body of engaged work emerging in the areas of media and technology. Profiled here by Kristine Miller, they ask: Is the street ever really open anymore?

Discomfort with terms and a refusal to be pegged is reflected in the roundtable Kristin Rhodes moderated among artists Gwylene Gallimard, Ernesto Pujol, and myself.

We reserve the right to be impureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as does this issue of Public Art Review. It crosses the borders of region and discipline that still stand even within the community arts, bringing together thinkers from visual art, performance, and landscape theory.The connection of the temporal and performative to stationary, permanent work (one that Kester, especially, traces here) is one that we considered crucial at this uncertain moment.

Great public art is still but never silent. It tries to create a civic space for contemplating values, whether of beauty or bravery or nationalism. Whatever these terms may mean to us, public art is never free of them. Much public art appeared after periods of great conflict, and before we arrive at its still space this time, we may have to live through another such period.

Frankly, I hope we don't; I hope the clamor of disagreement forestalls conflict of more silent, more violent sorts. So in the interest of survival, of democracy, and the best art that can emerge, let the clamor continue.

Neill Bogan served as the content advisor for this issue of Public Art Review and is a partner in Klem/Bogan Art and Communication.

PublicArtReview TAKE ACTION

features BEYOND THE WHITE CUBE

STREET STORIES

REIMAGINING CULTURAL POLICY

FINDING OUR WAY TO THE FLAG

ACTIVIST ART AND THE LEGACY

Jamie P u r i n t o n and

Caron Atlas 2 I

IS CIVIC DISCOURSE ART?

OF THE 1960s

M a t t h e w Potteiger

12

Suzanne Lacy

26

Grant Kester 4 APPLYING LABELS ARTISTS DISCUSS THEIR WORK Kristen R h o d e s

17

reports and project reviews PLAYING TO THE CAMERA

WHAT IS A CULTURAL FACILITY?

FORECAST UPDATE

Kristine Miller 33

NEW CATHEDRAL IN LOS ANGELES

F O R E C A S T Staff 39

Mark Johnstone

36

book reviews INSURGENT IMAGES THE AGITPROP MURALS OF HIRE ALEWITI Betsy Fahlman

41

listings 42

PUBLIC ART R E V I E W

© 2003 Public Art Review (ISSN:

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BEYOND THE WHITE CUBE ACTIVIST ART A N D THE LEGACY O F T H E

1960s

Grant Kester

Editor's note: This article is part of a chapter in a forthcoming

book by Grant Kester. C o n v e r s a -

tion Pieces: C o m m u n i t y and C o m m u n i c a t i o n in M o d e r n Art will be published in early 2004 by University of California Press.

You know, like I don't want to be nosy, and we all got our reasons for doing what we do with our lives, but I wonder—everybody

here on the block

wonders—why

are you here?

— " R i c h a r d , " a local resident, talking to T i m R o l l i n s a b o u t t h e G r o u p Material Gallery on East T h i r t e e n t h Street in N e w York (1981). (center) Anne Gauldin and The Waitresses as part of Making It Safe, an Ariadne project,Woman's Building, Los Angeles, Calif., 1979* Photo courtesy the Woman's Building Slide Archive and Otis College of Art & Design Library

C

O N T E M P O R A R Y ACTIVIST A R T IS HEAVILY I N F O R M E D BY T H E E X P E R I M E N T A L CLIMATE O F T H E

1960s and 1970s, w h e n artists b e g a n to challenge t h e d o m i n a n t

formalist

and

abstract paradigms of the p o s t - W W I I p e r i o d . O n e o f t h e m o s t s y m p t o m a t i c expressions of this challenge was t h e c o n c e r n , shared by a range of different artists, w i t h

(top left) Performance at Painted

e n c o u r a g i n g a m o r e direct interaction w i t h the v i e w e r in gallery-based installations a n d

Bride Art Center, Philadelphia,

p e r f o r m a n c e s . Artists also b e g a n to q u e s t i o n t h e gallery itself as an a p p r o p r i a t e site tor

Penn., ca. early 1970s* Photo courtesy Painted Bride Art

their w o r k . At a t i m e w h e n scale a n d the use of natural materials and processes w e r e central c o n c e r n s in s c u l p t u r e , t h e c o m p a r a t i v e l y small physical space o f t h e gallery

Center

s e e m e d u n d u l y constraining. F u r t h e r , t h e m u s e u m , w i t h its fusty, art historical associa(top right) Daniel Martinez, community parade on Chicago's west side, part of Culture In Action,

tions, appeared i l l - e q u i p p e d to provide a p r o p e r c o n t e x t f o r w o r k s that e x p l o r e d p o p u lar culture o r q u o t i d i a n e x p e r i e n c e . Finally, m a n y artists saw m u s e u m s , w i t h t h e i r b o a r d s

organized by Sculpture Chicago,

of wealthy collectors and business people, as bastions of s n o b b i s h elitism i n an era that

curated by Mary Jane Jacob,

d e m a n d e d a m o r e accessible and egalitarian f o r m of art.

June, 1993 * Photo by John McWilliams, 1993©

T h e r e are, o f course, m a n y ways to escape t h e m u s e u m . In s o m e cases artists chose to w o r k in sites that w e r e e m p t y o r d e p o p u l a t e d (e.g., G o r d o n M a t t a -

(bottom left) Elizabeth Sisco,

Clark's " c u t t i n g s " in a b a n d o n e d buildings, o r M i c h a e l H e i z e r s or R o b e r t S m i t h s o n ' s

Louis Hock, and David Avalos, Wel-

land art projects in nearly inaccessible locations), suggesting a certain anxiety a b o u t t h e

come to America's Finest Tourist Plan-

tation, advertising on San Diego's

social interactions that m i g h t o c c u r u p o n v e n t u r i n g b e y o n d s a n c t i o n e d art institutions.

buses during month the city hosted

H o w e v e r , a r i c h b o d y of p e r f o r m a t i v e w o r k e m e r g e d at this t i m e in b o t h t h e U n i t e d

the Superbowl, 1988*

States a n d the U n i t e d K i n g d o m that directly e n g a g e d a u d i e n c e s a n d physical spaces

Photo courtesy Louis Hock

outside the c o n f i n e s of w h a t Brian O ' D o h e r t y f a m o u s l y t e r m e d t h e " w h i t e c u b e " of

(bottom right) Leslie Labowitz and Suzanne Lacy, with assistance

by Bia Lowe, performance of In Mourning

and In Rage o n s t e p s

of Los Angeles City Hall designed to be viewed through media

t h e gallery.

O n e strand of this w o r k is represented by t h e agitational, p r o t e s t - b a s e d projects of Guerilla Art A c t i o n G r o u p (GAAG), t h e Black Mask G r o u p , a n d H e n r y Flynt in N e w York. D r a w i n g o n the energies of t h e antiwar m o v e m e n t a n d t h e traditions of fluxus p e r f o r m a n c e a n d situationism, these g r o u p s staged actions n e a r m a i n s t r e a m c u l -

coverage, 1979*

tural institutions (Lincoln C e n t e r , M u s e u m of M o d e r n Art, etc.) in o r d e r to call a t t e n -

Photo courtesy the Woman's Build-

tion to t h e c o m p l i c i t y of these institutions w i t h b r o a d e r f o r m s of social a n d political

ing Slide Archive and Otis College of

d o m i n a t i o n (the w a r in V i e t n a m , racism, etc.).

Art & Design Library

05

A different a p p r o a c h , a n d o n e m o r e directly related t o dialogical p r a c tices, e m e r g e d in t h e collaborative p r o j e c t s d e v e l o p e d by artists associated w i t h t h e P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

o f n e t w o r k i n g , w o r k i n g w i t h i n a real-life e n v i r o n m e n t , a n d c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h a mass a u d i e n c e . " 1 The

1960s a n d

1 9 7 0 s was a f e c u n d

period for experimentation with n e w audiences and new forms of audience interaction. Important a n d g r o u p s , in a d d i t i o n t o t h o s e already

artists

mentioned,

i n c l u d e d H e l e n a n d N e w t o n H a r r i s o n ( w h o also p e r f o r m e d at t h e W o m a n ' s B u i l d i n g ) , Artists

Placement

Group, and British figures Stephen Willats, Atkinson, and Simon Grennan and Christopher Sperandio, Modern Masters, a crossover project between P.S.I/Museum of Modern Art/DC Comics culminating in a (above) Cover of Modern Masters comic book.*

the

Conrad

consensus

in activist art in b o t h t h e U n i t e d States a n d

United

museum

(right) From Modern Masters comic book.

Harding. A rough

b e g a n t o f o r m at this t i m e a r o u n d t h e significance o f community

comic book and installation at P.S. 1/MoMA, New York City, 2002.

David

K i n g d o m . Collectors, dealers,

board

members,

and

the

art

curators, world

c o g n o s c e n t i certainly c o n s t i t u t e a " c o m m u n i t y , " albeit

Images from www.kartoonkings.com

o n e that o f t e n presents a class-specific v i e w of art as if (below right) James Malone and Tom Klem, Sara Lena Echols Malone from Entering Buttermilk Bottom, signage marking an African-American neighborhood in Atlanta, Ga., REPOhistory, in partnership with the 1995 Arts Festival of Atlanta.

W o m a n ' s B u i l d i n g in Los A n g e l e s d u r i n g t h e

1970s.

E a r l y p a r t i c i p a n t s i n c l u d e d S u z a n n e Lacy, J u d y B a c a , C h i c a g o , Sheila

Levrant de Bretteville,

Cheri

G a u l k e , Lesley L a b o w i t z , a n d A r l e n e R a v e n , a m o n g o t h 06

ers. T h e s e artists c o m b i n e d t e c h n i q u e s d e v e l o p e d in t h e feminist m o v e m e n t (consciousness-raising groups, the analysis o f s e l f - o t h e r relationships) w i t h artistic strategies d r a w n f r o m K a p r o w ' s h a p p e n i n g s a n d p e r f o r m a n c e art to

create

what

Gaulke

termed

a "new

aesthetic,

i n f o r m e d by t h e collective e x p e r i e n c e o f t h e f e m i n i s t e d u c a t i o n a l process." A c c o r d i n g t o G a u l k e , w o r k s such as N a n c y A n g e l o ' s Incest Awareness

Project o r L a c y a n d

L a b o w i t z ' s Ariadne: A Social Art Network

sought to " m o v e

b e y o n d s i m p l e theatricality a n d [ i n c o r p o r a t e ) e l e m e n t s

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

nity d u r i n g t h e 1960s a n d

commu-

1970s r e f e r r e d t o g r o u p s

that w e r e o f t e n alienated f r o m t h e institutions o f h i g h art, such as p o o r o r w o r k i n g - c l a s s p e o p l e .

Photo courtesy REPOhistory

Judy

it w e r e o b j e c t i v e a n d politically neutral. B u t

Artists s e e k i n g t o c h a l l e n g e t h e h i e r a r chical isolation o f f i n e art, e m b o d i e d in t h e c o n s e r v a t i s m of t h e m u s e u m a n d t h e c o m m o d i f i c a t i o n o f art by d e a l ers a n d collectors, felt it necessary t o e n g a g e a u d i e n c e s i n t h e spaces a n d r o u t i n e s o f t h e i r daily lives. I n t h e U n i t e d States this d e m o c r a t i z i n g i m p u l s e was e n c o u r aged by t h e C o m p r e h e n s i v e E m p l o y m e n t a n d T r a i n i n g Act (CETA), w h i c h f u n d e d a r a n g e o f c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d art projects d u r i n g the 1970s. T h e U n i t e d

Kingdom

d e v e l o p e d its o w n f o r m a l i z e d system o f c o m m u n i t y art p r a c t i c e , e v i d e n t in t h e " t o w n a r t i s t " s c h e m e s o f t h e 1960s, t h e c o m m u n i t y arts p r o g r a m s o f t h e G r e a t e r L o n d o n C o u n c i l in t h e 1980s, a n d early p r o j e c t s s u p p o r t e d by t h e G u l b e n k i a n F o u n d a t i o n .

T h e 1980s w i t n e s s e d t h e e m e r g e n c e o f a s e c o n d g e n e r a t i o n o f activist artists, f u e l e d by political protests against t h e R e a g a n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ' s f o r e i g n p o l icy (especially i n C e n t r a l A m e r i c a ) , t h e a n t i a p a r t h e i d m o v e m e n t , a n d nascent AIDS activism, as well as r e v u l sion at t h e m a r k e t f r e n z y s u r r o u n d i n g n e o e x p r e s s i o n i s m ,

(above) Ann Hamilton, privation and excesses, Capp Street Project, San Francisco, Calif., 1989.

w i t h its retardaire e m b r a c e o f t h e h e r o i c m a l e painter. A n u m b e r o f artists a n d arts collectives d e v e l o p e d i n n o v a tive a p p r o a c h e s t o p u b l i c a n d c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d

work

d u r i n g t h e 1980s a n d early 1990s, i n c l u d i n g M a r k D i o n ,

(below) Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, The withDrawing room: versions and

subversions,

Capp Street Project, San Francisco, Calif., 1987* Photos courtesy Capp Street Project

G r a n Fury, S i m o n G r e n n a n a n d C h r i s t o p h e r S p e r a n d i o , G r o u p Material, Ha Ha, Jenny Holzer, Amalia M e s a Bains,

Inigo

Manglano-Ovalle,

Daniel

Martinez,

R E P O h i s t o r y , T i m Rollins and KOS, Krzysztof W o d iczko, a n d t h e c o l l a b o r a t i v e p r o j e c t s o f D a v i d Avalos, Louis H o c k a n d Liz Sisco, a m o n g m a n y o t h e r s .

A r o u n d the same time, a range of influential g r o u p s e m e r g e d in t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m , i n c l u d i n g P l a t f o r m a n d t h e Art of C h a n g e in L o n d o n , L o c u s Plus in N e w c a s t l e , H u l l T i m e Based Arts in H u l l , C a t a lyst Arts in Belfast, a n d C r e a t i v e Activity f o r E v e r y o n e (CAFE) in D u b l i n , a m o n g m a n y o t h e r s . A l t h o u g h s o m e o f these artists a n d g r o u p s w o u l d eventually receive r e c o g n i t i o n f r o m m a i n s t r e a m i n s t i t u t i o n s , a l m o s t all b e g a n t h e i r c a r e e r s by w o r k i n g t h r o u g h a l o o s e n e t w o r k o f a r t i s t - r u n e x h i b i t i o n spaces, m e d i a arts c e n t e r s , presses, a n d j o u r n a l s f o u n d e d as p a r t o f t h e antielitist m o v e m e n t o u t l i n e d above.

F u n d e d largely t h r o u g h arts c o u n c i l s a n d p r i v a t e f o u n d a t i o n s , t h e s e i n s t i t u t i o n s p r o v i d e d an alternative to t h e m a r k e t - d r i v e n sensibility o f t h e gallery s e c t o r a n d t h e static traditions o f established m u s e u m s .

T h e y s u p p o r t e d art p r a c t i c e s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; s u c h as p e r f o r m a n c e , v i d e o , installation, a n d political o r activist w o r k â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h a t received little e n c o u r a g e m e n t at t h e t i m e f r o m t h e m o r e established art w o r l d . Spaces s u c h as Hallwalls in B u f f a l o , Artists S p a c e in N e w York City, S c h o o l ^ 3 3 in Baltim o r e , t h e W a s h i n g t o n P r o j e c t f o r t h e Arts in W a s h i n g -

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR.SUM.03

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Elizabeth Sisco, Louis Hock, and David Avalos, Arte ReembolsolArt Rebate, $4,500 was rebated to primarily undocumented taxpayers in San Diego County, 1993. (left) Laborer signing receipt for tax rebate* Photo by Elizabeth Sisco (above) One of 450 signed receipts*

t o n , D.C., the Painted B r i d e Arts C e n t e r in Philadelphia,

these areas. D u r i n g the 1980s m a n y of these n e i g h b o r -

R a n d o l p h Street Gallery in C h i c a g o , Installation in San

h o o d s w e r e b e i n g g e n t r i f i e d , a process in w h i c h t h e

D i e g o , and C a p p Street P r o j e c t in San Francisco o p e r -

alternative space f u n c t i o n e d as b o t h victim and a c c o m -

ated like halfway houses b e t w e e n the w o r l d of h i g h art

plice. T h e i n t e r v i e w e x c e r p t q u o t e d above provides a

a n d a b r o a d e r public, d e v e l o p i n g innovative p r o g r a m s

glimpse of the c o m p l e x negotiations that t o o k place at

a i m e d at b r i d g i n g this gap and r e a c h i n g n e w audiences.

this t i m e across b o u n d a r i e s of race and class difference

At the same time, they created their o w n s o m e w h a t

(the artists associated w i t h the alternative space m o v e -

i n s u l a r " c o u n t e r - p u b l i c s p h e r e " (to b o r r o w a p h r a s e

m e n t were largely w h i t e and middle-class). After asking

f r o m A l e x a n d e r Kluge), c o m p o s e d o f artists, a d m i n i s t r a -

T i m Rollins a b o u t his motivations in setting up an e x h i -

tors, a n d activists w i t h i n t h e n o n p r o f i t sector.

08

By t h e m i d - t o - l a t e 1980s t h o s e spaces

bition space in a largely black and P u e r t o R i c a n n e i g h b o r h o o d o n N e w York's L o w e r East Side, R i c h a r d goes

that w e r e able to survive w e r e in t h e r a t h e r a w k w a r d

on to reflect o n the larger process of culturally-driven

p o s i t i o n of b e c o m i n g increasingly established, w i t h their

gentrification: "All I ' m saying is that w h i l e a lot of t h e

o w n boards, patrons, d e v e l o p m e n t officers, a n d so o n .

art and stuff 1 see h a p p e n i n g a r o u n d h e r e is n e w and

T h e r e was s o m e t h i n g slightly u n s e e m l y a b o u t t h e o n c e

interesting and is kind of directed to the p e o p l e w h o live

transgressive a l t e r n a t i v e space g r a d u a l l y a c q u i r i n g t h e

here, I've also seen s o m e real lily-white shit s p r i n g u p —

trappings of institutional respectability. M o r e o v e r , these

in art exhibitions, in n e w bars and eating places

spaces were often located in u r b a n , working-class n e i g h -

like a lot o f b o r e d p e o p l e f r o m g o o d b a c k g r o u n d s g e t -

b o r h o o d s , d u e in part to t h e c h e a p e r rents available in

ting into the bad of the n e i g h b o r h o o d . A n d here w e are

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

It's

(right) Inigo Manglano-Ovalle and Street-Level Video, Tete-Vecindario, street-level installation of video programs of residents in Chicago's West Town neighborhood, part of Culture In Action organized by Sculpture Chicago, curated by Mary Jane Jacob, 1992-1993 * Photo by John McWilliams, 1993Š

s t r u g g l i n g like hell t o get rid o f t h e b a d , y o u k n o w ? W e f i n d no r o m a n c e in j u n k a n d shit." 2 An a p p e t i t e f o r w h a t is seen as t h e m o r e a u t h e n t i c a n d visceral e x p e r i e n c e r e p r e s e n t e d by racial o r class d i f f e r e n c e (spatially e m b o d i e d in c o n c e p t s such as " t h e s t r e e t " o r " t h e i n n e r city") is a persistent f e a t u r e of m o d e r n a v a n t - g a r d e discourse. T h i s was c e r t a i n l y t r u e d u r i n g t h e art m a r k e t b o o m of t h e early 1980s, w i t h t h e e m e r g e n c e o f n e o e x p r e s s i o n i s m a n d g r a f f i t i art. Less t h a n t w o years after m o v i n g to M a n h a t t a n f r o m b u c o l i c K u t z t o w n , Pennsylvania, Keith H a r i n g was b e i n g hailed by critic R e n e R i c a r d as t h e a u t h e n t i c v o i c e o f N e w York C i t y street life. 3 W h i l e H a r i n g f o u n d little c o n t r a d i c t i o n b e t w e e n his i d e n t i t y as a c h a m p i o n o f t h e h i p h o p underclass a n d t h e j e t - s e t t i n g lifestyle o f a latter day Picasso, a n u m b e r o f artists associated w i t h t h e a l t e r n a tive space m o v e m e n t b e g a n t o s e r i o u s l y c o n s i d e r t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e i r political c o m m i t m e n t s a n d c o n v e n t i o n a l d e f i n i t i o n s o f artistic success.

T i m Rollins t o o k u p p e r m a n e n t resid e n c e in t h e S o u t h B r o n x a n d b e g a n t o establish l o n g t e r m , c o l l a b o r a t i v e r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h y o u n g p e o p l e in his n e i g h b o r h o o d . A l t h o u g h t h e s e c o l l a b o r a t i o n s w e r e m a r k e d by certain conflicts a n d c o n t r a d i c t i o n s , it is sign i f i c a n t t h a t R o l l i n s felt h e h a d t o r e t h i n k n o t j u s t w h a t his art l o o k e d like b u t also t h e social c o n t e x t i n w h i c h it was p r o d u c e d a n d e v e n w h e r e a n d h o w h e w o u l d live.

At t h e s a m e t i m e , t h e fact t h a t r e s i d i n g i n t h e S o u t h B r o n x was always a c h o i c e f o r R o l l i n s m a r k s t h e g a p that c o n t i n u e d t o separate h i m f r o m his y o u n g c o l l a b o rators. For m a n y artists w h o have c o m e a f t e r R o l l i n s a n d w h o have s o u g h t to d e f i n e t h e i r p r a c t i c e t h r o u g h d i a l o g u e across b o u n d a r i e s o f p r i v i l e g e a n d d i f f e r e n c e s of race, c u l t u r e , a n d class, t h e q u e s t i o n " w h y are y o u h e r e ? " has r e m a i n e d b o t h necessary a n d t r o u b l i n g .

ÂŤ9

T h e late 1 9 8 0 s a n d e a r l y 1 9 9 0 s w i t nessed a g r a d u a l c o n v e r g e n c e b e t w e e n o l d - s c h o o l c o m munity

art

traditions

and

the

work

of

younger

p r a c t i t i o n e r s , l e a d i n g t o a m o r e c o m p l e x set o f i d e a s ( l e f t ) T i m Rollins and KOS, Amerika-For

the People of Bathgate,

designed in collaboration with special education students.

Community Elementary School #4, Bathgate Industrial Park in South Bronx, N.Y., 1987* Photo courtesy The Public Art Fund and the Port Authority of N e w York

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

sive t o local c o n t e x t s a n d cultures—less c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e c r e a t i o n o f o b j e c t s p e r se t h a n w i t h a collaborative process t h a t t r a n s f o r m s t h e c o n s c i o u s n e s s o f b o t h t h e artist a n d his o r h e r c o p a r t i c i p a n t s .

This

work

represented

a significant

d e p a r t u r e f r o m e a r l i e r m o d e l s o f p u b l i c art, w h i c h involved t h e l o c a t i o n o f sculptures in sites a d m i n i s t e r e d by p u b l i c a g e n c i e s — e i t h e r federal, state, o r local g o v e r n ments

or

other

organizational

bodies

(e.g.,

those

involved w i t h t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f a i r p o r t s , parks, etc.).

T h e shift t o w a r d s a " n e w " c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d p u b l i c art in t h e 1990s was a c c o m p a n i e d by t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f several i n f l u e n t i a l a n t h o l o g i e s (Lacy's Mapping New

the Terrain:

Genre Public Art, N i n a Felshin's But is it Art?

Spirit of Art as Activism,

The

a n d Reimaging America: The Arts of

Social Change, e d i t e d by M a r k O ' B r i e n a n d C r a i g Little).

A n o t h e r i m p o r t a n t i n f l u e n c e was M a r y J a n e J a c o b ' s h i g h l y p u b l i c i z e d C u l t u r e in A c t i o n : N e w P u b l i c A r t in C h i c a g o , h e l d in t h e s u m m e r o f 1 9 9 3 . T h e w o r k s in this p r o j e c t w e r e d e v e l o p e d " w i t h a lot o f d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g h a p p e n i n g o n t h e part o f c o n s t i t u e n t - c o l l a b o r a t o r s w h o are n o t artists—like students, a n d in t h e case o f s o m e o f t h e o t h e r p r o j e c t s : f a c t o r y w o r k e r s , m o t h e r s in a p u b l i c h o u s i n g d e v e l o p m e n t , AIDS v o l u n t e e r s , g a n g y o u t h , a n d so f o r t h . " 6 T h e g r o w i n g i n f l u e n c e of " n e w g e n r e " p u b l i c art d u r i n g t h e 1990s was e v i d e n t in t h e c h a n g i n g f u n d i n g mandates of major private foundations. T h e L a n n a n F o u n d a t i o n in Los Angeles shifted its emphasis f r o m s u p p o r t i n g art t o "social issues," t h e M a c A r t h u r F o u n d a t i o n — t h e largest private f u n d e r o f m e d i a arts in t h e c o u n t r y — r e w r o t e its p r o g r a m g u i d e l i n e s t o e x p l i c itly r e j e c t m e d i a art in f a v o r o f " c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d Suzanne Lacy and A Coalition of Chicago Women, Full Circle,

o r g a n i z a t i o n s that are w o r k i n g to p r o m o t e social j u s t i c e

commemorative boulders detailing the contributions by

a n d d e m o c r a c y t h r o u g h m e d i a , " a n d t h e Lila W a l l a c e -

Chicago women to the community, part of Culture In Action

R e a d e r ' s Digest F u n d d e v e l o p e d n e w p r o g r a m s t o f u n d

organized by Sculpture Chicago, curated by Mary Jane Jacob,

artists w h o w o r k w i t h " c o m m u n i t i e s . " I n 1 9 9 7

1992-1993*

the

N a t i o n a l E n d o w m e n t f o r t h e Arts gave its f o r m a l i m p r i -

Photo by John McWilliams, 1993©

m a t u r to c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d practices w h e n it p u b l i s h e d

10

a r o u n d p u b l i c e n g a g e m e n t . T h i s m o v e m e n t was also cat-

American

alyzed by t h e c o n t r o v e r s y over R i c h a r d Serra's Tilted Arc

w h i c h c o n t a i n s t h e t r a n s c r i p t s o f a series o f p u b l i c

Canvas: An Arts

Legacy for Our

Communities,

in t h e late 1980s, w h i c h p i t t e d advocates o f artistic f r e e -

f o r u m s o n t h e role o f art. 7 T h e American

Canvas

report

d o m against t h e i n h a b i t a n t s o f t h e p u b l i c space o c c u p i e d

suggests that o n e o f t h e reasons t h e NEA was so v u l n e r a -

by Serra's w o r k , as w e l l as by c o n s e r v a t i v e attacks o n

ble t o attack by conservatives (e.g., d u r i n g t h e c o n t r o -

" c o n t r o v e r s i a l " art that h a d b e e n i n c u b a t e d w i t h i n t h e

versies

over

works

by

Karen

Finley,

Robert

relatively cloistered c o n f i n e s o f t h e alternative space n e t -

M a p p l e t h o r p e , A n d r e s S e r r a n o , a n d o t h e r s ) was its fail-

work. Critic Eleanor Heartney, citing the influence of

ure to s u p p o r t art practices t h a t w e r e intelligible o r rele-

t h e Tilted Arc controversy, d e s c r i b e d this w o r k in t e r m s

vant t o a b r o a d e r , n o n - a r t - w o r l d a u d i e n c e .

of the "dematerialization" of public art.

4

And Suzanne

A n analysis o f c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d p u b l i c

Lacy c o i n e d t h e t e r m " n e w g e n r e " p u b l i c art t o d e f i n e

art m u s t b e g i n w i t h t h e v e x i n g q u e s t i o n o f h o w t o

the "interactive, c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d projects" that grew

d e f i n e c o m m u n i t y itself. T h e r e is a t e n d e n c y , e v i d e n t in

o u t o f this p e r i o d . 5 T h e s e p r o j e c t s t e n d e d t o b e r e s p o n -

current criticism and journalism, to hypostatize c o m m u -

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

nity as e i t h e r w h o l l y positive (the r e d e m p t i v e d o m a i n o f

m u n i t y are allowed t h e ethical m a n d a t e t o w o r k w i t h o r

" c o m m u n i t y values" so dear t o conservatives) o r entirely

r e p r e s e n t it. B u t h o w d o w e d e f i n e integral c o m m u n i t y

negative (the d a n g e r o u s l y essentializing c o m m u n i t y that

m e m b e r s h i p ? Discursive v i o l e n c e o c c u r s w h e n e v e r o n e

is regularly i n v o k e d in c o n t i n e n t a l t h e o r y ) . C l e a r l y t h e

i n d i v i d u a l speaks f o r a n o t h e r , n o m a t t e r h o w f i r m l y o n e

c o n c e p t o f c o m m u n i t y is s u b j e c t to p r o f o u n d levels o f

is a n c h o r e d w i t h i n a given collective. A n y c o m m u n i t y is

abuse. In a radio a d v e r t i s e m e n t f o r Starbucks, a c h e e r f u l

c o n s t r u c t e d o u t o f t h e specific i d e n t i t i e s o f its m e m b e r s

barrista offers t h e f o l l o w i n g e n c o m i u m t o a c o r p o r a t i o n

in a process that will, inevitably, p r o m o t e o r l e g i t i m a t e

that is n o t o r i o u s f o r d e s t r o y i n g locally o w n e d businesses:

s o m e aspects o f t h e s e i d e n t i t i e s at t h e e x p e n s e o f o t h e r s .

" M y idea o f a S t a r b u c k s e x p e r i e n c e is a sense o f c o m -

R e j e c t i n g a n y f o r m o f i n t e r a c t i o n b e t w e e n artist a n d

m u n i t y . . . . I t h i n k t h e c o f f e e c o n t r i b u t e s t o it b e c a u s e its

c o m m u n i t y that d o e s n o t q u a l i f y as w h o l l y i n t e g r a l is

part o f a c o m m u n i t y e x p e r i e n c e . "

counterproductive.

8

D e s p i t e this abuse (or p e r h a p s b e c a u s e

A t h i r d a p p r o a c h w o u l d b e t o address

o f it), c o n c e p t s o f collective solidarity a n d c o m m u n i t y

e a c h a r t i s t - c o m m u n i t y i n t e r a c t i o n as a s p e c i f i c c a s e â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

i d e n t i t y have n e v e r b e e n m o r e i m p o r t a n t . It's impossible

subject, of course, to the influence of persistent f o r m s of

t o u n d e r e s t i m a t e t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f c o m m u n i t y as an

d i f f e r e n c e a n d p r i v i l e g e . T h e analysis o f a g i v e n w o r k

o r g a n i z i n g p r i n c i p l e for resistance a n d political i d e n t i t y

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

in struggles against t h e i n c r e a s i n g l y s o p h i s t i c a t e d s y n -

o f t h e artist's " r i g h t " t o w o r k across b o u n d a r i e s o f d i f f e r -

c h r o n y o f global capital, a n d , in t h e U n i t e d States at any

e n c e . At t h e s a m e t i m e , it w o u l d r e m a i n a t t e n t i v e t o t h e

rate, in t h e face o f an a s c e n d a n t c o n s e r v a t i v e w o r l d v i e w

artist's capacity t o treat t h o s e s a m e d i f f e r e n c e s critically

based o n a m y t h i c A m e r i c a n i n d i v i d u a l i s m â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a v i e w that

a n d self-reflexively as p a r t o f t h e w o r k itself.

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

blindness

r e g a r d i n g t h e o n g o i n g e f f e c t s o f r a c e a n d class-based

Grant Kester is associate professor of art history at the University of

privilege in o u r society.

California San Diego.

W h a t h a p p e n s w h e n artists situate t h e i r

Notes

p r a c t i c e in this larger cultural a n d political field? H o w

1. Gaulke, Cheri."Acting Like a

N e w Public Art" (part 1). Public Art

d o t h e y n e g o t i a t e b e t w e e n t h e tactical d e m a n d s o f a

Woman: Performance Art and the

Review 4, no.2 (Spring/Summer

given c o m m u n i t y struggle (which may require m o r e

Woman's Building," in The

conventional m o d e s of political expression) and the

Citizen

1993) and "Mapping the Terrain:

Artist: 20Years of Art in the Public

The N e w Public Art" (part 2). Public

Arena, edited by Linda Frye Burn-

Art Review 5, no. I (Fall/Winter

skeptical, self-reflexive a t t i t u d e t o w a r d s c o h e r e n t f o r m s

ham and Steven Durland. N e w

1993).

o f i d e n t i t y that is so c e n t r a l t o t h e a v a n t - g a r d e t r a d i t i o n ?

York: Critical Press, 1998, 15.

In

addition,

how

can

we

evaluate

the

6. Gablik, Suzi. "Removing the

complex

e x c h a n g e s that o f t e n take place in t h e s e p r o j e c t s across b o u n d a r i e s o f class, race, g e n d e r , a n d so o n ?

2. Quoted in Rollins,Tim. "See You

Frame: An Interview with Culture

in the East River," in ABC

in Action Curator Mary Jane Jacob."

No Rio

Dinero:The Story of a Lower East Side

The New Art Examiner (January

T h e r e are t w o c o m m o n r e s p o n s e s t o

Art Galler)', edited by Alan Moore

1994): 51. On Mary Jane Jacob's

this s i t u a t i o n a m o n g c o n t e m p o r a r y c o m m e n t a t o r s . O n

and Marc Miller. N e w York: A B C

Culture in Action project in

N o R i o with Collaborative Project,

Chicago, see Tormollan,Carole.

1985,49.

" N e w Public Art in Chicago," Hi^li

3. Ricard, Rene. "The Radiant

and Gamble, Allison. "Refraining a

t h e o n e h a n d t h e r e is a t e n d e n c y t o f o r e g o any a t t e m p t t o analyze o r q u e s t i o n t h e p o s i t i o n o c c u p i e d by artists in t h e n a m e o f a d e n u d e d p o s t s t r u c t u r a l i s m t h a t v i e w s t h e i r transgression o f social a n d cultural b o u n d a r i e s as

Performance (Spring 1994): 50-54, Child." Artfonim 20 (December

Movement: Sculpture Chicago's

1981): 35-43.

Culture in Action," The New Art

i n h e r e n t l y liberatory. B u t this r e s p o n s e c a n also p r o v i d e

Examiner (January 1994): 18-23.

a c o n v e n i e n t alibi f o r t h e fact t h a t t h e s e " l i b e r a t o r y "

4. Heartney, Eleanor. "The Demate-

transgressions almost always s e e m t o m o v e f r o m a p o s i -

rialisation o f Public Art." Sculpture

Culture in Action in One Place After

(March/April 1993): 45-49. As

Another: Site Specific Art and Loca-

Heartney writes, "With the removal

tional Identity. Cambridge: MIT

i d e n t i t y swings in o n l y o n e d i r e c t i o n b e c a u s e it is g e n -

of Tilted Arc went a whole battery of

Press, 2002, 100-137.

erally t h e artist w h o

assumptions about public art. The

t i o n o f g r e a t e r t o lesser p r i v i l e g e ; t h e o p e n d o o r of has t h e c u l t u r a l a n d f i n a n c i a l

resources necessary t o transgress s u c h b o u n d a r i e s in t h e first place (witness t h e l i m i t e d n u m b e r o f cultural o u t posts r u n by w o r k i n g - c l a s s P u e r t o R i c a n s o n

discussion shifted away from the

7. Larson, Gary O. American

notion of the site-specific towards

An Arts Legacy for Our

the community as context."

ties.Washington,

New

York's U p p e r East Side).

Also see Miwon Kwon's critique o f

Canvas:

Communi-

D.C.: National

Endowment for the Arts, 1997.

5.The symposium Mapping the Terrain: N e w Genre Public Art was

8. Radio broadcast, KPBS, San

held at the San Francisco Museum

Diego, California, December 22,

fetishization o f a u t h e n t i c i t y in w h i c h o n l y t h o s e artists

of Art in November 1991. See Lacy,

2000.

w h o c a n claim an integral c o n n e c t i o n t o a given c o m -

Suzanne. "Mapping the Terrain: The

The

other

I I

common

response

is

a

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

STREET STORIES

Jamie Purinton and Matthew Potteiger

FIRST BLOCK: INTRODUCTION

I

N T H E FALL O F 1 9 9 8 , T W O PINK S U R V E Y O R C H A L K LINES A C R O S S A P A R K I N G L O T M A R K E D O F F T H E

p u b l i c w a y s t o t h e w a t e r f r o n t in N e w b u r y p o r t , M a s s a c h u s e t t s . S u r v e y o r s w e r e r e d r a w i n g t h e streets that h a d o n c e l i n k e d t h e t o w n w i t h t h e w a t e r a n d p r o v i d e d

c o r r i d o r s for private sailing m e r c h a n t s t o access t h e p u b l i c m a r k e t . T h e ways w e r e lost, f r a g m e n t e d by rail lines in t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y a n d t h e n c o m p l e t e l y erased w i t h t h e d e m o l i t i o n o f b u i l d i n g s f o r u r b a n r e n e w a l in t h e 1960s. In t h e early 1970s a c o m m u n i t y g r o u p , F r i e n d s o f t h e W a t e r f r o n t , successfully f o u g h t t h e N e w b u r y p o r t R e d e v e l o p m e n t A u t h o r i t y a n d restored t h e l o n g - t e r m p u b l i c r i g h t o f access a l o n g t h e ways. T h e s e ways w e r e a strategic spatial e l e m e n t in t h e p u b l i c c o n t e s t over t h e w a t e r f r o n t d e v e l o p m e n t .

T h e y have t h e p o w e r t o significantly c h a n g e t h e n a t u r e o f t h a t d e v e l o p m e n t , i n s e r t i n g p u b l i c streets w h e r e d e v e l o p e r s w a n t t o c o n t r o l a n d close access t o t h e w a t e r f r o n t w i t h private h o t e l s a n d c o n d o m i n i u m d e v e l o p m e n t s . T h e s t o r y o f erasing, r e n e g o t i a t i n g , a n d r e d r a w i n g t h e s e lines o p e n s u p a d i s c o u r s e a b o u t t h e f u n d a m e n t a l possibilities t o r streets t o b e c o m e t r u l y vital places f o r c o m m u n i t y expression.

SECOND BLOCK: THE STREET AS OPEN NARRATIVE

E v e n in its i n c i p i e n t f o r m , t w o parallel lines d e m a r c a t i n g a r i g h t o f way, t h e street is a flexible f r a m e w o r k w i t h t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r multiplicity, c o m p l e x i t y , a m b i guity, a n d c h a n g e . B e t w e e n t h e lines, a diversity o f p e o p l e , f u n c t i o n s , a n d p u r p o s e s m e r g e a n d m i x , f o r m i n g a n d r e f o r m i n g t h e o n - g o i n g narratives o f t h e street. T h e street locates a great r a n g e o f cultural practices: rituals, social a n d e c o n o m i c e x c h a n g e s , s a n c t i o n e d a n d u n s a n c t i o n e d activity, t h e r o u t i n e a n d t h e u n e x p e c t e d events o f life. H e r e is w h e r e s p o n t a n e o u s e n c o u n t e r s o c c u r , w h e r e diverse p e o p l e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e h o m e l e s s a n d o t h e r m a r g i n a l i z e d g r o u p s , see e a c h o t h e r ' s faces. T h i s c r o s s i n g a n d m i x i n g creates a m b i g u i t i e s a n d blurs b o u n d a r i e s , especially b e t w e e n p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e realms.

E v e n as t h e lines take o n substantial physical t o r m a n d s o p h i s t i c a t e d e n g i n e e r i n g , streets r e m a i n as m u t a b l e as life itself It is these qualities that d e f i n e t h e street as an o p e n narrative in t h e sense o f U m b e r t o E c o ' s " o p e n w o r k , " w h e r e p e r f o r m ers c h o o s e c o m b i n a t i o n s , r h y t h m s , o r s e q u e n c e s in i n t e r p r e t i n g a musical score. 1 W i t h each playing t h e m e a n i n g of t h e w o r k evolves a n d e x p a n d s , c r e a t i n g n e w possibilities.

T h e m o v e m e n t , c h o i c e s , a n d " r e a d i n g s " o f t h e street by p e d e s t r i a n s k e e p t h e street's

13

m e a n i n g in flux.

Streets are places w h e r e m a n y ot t h e conflicts b e t w e e n p u b l i c a n d p r i vate claims are played o u t . T h e " r i g h t o f w a y " b e c o m e s a r i g h t t h r o u g h c o n f l i c t a n d (center) Pink surveyor line across park lot, Newburyport, Mass., 1998.

n e g o t i a t i o n . N e w b u r y p o r t ' s fight t o regain its p u b l i c access t o t h e legal ways was a l o n g battle that continues to be j e o p a r d i z e d by c o u n t e r c l a i m s and c o m p e t i n g interests.

A c c o r d i n g t o g e o g r a p h e r D o n M i t c h e l l , this c o n f l i c t is p a r t o f any a t t e m p t t o d e f i n e

( b o t t o m row) Images of 12th Street, New York City, N.Y.* Photos courtesy Jamie Purinton and Matthew Potteiger

p u b l i c space as inclusive. 2 In t h e c o n t i n u o u s n a r r a t i v e o f streets, p u b l i c art is critical t o t h e process o f m a k i n g creative p u b l i c space by o p e n i n g u p d i s c o u r s e a n d e n g a g i n g t h e c o m p l e x i t i e s a n d layers o f m e a n i n g .

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

z o n i n g c o n t r o l s a n d to l o c a t e n e w uses w i t h i n

the

streetscape. T h e y also inserted "fugitive texts" i n t o walls a n d b e n c h e s to evoke a " r i c h legacy of u r b a n o c c u p a t i o n " and initiate a discourse o n race relationships.

THIRD BLOCK: STREET CLOSINGS

T h e street is o f t e n simulated by developers because it represents d e m o c r a t i c ideals of a place freely used by the public. Take Universal C i t y Walk in H o l l y w o o d , a street w h e r e o n e arrives at a central p a r k i n g g a r a g e a n d pays a d m i s s i o n

in o r d e r

to

enter.

A l t h o u g h t h e designers m i m i c k e d a typical street, n o o n e actually lives t h e r e a n d e v e r y o n e w o r k s f o r o n e company. T h i s t h e m e d street is an e x t r e m e e x a m p l e of c o n t r o l l e d access, b u t t h e t r e n d is m a n i f e s t i n g itself in m o r e subtle ways. 's this history, °'your

T h e popularity of the

pseudopublic

realm of t h e t h e m e d street o r the nostalgic recreation is

histor

directly p r o p o r t i o n a l to the a b a n d o n m e n t of the public realm. Streets are an increasingly p o p u l a r v e n u e for r e p r e s e n t i n g the city for tourist c o n s u m p t i o n . T h i s linking of public and c o m m e r c i a l culture has f o r e b o d i n g i m p l i cations f o r t h e o p e n narrative of t h e street. T h e same qualities that m a k e streets so i n t r i g u i n g (such as t h e m i x of social classes, visibility of a b e r r a n t behavior, and i n d e Tom Klem covering sign from REPOhistory's Lower Manhattan Sign Project

t e r m i n a c y ) are also the m o s t t h r e a t e n i n g . To m a k e the

on December I, 1992, Day Without Art, New York City, N.Y*

street "safe" m e a n s greater c o n t r o l by private interests,

Photo by Lisa Maya Knauer

increased security, m o r e c o r p o r a t e o w n e r s h i p , and g r o w -

T h e p r o j e c t De-code/Re-code

Atlanta

by

architects W i l l i a m C o n w a y a n d M a r c y S c h u l t e is o n e a t t e m p t to reveal t h e h i d d e n discourses that d e t e r m i n e t h e f o r m o f p u b l i c space a n d t h e life o f streetscapes.

Instead of a p r o p o s i n g n e w f o r m s or objects, their o r i g i nal proposal consisted o n l y o f an o r a n g e line delineating t h e p u b l i c space o f t h e street. T h e y t h e n r e w r o t e t h e z o n i n g c o d e g o v e r n i n g t h e use of that space, c h a n g i n g it f r o m a list o f restrictions a n d exclusions to a set of possible n e w uses i n c l u d i n g " l i t e r a t u r e d i s t r i b u t i o n , eating, d r i n k i n g and t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n of f o o d / m e a l s for free, h i r ing hall/area for day workers, t e m p o r a r y markets, music, theater, dance; cultural presentation 14

and other

uses

w h i c h may be i n a p p r o p r i a t e o r n o t p e r m i t t e d in o t h e r districts may be permissible h e r e given that these activities are d e f i n e d as consensual uses." 3 C o n w a y a n d S c h u l t e b e l i e v e d that to m a k e substantive change, the f u n d a m e n t a l s t r u c t u r e o r text o f t h e city n e e d e d to b e o p e n e d . T h e y treated lang u a g e as i n f r a s t r u c t u r e . H o w e v e r , t h e C o r p o r a t i o n for O l y m p i c D e v e l o p m e n t in Atlanta rejected their revisions to Atlanta's m u n i c i p a l z o n i n g ordinance. So the designers revised their plan, using physical f o r m s to d e c o d e existing

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

ing design and use regulations. W i t h these i m p r o v e m e n t s c o m e s a loss of i n f o r m a l public gatherings, spontaneity, and the active presence o f street artists and v e n d o r s w h o attract p e o p l e to the street in the first place.

H o w e v e r , t h e r e are p u b l i c b e n e f i t s to i m p r o v i n g the safety and aesthetics of public spaces. F u r t h e r m o r e , streets must be c o m m e r c i a l l y viable and m u s t serve as c o n d u i t s for vehicles a n d c o m m o d i t i e s (e.g., water, gas, electric, a n d sewer lines) as well as p e o p l e . T h e street is a n e x u s for t h e c o m p e t i n g interests o f p u b l i c life. It is n o surprise that w h e n artists w o r k in streets, they c o m e u p against official interests and get a sense of

~ .. Alt Ha. QjuldMR co.ll m2-

t h e daily restrictions e n c o u n t e r e d by the m a r g i n a l i z e d

ijiWuL, l^ol-a- LuhOLL.

o r powerless.

But art is n o t o n l y used t o c h a l l e n g e official interests. S o m e t i m e s , as N a o m i Klein notes, art is enlisted in service of the c o m m e r c i a l e n t e r p r i s e . Klein cites a series of public art works c o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e city of T o r o n t o as part of t h e process o f t r a n s f o r m i n g

Iot-ef dtfflznf Grandehwkiri of all colors, [. don't-a.a.

(Jfitf calif- Ifdu. i(t-- I'll hJyj. hut of yon.. t '"> nof piojud'Ci d fk.l Uios/i'f tjtmuld Uf H^ai-

Wm

A / U u J

^ asms up

Y^

Mw

Art)

CfuJ^tLajjC^

tx~J#<-

*ÂŤ*-Âť

Ann Chamberlainjersey Street, stories from a street in Staten Island, N.Y. Photos courtesy Jamie Purinton and Matthew Potteiger

Spadina Avenue in the city's g a r m e n t district, o n c e t h e h o m e of t h e anarchist and labor organizer E m m a G o l d m a n , i n t o "sweatshop kitsch."

4

in t h e c u l t u r a l p r a c t i c e s f o u n d o n t h e s t r e e t itself: e x c h a n g i n g stories, asking questions, o p e n i n g discourse, p r e s e n t i n g c o u n t e r n a r r a t i v e s , l e a v i n g space, l o o s e n i n g

FOURTH BLOCK: OPENINGS

control, a n d b r e a k i n g things up.

W h a t role d o designers a n d artists play

Exchanging stories Streets are n a t u r a l

in t h e critical discourse o f t h e street as a narrative o f

sites for e x c h a n g e . T h e gestures o f e x c h a n g i n g stories o r

public space? T h e first step is b e "street smart," to see the

fully listening to people's p e r s o n a l k n o w l e d g e o f t h e i r

street for w h a t it is: a site of cultural c h a n g e and c o m -

l a n d s c a p e r e p r e s e n t ways f o r artists a n d d e s i g n e r s t o

p e t i n g visions. In this m i x , t h e c h a l l e n g e is h o w t o

m o v e b e y o n d a single perspective a n d so reveal m e a n -

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

ings n o t e v i d e n t t h r o u g h m o r e official sources. A n e i g h -

w i t h o u t t r y i n g to i m p o s e an artistic vision that enacts its

b o r h o o d t o u r m i g h t reveal h o w people's lives are traced

o w n h e g e m o n y . M e e t i n g that challenge m e a n s e n g a g i n g

u p o n a place t h r o u g h a daily walk t o w o r k o r m e m o r i e s of a family's business. A story circle, w h e r e p e o p l e g a t h e r

(below and left) William Conway and Marcy Schulte, De-code/Re-code Atlanta, view of completed project, Atlanta, Ga.,1997.* Photos by W.F. Conway

in a circle to listen to each other's stories a b o u t a place, o p e n s u p dialogue b e t w e e n outsiders a n d insiders.

Asking questions A s k i n g q u e s t i o n s is a way o f finding stories a n d e n g a g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s w i t h t h e i r o w n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e street. Q u e s t i o n s n o t o n l y elicit i n f o r m a t i o n b u t also c h a l l e n g e a s s u m p t i o n s and initiate dialogue. W h o asks a q u e s t i o n and h o w it is dii-ected will a f f e c t r e s p o n s e s a n d w h a t is d i s c o v e r e d .

Q u e s t i o n s d o n o t always take t h e f o r m o f literal text; they m a y be implicit in t h e ambiguity, c h o i c e , o r i n c o m -

15

pleteness o f a f o r m .

L o o s e n i n g control E v e n i n p a r t i c i p a t o r y design processes, designers o f t e n filter o t h e r s ' i n p u t t h r o u g h t h e i r o w n voice t o m a k e a " m a s t e r plan." T h i s filtering

c a n e x c l u d e possibilities t h a t o c c u r

when

designers o r artists relinquish s o m e c o n t r o l a n d b e c o m e facilitators, catalysts, collaborators, o r s u p p o r t e r s . W h e n voice is given to t h e c o m m u n i t y , t h e traditional division b e t w e e n artist and viewer, o r designer a n d c o m m u n i t y .

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

(left) Newburyport residents exchange their views and experiences in a story circle. (below) Newburyport fisherman* Photos courtesy Jamie Purinton and Matthew Potteiger

Leaving things unfinished W h e r e

the

designer is silent, o t h e r voices may be heard. W h a t the w r i t e r leaves u n f i n i s h e d the reader may c o m p l e t e . W h a t t h e artist d e c o n s t r u c t s t h e c o m m u n i t y may i m a g i n a tively c o n s t r u c t .

We learned the potential these practices blurs. L o o s e n i n g control over w h o represents and shapes

hold for creating vital public space in the process of g a t h -

t h e street is t h e r e f o r e a key m e a n s of o p e n i n g narratives.

e r i n g m a n y stories over a l o n g p e r i o d of time in N e w -

Opening discourse As m o r e voices p a r -

b u r y p o r t . We h a p p e n e d to b e o n the pier o n e day w h e n

ticipate in i n t e r p r e t i n g a streetscape, c o m p l e x i t y and the

o n e of the f e w r e m a i n i n g f i s h e r m a n in the area c a m e in

p o t e n t i a l tor d i a l o g u e increase. W h e n telling stories is

f r o m a day of fishing. H e invited us o n t o his boat, s h o w e d

o p e n e d u p t o a w i d e r a n g e of p e r s p e c t i v e s , a street's

us his u n d e r w a t e r m a p p i n g system, and described w i t h

m e a n i n g s d o n o t c o h e r e i n t o a u n i f i e d view. By asking

great k n o w l e d g e t h e u n d e r w a t e r c o n t o u r s of the river.

w h o s e story is told a n d h o w it is told, artists and d e s i g n -

H e talked a b o u t fishing, w h a t he caught, the weather, the

ers are m o r e apt to m a k e streets places that c o n n e c t in

traffic, and t h e n he talked a b o u t h o w he m i g h t leave this river and j o i n his f i s h e r m a n friends w h o had left N e w -

m e a n i n g f u l a n d multiple ways to their c o m m u n i t y .

Counternarratives C o u n t e r i n g p o p u larly a c c e p t e d narratives w i t h a c o n f l i c t i n g version o p e n s a conversation

about

what

actually h a p p e n e d

and

e n c o u r a g e s critical evaluation of any given story. T h e r e is

b u r y p o r t for Gloucester. H e was t h i n k i n g a b o u t leaving because he lacked access to things basic to his everyday w o r k life: secure and d e e p d o c k i n g space, ice to preserve his fish, and fuel for his boat.

a t e n d e n c y to m a k e streets s e e m c o h e r e n t , consistent,

O v e r t h e last f o u r - p l u s years t h e public

a n d u n i f i e d , yet d e b a t e a b o u t disparate f o r m s is a way of

d e b a t e a b o u t w h a t t h e local w a t e r f r o n t n e e d e d h a d

e n c o u r a g i n g p e o p l e to see m o r e possibilities a n d m a k e

b e e n active. Architectural plans w e r e d r a w n and t o w n

u p their o w n minds.

m e e t i n g s w e r e h e l d , b u t this key p e r s o n h a d

been

Leaving space U n p r o g r a m m e d places,

mostly left o u t of t h e process. All h e n e e d e d was gas,

w h i c h act as settings for activities rather than scenes for

ice, and d e e p w a t e r — n o t nautical references in b e n c h e s

p l a n n e d a n d regulated activities, attract p e o p l e to p a r t i c -

or m a t c h i n g light p o s t s — t o k e e p fishing this p o r t and

i p a t e in t h e i r o w n way. S o m e t i m e s t h e events of t h e

to c o n t i n u e m a k i n g it a vital w o r k i n g w a t e r f r o n t . His

street are m o r e likely to h a p p e n because a place is left

presence makes the public space active a n d p r o d u c t i v e

empty or

r a t h e r than solely a site for c o n s u m p t i o n . His everyday

flexible.

s t o r i e s — a b o u t the variability of weather, fishing c o n d i tions, and life o n t h e w a t e r — a r e far m o r e interesting t h a n any scripted sign or design that narrates a single version of history.

Jamie Purinton and Matthew Potteiger are coauthors of Landscape Narratives: Design Practices for Telling Stories. Matthew Potteiger is an associate professor of landscape architecture at SUNY, Syracuse. Jamie Purinton is a landscape architect.

Notes 1. Eco, Umberto. The Open Work.

3. Conway, William and Marcy

Cambridge: Harvard University

Schulte. "De-Code/Re-Code

Press, 1989.

Atlanta Design Proposal," Section 16-18.x.006, Consensual Uses,1996.

2. Mitchell, Don. Cultural Geography: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge:

4. Klein, Naomi. No Logo. New

lilackwell Publishers, 1999.

York: Picador Press, 2000, xiv.

APPLYING LABELS ARTISTS DISCUSS THEIR

Kl i s t e n

W O R K

Rhodes

JK CTIVIST

ARTâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;WHAT

IS

IT, W H O

DOES

IT, A N D

WHY?

WHAT

ARE

ITS

CHALLENGES

AND

L - A a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s ? W h a t follows is the result of a w e e k - l o n g " c y b e r - r o u n d t a b l e " JL

J L discussion on activist art w i t h t h r e e artists w h o have b e e n w o r k i n g in t h e field

t h r o u g h o u t their careers.

T h e artists d e f i n e themselves and t h e i r w o r k differently. E r n e s t o P u j o l describes his w o r k as "a social a r t - m a k i n g process." Neill B o g a n sees himself as b e i n g " b o t h an artist a n d a citizen." G w y l e n e Gallimard is n o t interested in w h e r e art a n d activism intersect b u t w h e r e they parallel each o t h e r . W h i l e n o consensus was r e a c h e d a b o u t w h a t to call their style of w o r k , t h e goals a n d challenges in c r e a t i n g it w e r e s i m i lar for each artist.

T h e t h r e e artists b r o u g h t diverse b a c k g r o u n d s a n d practices t o this discussion. C u b a n - b o r n E r n e s t o P u j o l was raised in San J u a n , P u e r t o R i c o , a n d has lived in N e w York C i t y his entire adult life. As an A m e r i c a n c o n c e p t u a l artist w h o describes himself as a "cultural w o r k e r , " P u j o l has created n u m e r o u s projects a r o u n d t h e g l o b e a b o u t m e m o r y , o u r relationship w i t h nature, a n d the social c o n s t r u c t i o n s o f masculinity a n d whiteness. P u j o l has also b e e n a professor at several universities, a n d has w r i t t e n articles and criticism for m a n y magazines.

Neill B o g a n f o u n d his t h e a t e r w o r k e v o l v i n g i n t o collaborations w i t h visual artists and resulting in m a n y p e r f o r m a n c e installations and g r o u p projects. He's w o r k e d w i t h p u p p e t e e r s and on interdisciplinary projects c o n c e r n i n g p o w e r a n d t h e creation of history. B o r n and raised in t h e S o u t h , h e c u r r e n t l y resides in N e w York.

G w y l e n e Gallimard m o v e d f r o m Paris to C h a r l e s t o n via M o n t r e a l after receiving h e r MFA f r o m C o n c o r d i a University. W i t h h e r p a r t n e r a n d collaborator, J e a n M a r i e M a u c l e t , she has f o r m e d t w o c o m m u n i t y - o r i e n t e d F r e n c h cafes called "Fast & F r e n c h . " T h e t w o have also w o r k e d t o g e t h e r o n projects dealing w i t h t h e h e a l t h i n s u r ance industry, t h e f a s t - f o o d p h e n o m e n o n , a n d religious beliefs.

MOTIVATION

T h e first q u e s t i o n p o s e d to t h e g r o u p c o n c e r n e d t h e u n d e r l y i n g m o t i vation t o e n g a g e in activist art. T h e y d e s c r i b e h o w t h e i r u p b r i n g i n g i n f l u e n c e d t h e socially conscious n a t u r e o f their w o r k . P u j o l p o i n t s to " b e i n g f o r m e d , b o t h b y m y p a r ents a n d academically, as a h u m a n i s t w i t h h u m a n i s t values. I love g o o d t e c h n i q u e , beauty, and art historical references, b u t t h e art in q u e s t i o n needs to b e self-less, h u m b l e , g e n e r o u s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h e art of an artist citizen."

B o g a n takes his m o t i v a t i o n f r o m his p r a c t i c e as a w r i t e r a n d f r o m g r o w i n g u p in the segregated S o u t h . " A lot o f m y w o r k has b e e n a b o u t h o w p e o p l e act a r o u n d each o t h e r in public spaces. S o m e t i m e s I've had specific goals o f t r y i n g to raise critical t h i n k i n g a b o u t w h a t is h a p p e n i n g in a particular place, w i t h t h e eventual goal of c h a n g i n g h o w p e o p l e act."

T h e geography, p e o p l e , and artists in Gallimard's past h e l p e d f o r m h e r way o f w o r k i n g , as did f e m i n i s m . "Early o n I t h o u g h t , as a f e m i n i s t I suppose, that t h e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

(left and below) Ernesto Pujol, Becoming

the Land, m e d i t a t i o n o n

relationship between people and the land organized with Saralyn Reece Hardy, director of Salina Art Center, Kan., 2003.* Photos courtesy Salina Art Center

field o f art was t h e place w h e r e w h a t e v e r was n o t part o f o t h e r m o r e c o d i f i e d disciplines c o u l d b e a c t i v e — o r in other

terms, the

ever-open

room

for f r e e d o m

of

t h o u g h t s a n d actions."

LABELS

Q u a l i f i e r s s u c h as " a c t i v i s t " art a n n o y G a l l i m a r d s i n c e t h e y d i v i d e art a n d artists i n t o sects, t h e r e b y s e p a r a t i n g m o s t artists f r o m t h e i r social role. " I t s e e m s that t o place a label o f that sort o n t h e w o r k w e d o . . . i s t o create m o r e e x c l u s i o n , as if art was n o t a f u n c t i o n o f c u l t u r e a n d life."

P u j o l d o e s n o t like t h e t e r m "activist" e i t h e r b e c a u s e h e b e l i e v e s t h e r e is m u c h

prejudice

( r e g a r d i n g class, race, etc.) against art a n d artists w i t h that l a b e l . " M a n y feel this t y p e o f w o r k is c o m p r o m i s e d , l a c k i n g in f o r m a l qualities, t o o p e d a g o g i c a l . T h u s , I p r e -

a l o n g w i t h o u t t h e m . " H e believes activist art " i m p l i e s an

fer to speak a b o u t a r t - m a k i n g that is e n g a g e d w i t h soci-

active e n g a g e m e n t w i t h specific issues a n d s i t u a t i o n s ,

ety; a r t - m a k i n g as a c o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h society, o r w i t h

a n d m a y b e e v e n w o r k w i t h d e f i n e d social goals."

c o m m u n i t i e s , o r specific a u d i e n c e s — e i t h e r a b o u t their

O n e c o u l d l o o k at a label like "activist"

issues, as in t h e artist h o l d i n g u p a m i r r o r o r c r e a t i n g a

as a g o o d t h i n g — a n i n d i c a t i o n t h a t t h e r e are e n o u g h

' d i a g n o s t i c portrait,' o r a b o u t issues c h o s e n by t h e artist

p e o p l e d o i n g s o c i a l l y - i n f o r m e d art t h a t it n e e d s to b e

as f o o d f o r t h o u g h t , like a visual essay." T h e

word

classified. Artistic expression arises f r o m m a n y m o t i v a -

" a c t i v i s m " (like t h e w o r d "radical," f o r e x a m p l e ) , P u j o l

tions: " a r t f o r art's sake," art as self-expression, as d e c o r a -

says, has m a n y m e a n i n g s , n o t all o f w h i c h s h o u l d b e p r e -

t i o n , as i n s t r u c t i o n , a n d so f o r t h . B e c a u s e t h e r e are vast

s u m e d g o o d . " ' A c t i v i s m ' can b e n e g a t i v e , as in

d i f f e r e n c e s a m o n g art a n d artists, distinctions a n d labels

the

' a c t i v i s m ' o f t h e K l a n , o f w h i t e supremacists. Let us n o t

a n d o r g a n i z i n g are necessary.

a s s u m e that t h e label f u n c t i o n s as s o m e k i n d of m o r a l

T h e w a y w e t h i n k a n d talk a b o u t art

v a c c i n e . A n d t h e r e is t h e fact t h a t ' a c t i v i s m ' is s o m e t i m e s

reflects a t e n d e n c y t o o b j e c t i f y it, t o t h i n k o n l y a b o u t

f a s h i o n a b l e , like a n e w s h o e . T h u s , t h e r e is such a t h i n g as

t h e physical o b j e c t s that artists create. In a typical art his-

' t h e subversive s t y l e ' — f o l l o w i n g a c e r t a i n c u t t i n g - e d g e ,

t o r y class, little e m p h a s i s is placed o n seeing t h e w o r k in

provocative f o r m but devoid of substance and l o n g - t e r m

its social c o n t e x t . S t u d e n t s s p e n d m o s t o f t h e i r t i m e

m a i n t e n a n c e . A n d this stylish art can b e d e c e i v i n g . "

m e m o r i z i n g slides by title, artist, a n d d a t e — o r t a l k i n g

As a w r i t e r , B o g a n is m o r e u n d e r s t a n d -

a b o u t t h e physical n a t u r e o f p a i n t o n canvas. M u s e u m s

i n g o f t h e n e e d for, as well as t h e l i m i t a t i o n s of, w o r d s .

p e r p e t u a t e this o b j e c t i f i c a t i o n by o f t e n p l a c i n g w o r k o u t

" T h e s e t e r m s are always r e d u c t i v e , b u t it's h a r d t o get

o f c o n t e x t , so that an a r t w o r k t h a t m a y have b e e n q u i t e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

r e v o l u t i o n a r y , even c e n s o r e d in its o w n t i m e , b e c o m e s

T h i s s e n t i m e n t is r e i t e r a t e d b y B o g a n

an i n n o c e n t n e i g h b o r to a c o m m i s s i o n e d p o r t r a i t . A n d ,

w h e n h e talks a b o u t o p e n c o m m u n i c a t i o n as a n o t h e r

o f c o u r s e , t h e r e is t h e w h o l e p r o b l e m o f c o n f i n i n g art t o

step in c h a l l e n g i n g t h e p u b l i c w i t h a p r o j e c t . "Assess-

classrooms a n d m u s e u m s in t h e first place.

m e n t o f c o m m u n i t y values, desires, a n d goals is s o m e t h i n g that takes a lot o f a t t e n t i o n . T o d o this well takes close w o r k b e t w e e n artists a n d residents, a n d I t h i n k it's

ENGAGEMENT

So w h e r e d o e s an art t h a t s p e a k s t o

a place w h e r e a d m i n i s t r a t o r s n e e d t o play a key role."

t h o s e o u t s i d e t h e a c a d e m y a n d t h e m u s e u m fit in? H o w EVALUATION

d o e s an artist get an a u d i e n c e t o e x p e c t m o r e f r o m art

E v a l u a t i n g t h e a r t - m a k i n g process is an

a n d t o e n g a g e it as m o r e than j u s t an o b j e c t ?

Activist artists are f a c e d w i t h t h e d i f f i -

i m p o r t a n t step f o r e a c h r o u n d t a b l e a r t i s t â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t o p r o m o t e

cult task o f r e i n t e g r a t i n g arts i n t o a society that has, in

successful d i a l o g u e a n d t o e n s u r e t h a t artistic vision has

m a n y ways, g r o w n cynical a b o u t art. T h e a u d i e n c e is

b e e n r e t a i n e d . P u j o l says t h e c r i t e r i a f o r j u d g i n g t h e

m o r e i n t e g r a l t o activist art p r a c t i c e t h a n t o

most

w o r k m a y c h a n g e d e p e n d i n g o n t h e p r o j e c t ' s goals, b u t

o t h e r f o r m s since t h e a u d i e n c e o f t e n i n f o r m s t h e p r o j -

"I d o have c e r t a i n strategies that I m a i n t a i n b e c a u s e o f

ect. Clearly, activist art m u s t b e able t o

communicate

m y 'classical' t r a i n i n g a n d f o r m a t i o n i n f e m i n i s t a n d

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

queer theories. Thus, I want the w o r k to be formal,

means

trust.

b e a u t i f u l , p o e t i c , i n t i m a t e a n d h a r m l e s s - l o o k i n g at first

I n v o l v i n g m e m b e r s o f t h e c o m m u n i t y in t h e p r o j e c t is

glance. B u t t h e n I w a n t it t o s u r p r i s e ( s o m e t i m e s e v e n

o n e way to d o this, a n d this helps a c o m m u n i t y

slap) t h e v i e w e r w i t h t h e u n e x p e c t e d , w i t h a s e c o n d

overcoming

cynicism

and

establishing

re-

layer o f m e a n i n g . "

e x p l o r e art's p o t e n t i a l .

As G a l l i m a r d p o i n t s o u t , " W h e n

you

Bogan

uses a w o r k s h o p p r o c e s s

and

w o r k w i t h a c o m m u n i t y , t h e a u d i e n c e is n o t s o m e t h i n g

recruits collaborators, so his criteria f o r e v a l u a t i n g have

you only b e c o m e c o n c e r n e d with after the project.

m o r e t o d o w i t h t h e quality o f t h e g r o u p e x p e r i e n c e . H e

I n s t e a d , t h e c o m m u n i t y y o u w o r k w i t h is y o u r first

asks, " H a v e I c r e a t e d a s t r o n g e x p e r i e n c e f o r p e o p l e ?

a u d i e n c e a n d b e c o m e s y o u r real p a r t n e r , a n d is r e p l a c e d

H a v e I created a space f o r expression a n d n e w t h o u g h t ?

by an i n t e n d e d a u d i e n c e that y o u h o p e m a y p a r t i c i p a t e

H a v e I allowed myself t o c h a n g e m y o w n t h i n k i n g , a n d

also, a n d so o n . " G a l l i m a r d believes that b e i n g as g e n e r -

c h a l l e n g e d o t h e r s in t h e same way? I t r y t o b e strict w i t h

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

myself in p o s i n g t h e q u e s t i o n s , a n d less so in eliciting a n d

helps create a t r u s t i n g p a r t n e r s h i p .

p r e s e n t i n g responses, b e c a u s e this is w h e r e t h e e l e m e n t ot d i a l o g u e c o m e s i n â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h e u n v a r n i s h e d give a n d take." (left and below) Gwylene Gallimard, The Charleston/Atlanta/Alaska Challenge, community collaboration project at the old Charleston City Jail/New School of the Building Arts, Charleston, S.C., 2000.* Photos courtesy Gwylene Gallimard

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

-

.

(left) Neill Bogan and Irene Ledwith, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health Care, part of REPOhistory's Civil Disturbances: Battle for Justice, N e w York

b u d g e t s allow f o r projects, artists w o n d e r h o w a u d i e n c e s

City, N.Y., 1997-98.

will r e s p o n d to t h e m . P u j o l fears that social c r i t i q u e m a y

(right) Klem/Bogan, They Were JustYoung PeopleTrying to Have aVoice,

be " d e e m e d suspect, even unpatriotic, n o matter the

maquette of marker for CBGB club, for Place Matters, N e w York City,

level at w h i c h t h e critical d i a l o g u e is e s t a b l i s h e d . O f

N.Y., 2 0 0 3 *

c o u r s e , a lot o f t h e art t h a t was s u p p o s e d l y c r i t i q u i n g o u r

Photos courtesy Klem/Bogan

society was simply b e i n g cynical, like a bitchy, superficial F o r Gallimard's part, she evaluates h e r

j o k e d u r i n g a d e c a d e n t cocktail party. It is g o o d that that

w o r k by a n a l y z i n g " w h a t k i n d o f new, t e m p o r a r y c r i t e -

has b e e n e d i t e d o u t of t h e scene m o m e n t a r i l y . " H e c o n -

ria t h e w o r k creates o r p r o p o s e s a n d h o w have t h o s e

tinues, " I t is s u d d e n l y h a r d e r t o c r i t i q u e A m e r i c a n m a s -

new, i m p o s e d criteria b e e n c o m m u n i c a t e d t h r o u g h t h e

culinity w h e n w e are u s i n g t h e l a n g u a g e o f t h e heroic, o f

w o r k t o t h e v a r i o u s a u d i e n c e s . " S h e adds, " I f t h e arts

brave soldiers, o f g o o d versus evil, o f losers w h o e n v y

are a place f o r f r e e d o m o f expression, t h e c r i t e r i a n e e d

o u r lifestyle. T h a t is t h e l a n g u a g e o f t h e a n t i - i n t e l l e c t u a l ,

t o always b e o n t h e m o v e a n d n o t act as a traditional

o f t h e bully, o f t h e evangelical C h r i s t i a n zealot."

selective process."

B o g a n adds, " U n f o r t u n a t e l y , times of g r i e f a n d fear t e n d to b r i n g o u t t h e w o r s t as well as t h e OBSTACLES

best, a n d there's an a n t i d e m o c r a t i c t r a d i t i o n in t h e U.S.

T h e artists a g r e e t h a t this art f o r m is

that c o m e s o u t at times like this. In t h e s h o r t t e r m it will

c o n s t a n t l y h i n d e r e d by n o t e n o u g h t i m e o r m o n e y . A n d

b e t o u g h to b u i l d o n critical views o f U.S. c u l t u r e ; d i a -

t h i n g s have o n l y g o t t e n w o r s e in t h e past year.

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

Ptijol was t h e last visual artist t o address

silence. B u t t h e best c o m e s o u t as well, a n d in t h e l o n g

t h e final m e e t i n g o f 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

r u n p e o p l e ' s e x p e r i e n c e creates a n e e d to express things.

Arts B o a r d in N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 . H e called f o r a r e t u r n t o

T h i s w o r k has a place in U.S. life a n d w o n ' t g o away."

A n d so, h o w d o artists w e a t h e r t h e c u r -

f u n d i n g artists directly. ( T h e a d d r e s s can b e a c c e s s e d t h r o u g h t h e NEAS website.) T h i s issue is relevant h e r e

r e n t political climate?

b e c a u s e it reveals a suspicious a t t i t u d e t o w a r d s art a n d

"I believe artists have a necessary role to

artists. T h e a s s u m p t i o n is that artists c a n n o t b e t r u s t e d

play b e f o r e it all settles o u t , " says B o g a n , " w h i l e t h e dust

w i t h f u n d s directly, so t h e y have t o have t h e i r h a n d h e l d

is still

by c u r a t o r s , m u s e u m s , o r n o n p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n s .

a b o u t h o w t o d o it."

flying....

W e w a n t to survive, a n d w e have ideas

T h e c u r r e n t political c l i m a t e has m a d e social c r i t i q u e m o r e difficult, so that even if s h r i n k i n g P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

Kristen Rhodes is a freelance writer residing in Charleston, South Carolina.

REIMAGINING CULTURAL POLICY

C a r o n Atlas

We have built a society in which we have separated those who make the decisions from those who feel the impact of the decisions. This is not only undemocratic. It is also inefficient.

D a v i d M o r r i s , vice p r e s i d e n t of t h e I n s t i t u t e f o r S e l f - R e l i a n c e 1

- T

-WW-

\

\ \

-J-

H O MAKES P O L I C Y IN A D E M O C R A C Y ? IN T H E U N I T E D STATES, P O L I C Y M A K I N G IS M O R E

/ o f t e n i m p l i c i t t h a n explicit a n d t h u s f r e q u e n t l y is invisible. D e f a c t o o r invisV ible policies easily b e c o m e u n d e m o c r a t i c , in p a r t b e c a u s e t h e y are u n a c c o u n t -

able. O f all t h e invisible policies w e are s u b j e c t to, " c u l t u r a l p o l i c y " is o n e o f t h e m o s t e l u s i v e . T h e t e r m e x p o s e s a f u n d a m e n t a l t e n s i o n : Culture is d y n a m i c a n d inclusive, w h i l e policy is tied to a political system f r o m w h i c h t h e m a j o r i t y o f p e o p l e have b e c o m e a l i e n ated. T o m a k e t h i n g s even m o r e unclear, o u r g o v e r n m e n t has an official p o l i c y o f n o t h a v i n g a cultural policy. B u t , as M a r i a J a c k s o n , s e n i o r r e s e a r c h e r at t h e U r b a n I n s t i t u t e says, " N o t calling s o m e t h i n g a p o l i c y d o e s n o t m e a n n o n e exists. C u l t u r a l p o l i c i e s — p u b l i c a n d private, i m p l i c i t a n d e x p l i c i t — a r e m a d e all t h e t i m e . " 2 F o r m a n y activist artists, c u l t u r a l p o l i c y is i m p o s e d f r o m a b o v e b y b u r e a u c r a t i c agencies that c u t resources, i m p o s e censorship, a n d a p p r o p r i a t e l a n g u a g e .

T h r o u g h o u t o u r history, art has b e e n tied t o policy: as a w e a p o n in t h e C o l d War, as a l i g h t i n g r o d in t h e c u l t u r e war, a n d as an i d e o l o g i c a l o p p o r t u n i t y o r a v o i c e t o b e silenced in t h e w a r o n t e r r o r i s m . T h e privatization o f c u l t u r e has a p r o f o u n d i m p a c t as well, e x p a n d i n g cultural policy's realm t o t h e m a r k e t p l a c e , e r o d i n g t h e c o m m o n s by c o n trolling intellectual property, a n d r e d u c i n g t h e creative process t o a c o m m e r c i a l p r o d u c t .

W h a t if c u l t u r a l p o l i c y e m b o d i e d values a n d practices i n h e r e n t t o art a n d activism? W h a t if w e w e r e clear a b o u t o u r p u r p o s e s a n d f r a m e d p o l i c y t o c o n n e c t t o people's everyday lives, r e s p o n d t o r o o t causes o t p r o b l e m s , a n d s u p p o r t substantive

Wfl/V

WORhERS

klOCftLMm

Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, postcard invitation highlighting labor activist EmmaTenayuca with arm held up in p r o t e s t , f o r An Altar for Emma,

performance piece by Beva Sanchez Padilla, part of the Arte esVida campaign, San Antonio,Tex* Image from Esperanza Peace and Justice Center 2 0 0 2 ©

Participants in Appalshop's annual Seedtime on the Cumberland parade, featuring community puppets developed in conjunction with Boston Puppet Cooperative,Whitesburg, Ky.* Photo courtesy Appalshop

f o r t h e latter, it's " s i g n s o f i n d i g e n o u s l e a d e r s h i p a n d community empowerment."3 Activist artists a n d arts o r g a n i z e r s n e e d t o set o u r o w n policy agendas as well as take o u r place at o t h e r s ' p o l i c y tables. W e also n e e d t o critically r e v i e w o u r o w n d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g processes i n t h e c o n t e x t o f cultural citizenship. W h o m d o w e p r e s e n t a n d h o w d o w e r e p r e s e n t t h e m ? W h o has access t o t h e w o r k a n d h o w d o w e relate to t h e m ? W e n e e d to ask if t h e l e a d e r ship o f o u r o r g a n i z a t i o n s is c o n s i s t e n t w i t h o u r values a n d p u r p o s e s . A r e w e facilitating p a r t i c i p a t i o n w i t h o u r c o m m u n i t i e s , o r have w e b e c o m e gatekeepers?

SELF-DETERMINATION 4

T h e World Commission

on

Culture

a n d D e v e l o p m e n t describes w h a t it calls a " c o r e cultural r i g h t " as that o f e a c h p e r s o n " t o p a r t i c i p a t e fully in c u l social c h a n g e ? W h a t if p o l i c y involved proactive, grass-

tural l i f e " a n d t o e n j o y " e m p o w e r m e n t b a s e d o n t h e

r o o t s p a r t i c i p a t i o n as well as g o v e r n m e n t legislation, a n d

p r i n c i p l e o f cultural s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n . " 5 Activist artists

t h e h u m a n i m p a c t o f policies was c o n s i d e r e d an essential

have f r a m e d these issues t h r o u g h c o n c e r n s f o r h o n o r i n g

dimension of decision making?

"first v o i c e " a n d a v o i d i n g cultural a p p r o p r i a t i o n w i t h o u t

This change w o u l d require significant

a c k n o w l e d g e m e n t or compensation. Organizationally,

r e t h i n k i n g o f p o l i c y as b o t h a p r o d u c t a n d a process, as

s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d o w n e r s h i p are expressed t h r o u g h

well as a r e c o g n i t i o n that w h a t has b e e n socially c o n -

artist-centered

s t r u c t e d can b e r e c o n s t r u c t e d . A n e w vision f o r cultural

focused cultural centers. Such efforts have struggled

p o l i c y t h a t s u p p o r t s social c h a n g e p r o m o t e s t h e p a r t i c i -

w i t h i m p o s e d policies a n d r e q u i r e m e n t s , s u c h as c o r p o -

p a t i o n o f all p e o p l e in b o t h c u l t u r e a n d cultural p o l i c y m a k i n g , a n d j o i n s d e m o c r a c y t o cultural p l u r a l i s m a n d social a n d e c o n o m i c j u s t i c e . It r e c o g n i z e s s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d e q u i t y â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a n d t h e link b e t w e e n p o w e r a n d politics, a n d a c c o u n t a b i l i t y a n d ethics. A n d it r e c o n n e c t s art t o o t h e r p o l i c y realms.

PARTICIPATION AND DECISION M A K I N G

R e i m a g i n i n g cultural policy

making

m e a n s closing t h e gap in d e c i s i o n m a k i n g a n d r e f o r m u lating h o w c r i t e r i a are d e f i n e d , resources d i s t r i b u t e d , a n d success e v a l u a t e d . D e m o c r a t i z i n g t h e process s u p p o r t s 22

p o l i c y m a k i n g i n f o r m e d b y p r a c t i c e ; shifts d e c i s i o n m a k i n g t o t h o s e b e s t able t o u n d e r s t a n d a d e c i s i o n ' s impact; and c o n t r i b u t e s multiple perspectives, e x p e r i ences, a n d l e a r n i n g s . B o t h t h e L e a d e r s h i p f o r a C h a n g ing

World

program

and

the

Bread

and

Roses

C o m m u n i t y F u n d involve p e e r s a n d c o m m u n i t y m e m bers in decision m a k i n g a n d ask t h e m t o l o o k f o r e v i d e n c e o f p a r t i c i p a t i o n . F o r t h e f o r m e r this m e a n s " a clear, a u t h e n t i c , o n g o i n g c o n n e c t i o n t o c o m m u n i t i e s " ;

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

alternative

spaces

and

community-

rate b o a r d s a n d 501 (c)3 status, that m a y n o t b e c o n s i s t e n t

Demonstration as part of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center's

w i t h activist values a n d p u r p o s e s . Internally, o u r o r g a n i -

Todos Somos Esperanza campaign targeting the city of San Antonio

zations struggle t o create a c c o u n t a b l e , t r a n s p a r e n t s t r u c tures a n d d e m o c r a t i c m a n a g e m e n t a n d g o v e r n a n c e .

after the organization's activist programming was defunded by the city, San Antonio,Tex., 1998.

Photo courtesy Esperanza Peace and Justice Center

C u l t u r a l p o l i c y i n c l u d e s decisions a b o u t w h a t histories, languages, identities, a n d a u t h o r i t i e s are

ties, a n d o u r o r g a n i z a t i o n s t o b e r e d u c e d t o m o n o l i t h i c

r e c o g n i z e d a n d v a l i d a t e d , as well as w h a t processes o f

s t e r e o t y p e s is a n o t h e r d i m e n s i o n o f s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n .

c u l t u r a l r e c l a m a t i o n a n d r e c o n c i l i a t i o n are o f f e r e d t o

Says Graciela S a n c h e z , e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f t h e E s p e r -

t h o s e w h o have b e e n i g n o r e d o r silenced. For e x a m p l e ,

anza C e n t e r i n San A n t o n i o , " O u r e n t i r e p e r s o n a â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a l l

t h e K a n a t s i o h a r e k e M o h a w k c o m m u n i t y addressed t h e

o u r d i f f e r e n t i d e n t i t i e s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a r e p r e s e n t in t h e cultural w o r k

Carlisle B o a r d i n g School policy of s e n d i n g

w e d o a n d t h e social j u s t i c e w o r k w e do. A n d w e d o n ' t

Native

A m e r i c a n c h i l d r e n t o b o a r d i n g s c h o o l s (to " k i l l t h e I n d i a n a n d save t h e m a n " ) by c r e a t i n g a Carlisle S c h o o l in reverse, " t o heal t h e I n d i a n a n d save t h e l a n g u a g e . " 6 Claiming the multiple dimensions of i d e n t i t y a n d r e f u s i n g t o allow ourselves, o u r c o m m u n i -

separate it." 7 Too often the language used to define g r a n t p r o g r a m s c o m b i n i n g art a n d social c h a n g e is a v o c a b u l a r y o f deficits a n d v i c t i m s r a t h e r t h a n assets a n d p r o t a g o n i s t s . T h e p h r a s e " a t risk y o u t h " is a case in p o i n t . A t an A l t e r n a t e

(Ieft) Bus Riders Union (BRU) member Laura Galicia in the Don't Play Ball with a Racist City campaign that t h e BRU t o o k t o t h e

governor's office,Sacramento,Calif.,August I I. 1999.*

Roots conference,

Claudine

B r o w n , N a t h a n C u m m i n g s F o u n d a t i o n Arts a n d C u l t u r e p r o g r a m d i r e c t o r , said, " A f t e r d o i n g a n u m b e r o f

( b e l o w ) Teatro piece in which BRU members crash a

site visits, I realized t h a t t h e r e are v e r y f e w y o u t h w h o

Mayor Riordan party, Los Angeles, Calif., May 2000.*

are n o t at risk, a n d it was i n a p p r o p r i a t e t o label a s p e -

Photos courtesy Labor/Community Strategy Center

cific g r o u p o f e t h n i c y o u t h at risk. W e also realized t h a t

Political Part

m a n y o f t h e y o u n g p e o p l e w h o w e r e in arts p r o g r a m s w e r e i n c r e d i b l y resilient." 8

EQUITY

A t t h e W e s t e r n States A r t s F e d e r a t i o n s y m p o s i u m o f 1 9 9 9 , Cultural

Policy in the West, T o m a s

Ybarra Frausto, scholar and R o c k e f e l l e r

Foundation

p r o g r a m o f f i c e r , a r g u e d t h a t in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f today, " t h e p o l i t i c s o f i n e q u i t y , a s y m m e t r y , a n d social e x c l u s i o n persist." 9 E q u i t y in arts a n d c u l t u r e c a n n o t b e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

i n p o w e r , " w r i t e t h e e d i t o r s o f Power and Development.10

Participatory

G i v i n g u p c o n t r o l is a p r e r e q u i s i t e of p o l -

icy m a k i n g tied to social c h a n g e .

T h e process o f c r e a t i n g e q u i t a b l e p a r t nerships is a g o o d e x a m p l e o f h o w p o w e r d y n a m i c s are involved in activist art a n d t h e p o l i c y t h a t s u p p o r t s it.

F o r A l t e r n a t e R o o t s ' R e s o u r c e s f o r Social C h a n g e , "a c o r e idea is t h e e q u i t a b l e s h a r i n g o f p o w e r , k n o w l e d g e a n d resources w i t h i n p a r t n e r s h i p s . " 1 1 T o o o f t e n p a r t n e r ships d o n o t c o n s i d e r e a c h partner's capacity t o p a r t i c i pate, i n e q u i t i e s in t h e i r financial a n d h u m a n resources, a n d t h e m u t u a l i t y o f t h e i r goals a n d i n t e n t i o n s . S o m e g r o u p s have a d d r e s s e d t h e s e issues by a l l o c a t i n g a d d i tional f u n d i n g to smaller groups, including From the Holler to the Hood, WMMT-FM and WCLM 1040 AM

b u i l d i n g a n d r e s o u r c e e x c h a n g e s as p a r t o f t h e i r p a r t n e r -

host their third annual holiday call-in show for family and friends

ships, s h a r i n g i n f o r m a t i o n a m o n g all p a r t n e r s , a n d d e v e l -

of prisoners in Virginia and eastern Kentucky, Richmond,Vaâ&#x20AC;&#x17E; 2002.

oping partnership agreements.

Photo courtesy Appalshop

T h e paradigm of a larger

institution

u n d e r s t o o d apart f r o m t h e i n c r e a s i n g gap b e t w e e n haves

b e i n g t h e lead p a r t n e r shifts w h e n a c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d

a n d have nots; i n d e e d , arts a n d c u l t u r e can h e l p i m a g i n e

g r o u p , w h o s e m i s s i o n m a y b e closer to a p r o g r a m ' s p u r -

an alternative t o a system o f social inequality.

pose, c h o o s e s its o w n p a r t n e r s . T h i s shift m i g h t reverse

C u l t u r a l e q u i t y , h o w e v e r , is easier t o

traditional p o w e r relations: p e o p l e o f c o l o r b e i n g m e d i -

p r e a c h t h a n practice. A n e x a m p l e is t h e c o - o p t a t i o n o f

a t e d by w h i t e o r g a n i z a t i o n s , rural e x c h a n g e s m e d i a t e d

m u l t i c u l t u r a l i s m , w h e r e t h e l a n g u a g e was a p p r o p r i a t e d

by u r b a n

b u t t h e r e w e r e i n a d e q u a t e shifts in values a n d resources.

m e d i a t e d by t h e U n i t e d States. F o u n d a t i o n s n e e d to b e

I n e q u i t i e s are r e v e a l e d w h e n b u d g e t s a n d a l l o c a t i o n s

sensitive t o t h e p o w e r shifts t h a t o c c u r t h r o u g h t h e i r

( b o t h f o r g r a n t m a k e r s a n d cultural organizations) c o n -

financial s u p p o r t and recognition. F u n d i n g strategies

organizations, or international

exchanges

t r a d i c t stated p r o g r a m goals a n d values. S o m e f u n d e r s

that try to s u p p o r t s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n can instead b u i l d

f a c t o r in n e e d as a c r i t e r i o n t o address i n e q u i t i e s b u t

d e p e n d e n c y . S o m e f u n d e r s w o r k w i t h i n existing p o w e r

t h e n struggle t o d e f i n e n e e d w i t h o u t c r e a t i n g a h i e r a r -

s t r u c t u r e s , w h i l e o t h e r s bypass t h o s e s t r u c t u r e s , w h i c h

chy o f p o v e r t y a n d v i c t i m i z a t i o n .

can create p r o b l e m s f o r g r a n t e e s a n d their c o n s t i t u e n t s

Several g r o u p s o f artists have o r g a n i z e d around

cultural

equity

issuesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for

example,

the

C a r i b b e a n C u l t u r a l C e n t e r ' s C u l t u r a l D i v e r s i t y Based

o n c e the f u n d i n g ends. E m p o w e r i n g people t h r o u g h f u n d i n g will o n l y h a p p e n if f u n d i n g is tied t o sustained strategies to shift p o w e r .

o n C u l t u r a l G r o u n d i n g c o n f e r e n c e s , w h i c h resulted in t h e p u b l i c a t i o n Voices From the Battlefront: Achieving

24

capacity

T h e role o f activist arts is o f t e n to c o n -

Cul-

f r o n t a n d d e c o n s t r u c t political p o w e r s t r u c t u r e s . T h i s

tural Equity. S o m e cities have addressed cultural e q u i t y as

h a p p e n e d w h e n Esperanza C e n t e r sued t h e city o f San

well. San F r a n c i s c o r e s p o n d e d t o t h e Arts D e m o c r a t i c

A n t o n i o over city f u n d i n g , a n d O u t N o r t h t h e a t e r c h a l -

C l u b a n d o t h e r w e l l - o r g a n i z e d c o n s t i t u e n t s by establish-

l e n g e d t h e city o f A n c h o r a g e o n an o r d i n a n c e p r o h i b i t -

i n g a cultural e q u i t y e n d o w m e n t f u n d e d by a fixed p e r -

i n g visual arts e x h i b i t i o n s in t h e library.To b e effective in

c e n t a g e o f t h e city's h o t e l tax r e v e n u e s . T h e C u l t u r a l

such

B l u e p r i n t f o r N e w Y o r k C i t y i n c l u d e d t o w n hall a n d

m o m e n t a n d sustain an e f f o r t . Activist artists also affect

artist m e e t i n g s across t h e b o r o u g h s t h a t f r e q u e n t l y raised

p o l i c y by r u n n i n g in city c o u n c i l , c o m m u n i t y c o u n c i l ,

issues o f cultural equity. In B o s t o n , a r e c e n t e f f o r t t o b a l -

o r s c h o o l b o a r d elections.

efforts means

knowing

both

how

t o seize a

a n c e t h e scales c a m e via a f o r t y - m e m b e r task f o r c e established by t h e B o s t o n F o u n d a t i o n .

ACCOUNTABILITY AND ETHICS

M a n y o r g a n i z a t i o n s pay lip s e r v i c e t o POWER AND POLITICS

" a c c o u n t a b i l i t y " to a p p e a r legitimate. B u t m e r e l y i n v o k -

P o w e r d y n a m i c s a m o n g artists, i n s t i t u -

i n g a c c o u n t a b i l i t y leaves u n a n s w e r e d q u e s t i o n s a b o u t

t i o n s , c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s , p a r t n e r s , a n d f u n d e r s are

w h o w e are a c c o u n t a b l e to, f o r w h a t p u r p o s e , a n d o n

r e f l e c t e d in i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e d social relationships. " P a r t i c -

what

i p a t i o n , if it is t o b e m o r e t h a n a palliative, involves shifts

r e q u i r e m e n t s , o r n o r m s that i m p e d e social c h a n g e . B u t

Public Art R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

terms.

Often, accountability

is t o

standards,

f o r m u c h activist art a n d t h e p o l i c y t h a t s u p p o r t s it,

nition of culture that ignores n e i g h b o r h o o d

a c c o u n t a b i l i t y m e a n s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o t h e p e o p l e in

assets. It w o u l d link artists' space w i t h l o w - i n c o m e h o u s -

cultural

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

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

goals a n d values o f t h e w o r k .

e q u i t y w i t h e c o n o m i c j u s t i c e . It w o u l d r e c o g n i z e t h a t

cultural

A complex understanding of accounta-

o u r c u l t u r e a n d o u r d e m o c r a c y are w e a k e n e d n o t o n l y

bility o f t e n reveals a c o n t r a d i c t i o n b e t w e e n s h o r t - t e r m

by arts c e n s o r s h i p b u t also by p o s t - S e p t e m b e r 11 abuses

tactics to m a n i p u l a t e p o w e r a n d l o n g - t e r m strategies t o

o f o u r civil liberties. A cultural p o l i c y t h a t s u p p o r t s s u b -

shift it. A c c o u n t a b i l i t y c a n n o t b e s e p a r a t e d f r o m t h e

stantive social c h a n g e w o u l d , as M i t t y O w e n s o f P r o j e c t :

ethical issues that are e n d e m i c t o art a n d social c h a n g e :

C u l t u r e a n d S o c i a l C h a n g e says, " r e h u m a n i z e

h o w c o m m u n i t i e s are b r o u g h t i n t o p r o j e c t s (as p a r t i c i -

t h a n d e h u m a n i z e . " 1 3 It w o u l d b e a p o l i c y o f o p e n n e s s

pants o r as s u b j e c t m a t t e r ) , h o w stories are h o n o r e d o r

a n d collective i m a g i n a t i o n , n o t fear a n d d o g m a .

rather

a p p r o p r i a t e d , h o w artists are s u p p o r t e d o r disrespected by i n s t i t u t i o n s . At a r e c e n t r o u n d t a b l e a b o u t arts a n d

The author would like to acknowledge Helen

e d u c a t i o n , artists expressed t h e i r dismay at b e i n g used

Kathie deNobriga, and Judi Jennings for their

by institutions t o create n o n r e c i p r o c a l " o u t r e a c h " rela-

to this essay.

Brunner, contributions

t i o n s h i p s w i t h c o m m u n i t i e s t h a t t h e i n s t i t u t i o n s have n o i n t e n t i o n o f sustaining. In a n o t h e r discussion, c o m -

Caron Atlas is an independent consultant w h o connects art and culture

m u n i t y service p r o v i d e r s a c k n o w l e d g e d that w h i l e t h e y

with social change and develops creative support systems for this work.

a p p r e c i a t e artists c o m i n g i n t o t h e i r o r g a n i z a t i o n s , w h e n artists leave p a r t i c i p a n t s are left w i t h t h e e m o t i o n a l l y c h a r g e d issues h i g h l i g h t e d by t h e art. W e n e e d t o take

Notes 1. From "The N e w Rules of Local-

7. From an interview with Graciela

ism," a speech given by David Mor-

Sanchez at the PACT (Partnerships

w h e n p e o p l e have u n e q u a l p o w e r a n d s o m e have m o r e

ris at the International Forum on

Affirming Community Transforma-

to lose t h a n o t h e r s .

Globalism in Washington, D.C., May

tion) convening at the Alex Haley

into consideration

the consequences

of risk

taking

HOLISTIC POLICY AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE

1996. The speech can be found on

Farm in Clinton, Tennessee in

the N e w Rules Project website:

October 1998.

www.newrules.org.

Activist artists w h o w a n t to affect p o l i c y are m o r e likely to d o so w h e n t h e y f r a m e t h e i r w o r k as p a r t o f a g r e a t e r w h o l e . S u c h an a p p r o a c h requires m o r e

8. From remarks by Claudine 2. From Maria-Rosario Jackson's

Brown at FOCAS (Focus on C o m -

contribution to an essay I wrote for

munity Arts South:The Intersection

A Cultural Blueprint for New York

of Art and Activism), an Alternate

t h a n a p r o j e c t a n d o f t e n takes y e a r s . T h e c h a l l e n g e is that

City, 200 J. She describes how "cul-

Roots conference held in Lexing-

m o s t financial s u p p o r t c o m e s t h r o u g h s h o r t - t e r m f u n d -

tural policymakingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;decisions about

ton. Kentucky in April 2002. These

how to allocate resources for cul-

remarks can be found on the C o m -

tural issuesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;happens in many con-

E v a l u a t i n g t h e i m p a c t o f activist art also takes t i m e a n d a

munity Arts Network: w w w . c o m -

texts and at various levels: at the

munityarts.net.

h o l i s t i c f r a m e w o r k t h a t c o n s i d e r s t h e d y n a m i c goals,

family dinner table, in community

p u r p o s e s , a n d values o f t h e m u l t i p l e p a r t n e r s a n d c o n -

development agencies, in foundation

i n g that e n d s j u s t as t h e process o f c h a n g e is b e g i n n i n g .

9.Ybarra Frausto.Tomas."Mutual

board rooms, and in the public pol-

Recognition o f Diverse Cultural

icy realm."

Contributions." In Cultural Policy in

t h e s t r e n g t h o f n e t w o r k s o f relationships is m o r e i m p o r -

3. From Leadership for a Changing

ver: WESTAF, 2 0 0 0 , 9 7 .

tant t h a n t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n a l strength o f i n d i v i d u a l c u l -

World program materials and an

stituencies involved. T h e Social I m p a c t o f t h e Arts P r o j e c t c o n c l u d e s t h a t " f o r t h e c o m m u n i t y cultural sector,

tural p r o v i d e r s . T h i s suggests t h a t an ecological m o d e l o f

the West: Symposium Proceedings. D e n -

interview with Denise Brown, asso-

10. Nelson, Nic and Susan Wright,

ciate director o f the Bread and

eds. Power and Participatory Develop-

c o m m u n i t y c u l t u r e m a y b e a b e t t e r g u i d e to p o l i c y m a k -

Roses Community Fund, February

menf.Theory

i n g t h a n an o r t h o d o x f o c u s o n o r g a n i z a t i o n s . " 1 2 T h e arts

4. 2003.

Intermediate Technology Group.

1997,1.

field is j u s t b e g i n n i n g t o a d o p t t h e l o n g i t u d i n a l m e a s ures, e t h n o g r a p h y , a n d p a r t i c i p a t o r y evaluation m e t h o d -

and Practice. London:

25

4. Conversations with Roberto Bedoya, along with his essay "Artists

11. Resources for Social Change

ologies that have successfully b e e n used in o t h e r fields

as Policy Actors," contributed to

can be found at www.alternate-

such as p u b l i c h e a l t h .

ideas in this section.

roots.org/cr.html.

If c u l t u r a l p o l i c y e m b o d i e d t h e values

5. Our Creative Diversity: Report of tlic

12. The Culture Builds Community

World Commission on Culture and

evaluation can be found at

icy w o u l d b e t r a n s p a r e n t a n d a c c o u n t a b l e , a n d w o u l d

Development. Paris:UNESCO Publish-

www.ssw.upenn.edu/SIAP.

take t h e risk t o shift p o w e r . It w o u l d reject p r i o r i t i e s t h a t

ing, 1995,240.

a n d practices i n h e r e n t in activist art at its best, t h a t p o l -

are n o t in a c o m m u n i t y ' s interests s u c h as g e n t r i f i c a t i o n .

It w o u l d resist d e v e l o p m e n t p r o j e c t s t h a t i m p o s e a d e f i -

13. From an interview with Mitty 6. From the Kanatsiohareke website:

Owens, February 1. 2003.

www.design-site.net/mohawk.htm.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

FINDING OUR WAY TO THE FLAG IS C I V I C D I S C O U R S E

ART?

Suzanne Lacy

In November 2001,

Suzanne

Lacy participated in a convening of artists, cultural

organization

leaders, and community partners involved in arts-based civic dialogue projects supported by the Democracy Initiative (ADl).1 ADI, a program of Americans for the Arts funded

Animating

by the

Ford Foundation, seeks to foster artistic activity that encourages civic dialogue on important contemporary issues. At its core is the Lab, which has supported thirty-two ects nationally that experiment

artistic and cultural proj-

with different approaches to arts-based civic dialogue. The

Chicago Learning Exchange referred to below was one of many convertings that brought Lab participants and guests together to think critically about the philosophical and practical dimensions of arts-based civic dialogue work.

I

'VE N E V E R

MUCH

L I K E D R E D , W H I T E , A N D NAVY B L U E C O L O R S . I ' M N O T

SURE WHETHER

MY

distaste was m o r e aesthetic o r a f o r e s h a d o w i n g of f u t u r e conflicts a b o u t m y U.S. citizenship: f r o m t h e swelling o f p r i d e in m y p r e p u b e s c e n t flat chest as w e saluted

t h e flag in e l e m e n t a r y school; t o civic v o l u n t e e r i s m in h i g h s c h o o l ; to t h e basically patriotic Civil R i g h t s m o v e m e n t ; to t h e d i s e n c h a n t m e n t o f t h e V i e t n a m era (with still an u n d e r c u r r e n t o f civic o p t i m i s m â&#x20AC;&#x201D; w e c o u l d c h a n g e things); to g r o w i n g suspicion a b o u t U.S. business i n t e r f e r e n c e w i t h c o u n t r i e s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d ; a n d finally t o S e p t e m b e r 11, precipitating the red, w h i t e , and blue m e d i a event of a decade, a veritable orgy of flag waving.

G r o w i n g u p w h i t e and w o r k i n g class in a small C a l i f o r n i a f a r m t o w n , b u t for a slow erosion of belief I c o u l d have b e c o m e t h e p a t r i o t that b a c k g r o u n d d i c t a t e d f o r m e a n d m y s c h o o l m a t e s . W i t h respect to m y c o u n t r y a n d its place in t h e world, I alternate b e t w e e n horror and pride, between repulsion and fascination, b e t w e e n t h e a c c e p t a n c e of tacit privilege and d e e p shame.

All of w h i c h c a m e u p tor m e at t h e A n i m a t i n g D e m o c r a c y L e a r n i n g E x c h a n g e in C h i c a g o a year and a half ago. 1 c a m e to observe p r e s e n t a t i o n s b y earnest artists and cultural o r g a n i z a t i o n leaders w o r k i n g in p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h t h e i r c o m m u n i t i e s t o f o s t e r civic d i a logue.

In

the

immediate

aftermath

of

the

d e s t r u c t i o n of t h e W o r l d Trade C e n t e r a n d subse(left) Donald llpski, created in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Who's Afraid of Red, White & Blue?

#31,

q u e n t war in Afghanistan, I e x p e c t e d to b e a fly o n the wall. Instead, I was p l u n g e d i n t o a fascinating t h r e e - d a y discussion 011 b e l o n g i n g , e x c l u s i o n ,

installation at the University of the

language, space, cultural tradition, a n d t h e roles

Arts, Philadephia, Penn., 1990.

of art in public discourse.

The

(right) Donald Lipski, Who's Afraid of Red,White American

& Blue?

Flag Ball # 2 , 1990.

Photos courtesy The Fabric Workshop and Museum

ADI L e a r n i n gO E x c h a n g~ e

t o o k place in N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 , a n d b e c a u s e it c a m e a scant t w o m o n t h s after S e p t e m b e r 11, artist M a r t y P o t t e n g e r was asked to create an a r t work

about

citizenship.

Emotional

responses

e r u p t e d , i n c l u d i n g dire p r o n o u n c e m e n t s f r o m s o m e P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

It w a s n ' t always so. T h e

promise

of

1970s activist artists w a s a social t r a n s f o r m a t i o n t h a t c o u l d b e a c c o m p l i s h e d t h r o u g h art. B u t in s i g n i f i c a n t ways, that has n o t o c c u r r e d . W h i l e m a k i n g a n d e x h i b i t i n g p u b l i c a n d c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d art u n d e n i a b l y affected i n d i v i d u a l lives, artists w h o tackled political issues, f r o m v i o l e n c e against w o m e n t o p u b l i c s c h o o l

education,

h o p e d f o r m o r e t h a n i n d i v i d u a l c h a n g e . T h e y w a n t e d to i n f l u e n c e p u b l i c policies, v o t i n g t e n d e n c i e s , social values, a n d t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f w e a l t h , a m o n g o t h e r goals.

In t h e p r i s o n r e f o r m m o v e m e n t , f o r e x a m p l e , artists w e r e able t o d e v e l o p p r o g r a m s , i n f l u e n c e t h e lives o f s o m e p r i s o n e r s , a n d b r i n g public awareness t o i n e q u i t i e s in i n c a r c e r a t i o n rates. B u t d u r i n g t h e t h r e e d e c a d e s o f this activity, t h e n u m b e r o f p r i s o n s g r e w exponentially.

T h e s c o p e o f t h a t earlier social a m b i t i o n has b r o u g h t us, as artists, t o an u n e a s y c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f p u b l i c processes, agendas, a n d i n s t i t u t i o n s as t h e s e t t i n g f o r art.

In m y o w n w o r k over several years w i t h O a k l a n d , C a l i f o r n i a y o u t h , I m a n a g e d t o gain e n o u g h credibility w i t h i n p u b l i c s c h o o l , h e a l t h , a n d p o l i c e instit u t i o n s to n a v i g a t e freely, c o m m a n d resources, a n d create a series o f p e r f o r m a n c e s a n d installations w i t h significant civic c o o p e r a t i o n . M a n y y o u t h p a r t i c i p a t e d over t h e t e n Marty Pottenger, ADL Learning Exchange, Chicago, III., November, 2001 *

years o f this w o r k , a n d several c o n t i n u e d w o r k i n g w i t h

Photo by PJ Novelli

t h e l o o s e - k n i t t e a m o f artists that b e c a m e an o n g o i n g community. We taught video production, found jobs,

that

"forever

testified in c o u r t , visited d e t e n t i o n c e n t e r s , w r o t e letters

c h a n g e d , " w h i l e f r o m o t h e r s , like A f r i c a n - b o r n K e w u l a y

since

September

11

the

world

had

of r e c o m m e n d a t i o n , and helped with college applica-

K a m a r a , c a m e q u e s t i o n s : " W h a t has c h a n g e d a b o u t t h e w o r l d ? 5 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e d i e d in o n e shot? Is that s o m e t h i n g n e w ? " T h r o u g h o u t t h e discussions o n citizenship, I was

(bclow) Marty Pottenger, City Water Tunnel #3, workers in man cage, multimedia project about the workers on a $5 billion water tunnel project stretching 64 miles under New York City, N.Y., 1996-1999.*

dismayed with my o w n discomfort, particularly w h e n h o l d i n g , g i n g e r l y a n d at a r m ' s l e n g t h , a m i n i a t u r e

flag

d i s t r i b u t e d f o r reflective self-expression. I recalled J i m i H e n d r i x ' s u n m e r c i f u l l y d i s t o r t e d r e n d i t i o n o f ' T h e StarS p a n g l e d B a n n e r . " S t u d e n t s m a r c h i n g w i t h C h a v e z in g r a p e fields. S o m e o n e b u r n i n g d o w n t h e G o l e t a B a n k o f A m e r i c a . P r o d u c t o f t h e sixties, I t o r e t h e tiny flag i n t o s t r i p s , t h e n r e u n i t e d t h e m as b r a i d s , a g r a t u i t o u s a n d facile act in t h e face o f m y o w n h i s t o r y It is i n t e r e s t i n g f o r s o m e o n e f r o m m y 28

activist g e n e r a t i o n t o c o n s i d e r t h e s e e m i n g l y vast e n n u i in U.S. p u b l i c life today. T h e t r a n s i e n c e a n d u r g e n c y o f o u r lifestyles, t h e sense o f n o t e n o u g h t i m e a n d c o n s t a n t m o v e m e n t , c r e a t e a lack o f g e o g r a p h i c a n d e m o t i o n a l g r o u n d i n g . O v e r w h e l m e d by t h e scale o f o u r i n s t i t u tions, t h e reach o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n , a n d t h e s c o p e a n d intransigence of domestic and international problems, w e ' r e e v e r m o r e d r a w n t o t h e p e r s o n a l . Increasing n u m b e r s o f us feel w e d o n ' t h a v e a n y t h i n g at stake a n d c o u l d n ' t affect m u c h if w e did.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

(right) Montage image of the faces from City Water Tunnel #3.

Images courtesy Marty Pottenger

tions. B u t a f t e r ten years o f h i g h l y p u b l i c p r o g r a m m i n g ,

e d u c a t o r s , a n d p o l i t i c i a n s . It is o u r m e t h o d o l o g y t h a t

several large p e r f o r m a n c e s , scores o f televised r e p o r t s

differs, in ways that c o n t i n u e t o n e e d a r t i c u l a t i n g .

a n d d o c u m e n t a r i e s , over 1,000 y o u t h in art a n d v i d e o

O n t h e last m o r n i n g o f t h e A n i m a t i n g

workshops, and models invented for police training p r o -

Democracy

grams and student-teacher interventions, the institutions

f o u n d e r and president of the H a r w o o d Institute for

Learning

Exchange,

Rich

Harwood,

that w o u l d c o n t i n u e to effect t h e lives o f O a k l a n d y o u t h

P u b l i c I n n o v a t i o n , 2 was i n v i t e d t o p r e s e n t a w o r k s h o p

r e m a i n e d substantially u n c h a n g e d .

o n c i v i c p r o c e s s e s a n d s t r a t e g i e s . As o f t e n

happens

Initiative

within the public and uncontrollable territories of o u r

offers s u p p o r t as artists a n d cultural o r g a n i z a t i o n s b e g i n

p u b l i c art, t h e i n t e n t i o n s o f p l a n n e r s w e r e s u b v e r t e d b y

The Animating Democracy

to g r a p p l e w i t h civic institutions a n d processes: as sites

real

a n d v e n u e s , as materiality, a n d as c o n t e n t f o r o u r w o r k . If

activist, a n d d i a l o g u e f a c i l i t a t o r — o b j e c t e d t o w h a t she

life.

Rha

Goddess—African-American

artist,

t h e goal o f social art is to t r a n s f o r m t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f

h e a r d as r a c e - b a s e d a s s u m p t i o n s in H a r w o o d ' s l a n g u a g e .

p e o p l e ' s lives, w e will n e e d t o ask d i f f i c u l t q u e s t i o n s .

A c k n o w l e d g i n g h e r o b j e c t i o n s , h e asked if t h e a u d i e n c e

C a n an institutional system a c c o m m o d a t e art? C a n t h e

c o u l d set aside t h e d i s c u s s i o n a b o u t l a n g u a g e in t h e

radical n a t u r e o f an activist a r t w o r k b e e m b e d d e d in

interests o f c o v e r i n g t h e m a t e r i a l h e h a d b e e n i n v i t e d t o

places r e n o w n e d f o r their intractability a n d resistance to

p r e s e n t . S o m e c o u l d n o t , a n d e m o t i o n s flared as o p i n -

c h a n g e ? Will w e lose o u r artfulness a n d b e c o m e instead

i o n s b o u n c e d a r o u n d t h e r o o m . T h e n o t i o n o f safe

m a n a g e r s a n d p r o g r a m designers? T h e artist s e e k i n g t o

space, w h i c h in t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e E x c h a n g e w e o p t i -

p a r t i c i p a t e in social j u s t i c e m o v e m e n t s u l t i m a t e l y faces

mistically a s s u m e d — a f t e r all, w e w e r e in t h e c o m p a n y o f

questions not unlike those c o n f r o n t i n g urban planners,

k i n d r e d s p i r i t s — h a d slowly e r o d e d , until n o w w e f o u n d

Performance by Suzanne Lacy, Julio Morales, and Unique Holland, Code 33:Emergency

Clear the Air, O a k l a n d , Calif., 1999.

(this page) Photo by Chris Johnson* (next page) Photo by Lily Rodriquez

if every w o r d that c o m e s o u t o f m y m o u t h is t a i n t e d , if I a m so c o n c e r n e d a b o u t m y ability t o talk t h a t I can't have dialogue."

The

producers

of

the

Animating

ourselves, like an old m a r r i e d c o u p l e , in t h e m i d d l e o f a

D e m o c r a c y I n i t i a t i v e are c o m m i t t e d t o an a u t h e n t i c

distressingly familiar a r g u m e n t .

i n t e r r o g a t i o n o f effective practice. " B y o u r o w n d e f i n i -

As w i t h civic d i s c o u r s e , civic art t h a t

tions, I d o n ' t t h i n k w e aspired t o s t a g i n g a civic d i a l o g u e

a t t e m p t s t o p r o v i d e an arena f o r m u l t i p l e perspectives can

at this L e a r n i n g E x c h a n g e , " said B a r b a r a

b e p a i n f u l . T h e ADI L e a r n i n g E x c h a n g e b e c a m e a c o m -

B a c o n . " T h e o n l y explicit civic issue w e c h o s e t o address

Schaeffer

p e l l i n g e x a m p l e o f civic d i s c o u r s e itself, w h e r e intelligent

was citizenship. W e have a lot o f m i x e d feelings a b o u t

a n d w e l l - i n t e n t i o n e d p e o p l e revealed themselves t o each

w h i c h e l e m e n t s o f t h e w e e k e n d a c h i e v e d civic d i a -

o t h e r in u n r e h e a r s e d a n d o f t e n difficult ways. S o m e h o w

l o g u e . " T h e organizers c o n c l u d e d that several things k e p t

it felt like r a w citizenship was b e i n g e n a c t e d .

t h e w e e k e n d f r o m b e i n g an exercise in p u b l i c dialogue.

" I f w e get h u n g u p o n s t r a i g h t e n i n g o u t

T h e i n t e n t i o n w a s n ' t t h e r e in t h e b e g i n n i n g , g r o u n d

l a n g u a g e , w e will b e h e r e all day a n d n o t get to t h e pres-

rules w e r e n ' t established, issues t o b e discussed w e r e n o t

entation on public engagement." " W h a t d o e s n ' t w o r k f o r m e is t h a t pub-

clearly articulated, a n d t o o m a n y topics w e r e c o n s i d e r e d simultaneously.

lic is o f t e n in h a n d c u f f s o n t h e seven o ' c l o c k n e w s . S o m e

For m e it was in fact a civic dialogue, in

o f these s a m e w o r d s have delivered h o r r i f i c n e w s to us."

f o r m as well as c o n t e n t , t h e same volatile subjects s i m -

" T h e t e r m s o f the d e b a t e have b e e n

m e r i n g j u s t u n d e r t h e skin o f p u b l i c life. T h e c o m p o -

s h a p e d b y s o m e o n e w h o is n o t m o s t o f us, s o m e o n e

n e n t s o f this d i s c o u r s e m a y n o t have b e e n e x p l i c i t l y

w h o is w h i t e a n d m a l e a n d w e a l t h y , f o r e x a m p l e . I n

a c k n o w l e d g e d in t h e b e g i n n i n g , b u t in r e f l e c t i n g u p o n

o r d e r t o have civic discourse, h o w m u c h d o w e have t o

the w h o l e w e e k e n d they were everywhere evident, the

a g r e e t o let certain t h i n g s ' r i d e ' ? "

messy stuff o f o u r civic life. As s o m e o n e f r o m t h e c o n -

"I c h e c k e d o u t w h e n w e b e g a n t o talk

f e r e n c e said, " W e have n o idea of t h e effects o f w h a t w e

a b o u t l a n g u a g e . I d o n ' t even k n o w if d i a l o g u e is possible,

set in m o t i o n , " a n d u n f o l d i n g b e f o r e us was an aesthetic

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

o f civic p r o c e s s I've e n c o u n t e r e d o f t e n in m y w o r k .

the-scenes interruptions

D u r i n g t h e p e r f o r m a n c e o f Code 33: Emergency Clear the

made

Air, a 1 9 9 9 p r o j e c t w i t h J u l i o M o r a l e s a n d U n i q u e H o l -

demonstration than directing a performance. Outside

land, 150 O a k l a n d t e e n a g e r s a n d 100 p o l i c e officers sat

t h e studio, in t h e eye o f t h e p u b l i c , t h e u n e x p e c t e d is

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

the uncontrollable material of the work.

overseeing

it

from protestors that

more

like

often

trouble-shooting

a

i n g garage. I n t h e streets b e l o w 2 , 0 0 0 a u d i e n c e m e m b e r s

T h e ADL L e a r n i n g E x c h a n g e r e s e m b l e d

l i n e d up. A small a n d noisy g r o u p of m o s t l y c o l l e g e - a g e d

a p u b l i c a r t w o r k o n a controversial t o p i c in an e x p o s e d

protesters a r r i v e d , i n t e n t o n g a i n i n g access t o television

p u b l i c space. It was a r e m i n d e r t h a t if o n e seeks p e r f e c t

c a m e r a s t o b r i n g a t t e n t i o n t o t h e case o f M u m i a A b u

a n d c o n t r o l l e d s o l u t i o n s , t h e scale o f t h e social p r o b -

Jamal, c o n v i c t e d o f m u r d e r i n g a p o l i c e m a n i n P h i l a d e l -

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

phia a n d s e n t e n c e d to d e a t h .

global forces; the s h a m e that can prevent

examining

As w e w a t c h e d t h e p r o t e s t o r s t r y i n g t o

o n e ' s p a r t i c i p a t i o n in o p p r e s s i o n ; t h e s e e m i n g i m p o s s i -

i n t e r r u p t t h e conversations b e t w e e n y o u n g p e o p l e a n d

bility o f m a n e u v e r i n g across differences; a n d t h e p a r a -

police, C o d e 33's m u l t i c u l t u r a l a n d leftist a r t i s t - d i r e c -

d o x i c a l n e e d t o m a k e art t h a t is b e a u t i f u l , c o h e r e n t ,

tors w e r e b e m u s e d . O n t h e s a m e e n d of t h e political

disciplined, a n d m e a n i n g f u l c a n lead t o paralysis. P a r t i c -

spectrum

in

ipants in this g a t h e r i n g w e r e d i v i d e d in t h e i r p e r c e p -

a n t i p r i s o n w o r k , w e i n v i t e d t h e m t o have a p l a t f o r m

t i o n s o f w h a t w a s h a p p e n i n g t h a t last m o r n i n g , b u t

w i t h i n t h e p e r f o r m a n c e b u t w e r e r e f u s e d , a p p a r e n t l y in

e v e n w h e n t h e y left t h e r o o m in v a r y i n g d e g r e e s of

favor o f an o p p o r t u n i s t i c m e d i a strategy of c o n f r o n t a -

despair o r anger, t h e y r e t u r n e d t o t h e d e b a t e . As Jessica

t i o n . T h e massive p e r f o r m a n c e l u m b e r e d f o r w a r d , w i t h

A r c a n d , f r o m t h e A n d y W a r h o l M u s e u m , said, " T o m e

its spectacle o f 3 0 television m o n i t o r s s h o w i n g y o u t h -

t h e first t i m e w e b e g a n t o g e t t o d i a l o g u e w a s t h i s

m a d e videos, 50 y o u n g dancers, intense conversations

m o r n i n g w h e n t h i n g s g o t unsafe."

as t h e

protesters, m a n y

o f us

active

b e t w e e n y o u t h a n d police, discussions a m o n g 80 n e i g h b o r h o o d residents, and an overhead h e l i c o p t e r

Is p a t r i o t i s m finally, in t h e w o r d s

of

omi-

H a r w o o d , a d e v o t i o n t o s o m e t h i n g y o u love? I l e f t

n o u s l y l i g h t i n g t h e r o o f t o p . B u t it c e r t a i n l y was n o t

C h i c a g o w o n d e r i n g if, b o l s t e r e d by p r o j e c t s s u c h as t h e

s t a g e - p e r f e c t in t i m i n g a n d c h o r e o g r a p h y , w i t h b e h i n d -

Animating Democracy

I n i t i a t i v e , art in t h e

United

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

Code 33:Emergency Clear the Air, Oakland, Calif., 1999*

c o m m i t m e n t is linked i n e x t r i c a b l y t o social j u s t i c e a n d

Photo by R. Suskin

p u b l i c g o o d . T h a t c o m m i t m e n t g e n e r a t e s f o r t i t u d e that

States is h e a d i n g t o w a r d full civic e n g a g e m e n t . C e r -

a n d prepares us f o r t h e l o n g h a u l of m e a n i n g f u l i n t e r -

tainly t h e t r a j e c t o r y o f this w o r k o v e r t h i r t y y e a r s â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

v e n t i o n i n t o i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d civic processes. For s u c h

with

corporate

artists, art is o f t e n u n p r e d i c t a b l e , rarely c o m p l e t e l y c o n -

m o t i v a t i o n s ; its p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e historical f r a m e o f

trollable. B u t w h e n it w o r k s , it is b o t h b e a u t i f u l a n d

p o w e r relations; its d e e p c o m m i t m e n t t o t h e e n f r a n -

i m p o r t a n t . S o m e t h i n g real has taken place, a n d it is n o t

c h i s e m e n t o f all; its naive b e l i e f in t h e ability o f t h e

always safe, n o t always e n t i r e l y u n d e r s t a n d a b l e . It's an

p u b l i c a g e n d a t o r i g h t itself w i t h e n o u g h i n f o r m a t i o n ;

i m p e r f e c t art, this w o r k i n g in p u b l i c , a n d its a e s t h e t i c

its p r a c t i c e o f b r i n g i n g t h e voiceless i n t o t h e p u b l i c

h a l l m a r k s , w h e n w e l e a r n t o see t h e m clearly, will b e

s p h e r e w i t h d i g n i t y t h r o u g h t h e i r stories; its i n c r e a s -

based on vulnerability, transparency, complexity, and

ingly a d e p t strategies of dissent, c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i z i n g ,

resolve. W e will, in H a r w o o d ' s w o r d s , " b e e m o t i o n a l , w e

a n d political c r i t i q u e ; its ethical q u e s t i o n s ; its h y b r i d i t y

will cry, walk o u t , b u t w e will c o m e back. T h a t is w h a t

o f t h o u g h t , m e d i a , a n d a p p r o a c h e s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; i s o n e that m i m i c s

d e m o c r a c y is all a b o u t . " 1 d o n ' t k n o w a b o u t d e m o c r a c y ,

t h e t r a j e c t o r y o f civic life.

b u t I d o k n o w a b o u t t h e passion to m a k e s o m e t h i n g ,

delivers us t h r o u g h t h e pains a n d d o u b t s o f p u b l i c life

its c h a l l e n g e s t o g o v e r n m e n t a l

and

Artists are d e f i n i n g a Bill o f R i g h t s f o r

a n d h o w t h a t p a s s i o n stands s t r o n g in t h e f a c e o f all

cultural c i t i z e n s h i p t h a t i n c l u d e s dignity, respect, s u f f i -

k i n d s of pain in o r d e r to give shape. If that u r g e t o m a k e

ciency, i d e n t i t y , a n d f r e e d o m f r o m visual a n d c u l t u r a l

finds its way back i n t o p u b l i c life, so m u c h t h e b e t t e r f o r

assault. I left t h e L e a r n i n g E x c h a n g e d e v o t e d t o t h e p e o -

all o f us.

ple in t h a t r o o m , artists w i l l i n g to stick o u t a dialogue, t h e lack o f w h i c h has d i s m a n t l e d m u c h o f o u r p u b l i c

Suzanne Lacy is an artist and writer who chairs the Fine Arts Department

life. I left i m p r e s s e d w i t h t h e i r desire to b e f a i r - m i n d e d

at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.

a n d j u s t in t h e face o f t h e i r o w n n e e d s , t o listen a n d h o l d t h e i r p o s i t i o n o n t h e m o s t d i f f i c u l t t o p i c s f a c i n g us

Notes

today. 1 left w i t h i m a g e s o f t h e i r willingness t o e n d u r e

l.This article is drawn from Lacy's

2. The Harwood Institute is a non-

t h e process, t o c o n t i n u e t o e x e r t t h e i r o w n shape o n o u r

full essay, "Seeking an American

profit organization grounded in the

Identity:Working Inward from the

idea that at the heart of America's

Margins," available at www.Ameri-

public challenges is the need for

cansForTheArcs.org/Animat-

people and organizations to think

ingDemocracy.

and act publicly.

collective i n t e r a c t i o n , to stay.

F o r an artist, art is c o m m i t m e n t . For a c e r t a i n k i n d o f artist, like t h o s e in ADl p r o j e c t s , t h a t

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

PROJECT

Surveillance Camera Players, postcard from You are

PLAYING TO THE CAMERA

being watched for your own safety. N e w York City, N.Y.*

by K r i s t i n e Miller • • •

(below) Surveillance Camera Players, God's Eyes Here on Earth, M a n n h e i m , G e r m a n y , 2 0 0 2 . *

Images courtesy Surveillance Camera Players

"You already have zero privacy. Get over it.

How to: It's easy. Sometime

during Wednesday, 11 September

2002, get in front of a surveillance camera and show it what you think!

Remember, few surveillance cameras pick up sound, so

you'll have to use gestures, pantomime, printed words and/or pictures to get your message(s) across. Don't be shy or afraid to demonstrate your feelings. Your confidence will inspire others. N e w challenges to public life provoke n e w forms of public art. Activist artists use art to draw o u r attention to specific social questions. O n e set of questions that has achieved special urgency of late involves our right to privacy. And o n e particular question has engaged an i n t e r n a t i o n a l g r o u p o f artists: W h a t should we do in response to being watched?

BE IWARE

T h e s e artists (e.g., Aktuelle C a m e r a in B r e m e n , G e r m a n y ; C a m e r a m a n t e in MedelKn, C o l o m b i a ; Fan C l u b in Hockley, England; the Lithuania Surveillance C a m e r a Players; the Surveillance C a m e r a Players in Tempe, Arizona; and the N e w

Others

hold

mock

religious services. P e r f o r m a n c e s

are

York Surveillance C a m e r a Players) use similar m e t h o d s to

orchestrated and are m e a n t to be replicated by o t h e r people

address the same issue in their own cities. W h a t they want you

and in o t h e r places. Websites post instructions o n starting a

to k n o w is that you are being watched. W h e t h e r you live in

g r o u p and suggestions for possible "plots" as well as copies of

Berlin, B i r m i n g h a m , or Barcelona, your public life is u n d e r

leaflets for p e r f o r m e r s to hand o u t w i t h i n f o r m a t i o n on the

scrutiny.Their audience is anyone w h o happens to pass by o n e

prevalence of surveillance in cities.

of their performances, which take place in parking lots, sidewalks, and parks but always in front of a security camera. T h e

T h a t prevalence has been d o c u m e n t e d in a recent report by

idea is that passers-by will first notice the activity, then the

the ACLU:"Bigger Monster, Weaker C h a i n s : T h e G r o w t h of an

actual camera and the performers' message.

American Surveillance Society."- 1 T h e report details the simultaneous increase in surveillance and decrease in surveillance

Surveillance camera performances vary. Some, like the SCPs in

regulation. It describes all m a n n e r of ways that private c o r p o -

N e w York and T e m p e , i n c l u d e m o c k T V n e w s broadcasts.

rations and public agencies secretly gather data on people's c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , transactions, and movements. An entire section is devoted to the proliferation o f surveillance cameras in streets and public spaces.

For m a n y Americans, the presence of security cameras in p u b lic and semipublic places—shopping malls, parking lots, cash m a c h i n e s — c o m e s as n o surprise. We d o n ' t give a s e c o n d t h o u g h t to the fact that s o m e o n e may be w a t c h i n g us try o n clothes in a d e p a r t m e n t store or pull out of a p a r k i n g ramp.

But the actual n u m b e r of cameras that record our m o v e m e n t s and behavior in public places may c o m e as a s h o c k . T h e N e w

33

York Civil Liberties U n i o n has developed a m a p of cameras in N e w York City. In o n e block of West 36th Street, ten cameras were spotted.

Americans are not alone in their less-than-private lives. T h e surveillance p h e n o m e n o n is international, b u t so is the surveillance p e r f o r m a n c e p h e n o m e n o n . O n S e p t e m b e r 7, 2001, a n d again o n S e p t e m b e r 11, 2 0 0 2 , a c o l l e c t i o n o f g r o u p s organized a day of p e r f o r m a n c e s in f r o n t o f surveillance c a m eras in public spaces a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . S o m e specific p e r -

Public Art Review . SPR.SUM.03

PROJECT

Surveillance Camera Players,

Map of cameras in Chelsea, New

It's OK, Officer, Manchester, U.K., 2001.

York City, N.Y., December, 2001

Image courtesy Surveillance

Image courtesy Surveillance

Camera Players

Camera Players

CHELSEA

Ltif.**aool

|SCt DCWIL

COUNT:

Bmsffis&memwi

©-WATCH owwet) CAMEOI ReSU>e*fi"tAL CAWeftA ®= WIPD TRArot cjwuaw ©= tiTy [mite OR fits peer} ®= FE0EU.L CrtW'T WM6RA Mitt. tMCROVJWe AHTEWHA "TOW-' * , itUuJCCb l>J WTA l

f o r m a n c e s have been staged in a variety of locations. T h e fol-

(You have been watching me) all day, everywhere I go

lowing script, with slight variations, was p e r f o r m e d in M a n -

Maybe you can help

chester, E n g l a n d , o n J u n e 12, 2 0 0 1 ; in L o n d o n , England,

W h o am I?

J u n e 15, 2 0 0 1 ; in M a n n h e i m , G e r m a n y , May 20, 2 0 0 2 ; in

W h a t is my name?

M u n i c h , Germany, May 22, 2002; and in N u r e m b e r g , G e r many, May 23, 2002.

5

In addition to their performances and websites, some groups offer n e i g h b o r h o o d c a m e r a - s p o t t i n g tours. But the A C L U

Five or six people, each carrying a board, walk in a line f r o m

report argues that surveillance cameras are just part of the pic-

o n e surveillance camera to a n o t h e r . W h e n t h e g r o u p is

ture and warns that the Pentagon's n e w "Total I n f o r m a t i o n

within a camera's field of vision, each person in turn stops,

Awareness" 6 project seeks to "tie together every facet of our

shows his or her board to the camera, and moves on. T h e n

private lives in one big surveillance s c h e m e . " T h e work of sur-

the g r o u p proceeds to the next camera. T h e boards carry the

veillance camera performers is not about giving us a glimpse

following statements:

of a dark future. R a t h e r , their message is that o u r fears of being "followed" are real.

It's O K , Officer Just going to work

Kristine Miller is an assistant professor in the Department of Landscape

Just getting s o m e t h i n g to eat

Architecture at the University of Minnesota.

Just g o i n g shopping

Notes:

Just sightseeing Going home now

4

34

A n o t h e r script, "Amnesia," is based on Australian artist Denis Beaubois' In the Event of Amnesia the City Will Recall, originally p e r f o r m e d in Sydney in 1996. It speaks to surveillance perf o r m e r s ' c o n c e r n about not only being watched but also the

1. Scott McNealy, CEO of Sun

3. The report can be viewed at

Microsystems. Quoted in Technology

www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfrn?

Review,"Big Brother Logs On" by

ID=l1573&c=39.

Ivan Amato, September 2001.

Downloaded January 11,2003 from

4. Written for the New York Sur-

sf.indymedia.org/news/2001/08/10

veillance Camera Players by Mon-

3459.php.

sieur le Art Toad.

5. www.notbored.org/amnesia.html

passivity with which we ourselves watch and the dangers of

2. From the SCP Call to Action for

such passivity. In " A m n e s i a " a p e r f o r m e r holds u p a series of

An International Day Against Video

signs to a surveillance camera:

Surveillance, www.notbored.org/

6. For more information, see the

1 ls02.html.

Department of Defense research site

I have amnesia

at www.darpa.mil/iao/TIASys-

You are watching m e

tems.htm.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

REPORT

WHAT IS A CULTURAL FACILITY? N E W CATHEDRAL IN LOS ANGELES Cathedral of Our Lady of the

by Mark J o h n s t o n e • • •

Angels, Los Angeles, Calif.

Photo courtesy the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

In J u n e 1996, following an international design competition,

In a CRA-LA d e v e l o p m e n t , the a g r e e m e n t identifies 1 percent

t h e R o m a n C a t h o l i c Archdiocese of Los Angeles c o m m i s -

of the d e v e l o p m e n t cost as a m i n i m u m r e q u i r e m e n t for p u b -

sioned Spanish Pritzker P r i z e - w i n n i n g architect Jose Kafael

lic art. U p to 60 percent of this a m o u n t is applicable towards

M o n e o to design the Cathedral of O u r Lady of the Angels. It

physical art at the d e v e l o p m e n t site, and the r e m a i n i n g 40 p e r -

would be the new d o w n t o w n seat for native Angeleno C a r d i -

c e n t requires a cash c o n t r i b u t i o n to a cultural trust f u n d ,

nal K o g e r M a h o n y and would replace Saint Vibiana's, a cul-

which is used for project commissions w i t h i n the area. T h e

tural landmark that had been closed since May 1995 d u e to

preliminary c o n s t r u c t i o n estimate for the cathedral p r o j e c t

damage sustained in the 1994 N o r t h r i d g e earthquake.

produced an art obligation of $1,137,130.

T h e Archdiocese selected a location abutting the H o l l y w o o d

U p o n award of the commission in 1996, M o n e o immediately

Freeway, on the periphery of the Los Angeles Civic C e n t e r

embarked on design development; construction c o m m e n c e d

and adjacent to the Music Center, which houses the D o r o t h y

in 1997, and Father R i c h a r d Vosko, a liturgical and public art

Pavilion, A h m a n s o n T h e a t r e , and M a r k Taper

consultant based in C l i f t o n , N e w York, was hired o n t o the

F o r u m . T h e c h o s e n site was a p a r k i n g lot o w n e d by the

project design team in m i d - 1 9 9 7 . Vosko prepared an art p r o -

C o u n t y of Los Angeles, and sale of the public property to the

g r a m , and after r e c e i v i n g approval f r o m C a r d i n a l

Chandler

Roger

Community

M a h o n y to use only local artists, he began collecting i n f o r m a -

R e d e v e l o p m e n t Agency of Los Angeles (CRA-LA) as broker

tion, visiting studios, and m e e t i n g with the Art and Furnish-

for the land.

ings S u b c o m m i t t e e in 1998.

Beginning around 1969, the CRA-LA required developers to

H o w e v e r , t h e CRA-LA p u b l i c art process did n o t p r o c e e d

A r c h d i o c e s e r e q u i r e d t r a n s f e r r i n g it to the

include public art in their developments. A CRA-LA arts policy

smoothly, despite

for three areas of d o w n t o w n was formalized in 1985, and a

A y a h l u s h i m H a m m o n d a n d P u b l i c Art P r o g r a m

the

best

efforts o f P r o j e c t

Manager

1993 revision m a d e it applicable to all City of Los Angeles

Mickey G u s t i n . T h e Archdiocese questioned the legal obliga-

redevelopment project areas. A stipulation in the 1993 policy

tion of the public art stipulation in the a g r e e m e n t and resisted

Director

allows full satisfaction of the public art requirement through

c o m p l y i n g w i t h the r e c o m m e n d e d artist selection process.

the creation of an approved cultural facility.

T h e crux of the problem was that the art policy approved the

REPORT

View from behind the altar in

(below) Mary Magdalen, detail of

cathedral interior, 2002.

finished tapestry, 2001.

Photo by John Nava

Photo by John Nava, 2001 Š

creation of "cultural facilities" to satisfy the public art obligation, but it did not define what constitutes a cultural facility.

T h e Archdiocese attempted to get a full exemption, prior to the creation of an art program. In January 1999, the Archdiocese s u b m i t t e d t w o letters to J o h n Molloy, t h e n h e a d administrator of the

CRA-LA,

which sought implicit approval

of the cathedral as a cultural facility and hence not subject to the public art requirement. T h e letters offered as evidence were from Reverend Monsignor Terrence Fleming, m o d e r a tor of the Curia and Vicar General, to " A1 Nodell, Art C o m missioner-President" [sic] (July 3, 1998), and the reply f r o m Adolfo Nodal, general manager of the City's Cultural Affairs 36

D e p a r t m e n t (September 2, 1998). Fleming's letter touted the historical involvement of architects and artists in the R o m a n Catholic C h u r c h , proposed a variety of ethnic-group activities at the n e w cathedral site, and concluded with a q u o t a tion

from

a

local

politician's

letter

describing

the

construction as a multiuse project that would anchor a proposed f o u r - b l o c k "cultural boulevard" e x t e n d i n g from the Music C e n t e r to the C e n t r a l Library and i n c l u d i n g the M u s e u m of C o n t e m p o r a r y Art and the C o l b u r n School of P e r f o r m i n g Arts. Nodal's reply a t t e m p t e d to describe the cathedral as a cultural facility, although avoiding any direct

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR.SUM 03

REPORT

(below) Robert Graham, overview and detail of doors to cathedral.

Photos by Stylianos Xenakes

definition of what is constituted by it. Nodal craftily omitted

M o n e o designed the cathedral to convey themes of j o u r n e y

information that had been supplied to h i m â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h a t a nontradi-

and light as b o t h physical and spiritual experiences. Visitors

tional arts entity gains status as a cultural institution on the

enter the southeast c o r n e r of the building f r o m the interior

basis of a history of practice, not promises.

plaza, rather than the center of the side f r o n t i n g the street.

C o n s t r u c t i o n at the site c o n t i n u e d unabated. A l t h o u g h the

T h e final b u d g e t for c o m m i s s i o n e d art in the p r o j e c t was

foundations for the house of worship had been laid in 1999,

reported as $6 million, divided b e t w e e n liturgical art (interior

Vosko was unable to present a conceptual art plan to the CRA-

house of worship) and exterior public art. T h e c o m p o n e n t s

LA D o w n t o w n Art and Design Advisory Panel until late 2000,

considered public art (fulfilling the r e q u i r e m e n t for 60 p e r -

and a final plan was presented in July 2001. T h e facility was

cent of the 1 - p e r c e n t assessment) are R o b e r t Graham's t w o

o p e n e d with a formal blessing and dedication ceremony on

massive bronze doors to the cathedral and Lita Albuquerque's

September 2, 2002.

Gateway Pool and Water Wall.

An energetic vigor suffuses the eleven-story (64,000 square

In J u n e 1998, Vosko contacted G r a h a m a b o u t s u b m i t t i n g a

feet) cathedral, w h i c h is c o n s t r u c t e d w i t h

adobe-colored

proposal for the doors, and he was commissioned in D e c e m -

architectural concrete. M o n e o set the cathedral at the west

ber 1 9 9 8 . T h e entrance is thirty feet square, and G r a h a m m a d e

side of the five-and-one-half-acre site, which is separated f r o m

the upper third into a t y m p a n u m . T h e r e m a i n i n g space was

the rectory (28,000 square feet) and a public conference c e n -

again p o r t i o n e d into thirds. Two doors (each fifteen feet high

ter (56,000 square feet) by a t w o - a n d - o n e - h a l f - a c r e o p e n

by five feet wide), covered with castings, are centered in t w o

plaza. A c o m p l e x , layered p a t t e r n of clerestory w i n d o w s â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

large unembellished o n e s . T h e u p p e r areas of the smaller doors

27,000 square feet of magnificent alabasterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;covers the north

are decorated with fifteen castings of historical interpretations

and south walls; however, they impart an odd perception to

of t h e Virgin M a r y f r o m i n d i g e n o u s p e o p l e s o f t h e N e w

the facade, as if it were a cloistered apartment building.

World that were colonized by the S p a n i s h . T h e lower areas are

REPORT

( b e l o w ) Lita Albuquerque, Gateway Pool and Water Wall.

Photo by Stylianos Xenakes

decorated with forty pre-Christian symbols, such as a C h u -

pool at the top of the wall, and in a slender moat encircling

mash c o n d o r and the 1 C h i n g . T h e massive assembly weighs

the fountain.

twenty-five tons and rotates on steel posts with a sophisticated Albuquerque's design is distinct and blends within the larger

hydraulic system.

architectural design, but it feels i n c o m p l e t e . U n d o u b t e d l y , T h e e i g h t - f o o t Virgin M a r y sculpture sited above the doors is

changes f r o m the approved design and a f u n d i n g shortfall

barefoot and bareheaded, and wears a simple, short-sleeved

w e r e b o t h c o n t r i b u t i n g factors. T h i s installation lacks t h e

g a r m e n t . A circular c u t o u t in the gold-leaf wall b e h i n d Mary

unifying elements that might create a transformative e x p e r i -

slightly curves over her, f o r m i n g a halo. Graham's design does

ence, in comparison to the strong emotive and spiritual qual-

n o t integrate into the cathedral architecture, but it is conspic-

ities in Albuquerque's o t h e r finished projects.

uous and s t u n n i n g in the otherwise slightly c o n f u s i n g exterior, and it causes visitors to pause. Entrance gates or doors are often simply o p e n e d flat against the wall and are of little design consequence. Graham's doors are typically left open at an angle, a n d dramatically m a r k a t h r e s h o l d b e t w e e n the

D u r i n g the term of f o r m e r Mayor R i c h a r d R i o r d a n (19932001), over $1 billion of construction was initiated in d o w n t o w n Los Angeles through only four projects: the renovation of historic City Hall, Staples C e n t e r (sports and e n t e r t a i n m e n t arena), the cathedral, and Disney C o n c e r t Hall (Frank

world of h u m a n s and the house of G o d .

G e h r y , architect; o p e n i n g O c t o b e r 2 0 0 3 ) . T h e haste that

38

In S e p t e m b e r 1998, Lita A l b u q u e r q u e was o n e of five artists

resulted f r o m politically e x p e d i t i n g the Staples C e n t e r and

invited by Vosko to propose a fountain design. She received

cathedral projects led to a l t e r i n g t h e public art r e v i e w

the commission in O c t o b e r and collaborated with architect

process, and the commissioned artists had n o o p p o r t u n i t y to

R o b e r t K r a m e r in the final design. Albuquerque's

integrate their work into the overall design.

Gateway

Pool and Water Wall is located inside the plaza gateway entrance, at the C o n v e n t i o n C e n t e r egress for u n d e r g r o u n d parking. Water flows over a waist-high circle of w h i t e m a r ble, w h i c h is covered w i t h the phrase "I am the living w a t e r " in the thirty-seven languages spoken in the A r c h d i o cese. T h e plaza area around the fountain has a star m a p of the constellations overhead, reflecting their position on the

T h e cathedral was never granted cultural facility status, and the experience has p r o m p t e d a revision of CRA-LA's public art policy. W h i l e not yet formalized, the draft definition is based on a facility being a nonprofit 501 (c)3, having public access, and h o u s i n g or s u p p o r t i n g arts activitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and not functions that are primarily religious, academic, or athletic in nature.

dedication night. T h e pool is set below the main plaza level

Mark Johnstone is the author of the book Contemporary Art in Southern Cali-

a n d slightly away f r o m the wall w i t h cascading

fornia, and coauthor (with Leslie Holzman) of Epicenterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;San Francisco Bay

water.

C h u n k s of blue glass are scattered t h r o u g h a short, shallow P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR.SUM 03

Area Art Now. He has worked as a public art liaison and curator.

REPORT

FORECAST UPDATE

by F O R E C A S T Staff • • •

Susan Fiene, Braided Streams, Sculpture 87, Navy Island,

St. Paul, Minn., 1987. ( b e l o w ) Lynn W a d s w o r t h , Five Dancers and A Horse, Indigenous

Minnesota

Sculpture, St. Paul, Minn., 1 9 8 5 .

"Artists seeking to challenge the hierarchical isolation of fine art, e m b o d i e d in the conservatism of the m u s e u m and the c o m m o d i f i c a t i o n of art by dealers and collectors, felt it necessary to engage audiences in the spaces and routines of their daily lives. In the U n i t e d States this democratizing impulse was e n c o u r a g e d by the C o m p r e h e n s i v e E m p l o y m e n t and Training Act (CETA), w h i c h f u n d e d a range of c o m m u n i t y based art projects d u r i n g the 1970s." This phrase, taken f r o m Grant Kester's article "Beyond the W h i t e Cube," sums up the spirit of the b e g i n n i n g of F O R E C A S T P u b l i c A r t w o r k s , w h i c h celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary later this year.

For a small organization, it sometimes comes as a shock to see o u r beginnings represented as h i s t o r y — t o o often we assume we are alone in our philosophies and structures. In 1977 Jack Becker served as the gallery director of " C i t y Arts P r o d u c tion," a CETA-sponsored program using the city of M i n n e a p o -

1980s, o r g a n i z i n g such m e m o r a b l e e x h i b i t i o n s and p u b l i c

lis as an art gallery. In 1978, at the end of the program, several

projects as Spontaneous Storefronts, Sculpture 87, and Indigenous

artists, including Becker, held a m e e t i n g for those interested in

Minnesota Sculpture. In 1986 F O R E C A S T reached a n e w level

an artist-run alternative space. A warehouse storefront became

by presenting its own n a t i o n w i d e t o u r i n g exhibit, Art of the

available in d o w n t o w n M i n n e a p o l i s and Forecast Gallery

Eye, "works that illustrate, highlight, or reflect an investigation

began, organizing successful multimedia (paintings, installa-

into the artist's visual i m p a i r m e n t . " T h i s show was notable n o t

tions, sculpture, film, video, music, dance, and more) exhibi-

only for the completeness of its presentation and for the high

tions. After its first year, in the face of Reagan-era arts f u n d i n g

quality of the works involved but also for spreading the word

cuts, rising rents, and dwindling foundation budgets, F O R E -

about F O R E C A S T the organization.

C A S T took to the streets and survived with a post office box

In 1989, F O R E C A S T established t h e t w o p r o g r a m s that

and a telephone, and began using different public venues, c o n -

w o u l d take the organization f r o m a presenter to an arts service

tinuing to present the same variety of media. F O R E C A S T

organization, guaranteeing a level of stability not previously

remained a kind of guerrilla art p r e s e n t e r — p o p p i n g u p in o n e

present. T h o s e p r o g r a m s w e r e this m a g a z i n e a n d

interesting u r b a n place after a n o t h e r t h r o u g h most of the

CAST'S grant program for e m e r g i n g M i n n e s o t a artists w h o

FORE-

REPORT

(below) Patricia Olson, The Dot Spot, part o f

Spontaneous

Marcia MacEachron, Out of the

Storefronts, St. Paul, Minn., 1987.

Woods. St. Paul, Minn., 2002

Photo by Rick Souther

w a n t to create public a r t â&#x20AC;&#x201D; P u b l i c Art Affairs. T h e essential focus on artists had not changed, but the means of supporting artists had. W h e r e F O R E C A S T once organized and participated in public projects, the organization n o w uses its e x p e r t ise to advise others on the c o m p l e t i o n of their own public works. This mission was a u g m e n t e d by the magazine, which was started to serve a g r o w i n g field of p u b l i c artists and administrators, w h o needed a clearinghouse for i n f o r m a t i o n and a source for writings on a complex and expanding field.

F O R E C A S T f o u n d that its years of e x p e r i e n c e developing and r u n n i n g many previous public art projects also translated into consulting services that other cities, organizations, c o m munities, and artists were willing to pay for, and these services b e c a m e the base of a n o t h e r p r o g r a m â&#x20AC;&#x201D; P u b l i c Art Services.

For the past five years F O R E C A S T has focused on improving the grant program and the magazine and consolidating our consulting services, occasionally s p o n s o r i n g public art in a more direct way. F O R E C A S T at twenty-five finds itself at a crossroads, with a small staff (Jack Becker, Paula Justich, and R e b e c c a Ryan) and many avenues to pursue. We w e l c o m e the pause our anniversary gives us, and reflect u p o n the changes that have taken place and are at hand, as F O R E C A S T faces a n o t h e r period of contracting arts funding. These changes and belt-tightenings allow us to focus on d e e p e n i n g the relationships we've built, strengthening our programs, and putting the f o u n d a t i o n s in place for n e w levels and areas of service to artists and communities, in preparation for the next t w e n t y five years of making history.

REVIEW

INSURGENT IMAGES THE A G I T P R O P MURALS OF MIKE ALEWITZ

by Betsy F a h l m a n • • •

Paul Buhle and Mike Alewitz

INSURGENT IMAGES

F o r e w o r d by Martin Sheen N e w York: Monthly Review Press, 2 0 0 2 150 pages, $27.95 (paper)

The Agitprop Murals of Mike Alewitz

T h e jacket b l u r b — M i k e Alewitz is the " m o s t prolific U.S. labor muralist since the 1 9 4 0 s " — i s n o t hype but

"Mike Alewitz's art has ghen eloquent nice to the aspirations of working people throughout the world.

His heroic figures and vibrant colors are powerful weapons in the hands of the oppressed."

-MARTIN SHEEN

truth.

G r o u n d e d in the traditions of the Mexican muralists, the WPA artists of the thirties, and the social and political activism of the sixties, Alewitz asserts t h a t " [ m ] u r a l painting is o n e of the best j o b s available under capitalism." T h e artist heads a mural p r o g r a m at C e n t r a l C o n n e c t i c u t State University in N e w Britain and continues to paint all over the world. In its twin aims of agitation and propaganda in order to excite public

By Paul Buhle & M i k e Aiewitz

opinion, his work exemplifies the essence of agitprop.

FOREWORD BY MARTIN SHEEN

Alewitz's is an art of advocacy, and his c o m m i t m e n t is to a broad spectrum of causes situated at the intersection of labor,

C o m m i t t e e . In his last chapter, "Visions of a Different Future,"

politics, and humanitarian concerns. His murals give visual

Alewitz asserts the o n g o i n g n e e d for challenging art within

voice to the w o r k i n g class, and in his imaging of historical and

the labor m o v e m e n t . A "Selected M u r a l o g r a p h y " lists seventy-

contemporary

leaders and events, he conveys a deeply

nine projects executed b e t w e e n 1983 and 2001. T h e b o o k is

g r o u n d e d resonance. As an artist of conscience w h o aims to

generously illustrated with m o r e than 3 0 0 images, m a n y in

make a difference, he creates art that functions not in rarified

vibrant color.This b o o k about a significant labor activist-artist

art circles but w i t h i n the lives of those for w h o m his murals

bristles with the galvanized c o m m i t m e n t and strong o p i n i o n

have been executed. Alewitz has not shrunk f r o m controversy,

of its admirable subject, w h o exemplifies in w o r d , deed, and

and w h e n his murals have b e e n destroyed, vandalized, or

image public art at its most essential.

rejected by those u n c o m f o r t a b l e with his views, he has m a d e t h e m portable, executing his artwork on posters and banners and as puppets. Solidarity and c o m m u n i t y are f u n d a m e n t a l

Betsy Fahlman is a professor of art at Arizona State University. She is writing a book on N e w Deal photography and culture in Arizona.

values to him, w h e t h e r he is painting in Nicaragua, Mexico, Iraq, N o r t h e r n Ireland, C h e r n o b y l , or the U n i t e d States. His deepest sympathies are w i t h oppressed w o r k e r s , m a n y of w h o m are m i n o r i t i e s , but rather than relying o n cliched images of diversity, he often paints androgynous p u r p l e p e o ple, injecting h u m o r while creating an "emblematic minority worker of ambiguous race and gender."

T h e b o o k , on w h i c h he collaborated w i t h labor historian Paul Buhle, is organized into an i n t r o d u c t i o n and five chapters.

Alewitz's paintings are contextualized w i t h i n a long history of radical art, and he argues t h a t " [ t ] h e reappearance of the mural marks the returning of painting from the m u s e u m to its p u b lic role in the h u m a n community." His radicalism dates f r o m w h e n he was a student militant at Kent State, w h e r e o n e of the four students shot in 1970 was a close friend. H e f o u n d

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41

himself once again at the center of controversy in 1986, w h e n his mural for meatpackers striking against H o r m e l in Austin, Minnesota, was sandblasted on orders of national u n i o n officials after the local dedicated it to N e l s o n Mandela. In the early 1990s, Alewitz b e c a m e involved in the Labor Art and Mural Project (LAMP) and the Labor Party's Cultural Workers

Phone:651-641-1128 Fax:651-641-0028 E-mail: publicartreview@visi.com Website: www.publicartreview.org

and Artists C a u c u s as part of the C u l t u r a l Workers Action

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR.SUM.03

RECENT

PROJECTS

T h e R e v o l v i n g M u s e u m in

Creative T i m e , in association

LADIES IN WAITING,.! sculptural

Lowell, Mass. presented WONDERS

w i t h the World Financial

installation by Karen R i c h

meaning o f the message.

OF THE WORLD IV: PLAY-LAND, w h i c h

C e n t e r Arts & Events Program,

Beall, was c o m m i s s i o n e d by the

T h e y were displayed o n two

o p e n e d February 14, 2 0 0 3 . T h e

produced SONIC GARDEN from

City o f Atlanta Department o f

Sunset Strip v i d e o billboards

e x h i b i t i o n was the first in a

O c t o b e r 17 through N o v e m b e r

Aviation Art Program. T h e

("jumbotrons") that air advertis-

series o f events planned for the

3 0 , 2 0 0 2 . Five N e w York

work is located in the Interna-

ing throughout the day. As part

spring and s u m m e r in Lowell. It

artists created sound installations

tional Terminal at Hartsfield

o f a plan developed in 1996,

included about 100 students

to w e l c o m e city residents back

Atlanta International Airport.

developers installing large-

from local schools as well as

to the reconstructed World

Inspired by a visit to the Atlanta

screen v i d e o billboards o n

artists from Lowell and sur-

Financial Center Winter

Botanical Gardens, R i c h Beall

Sunset Strip must include art

rounding Mass. c o m m u n i t i e s .

Garden after a year-long silence.

m o d e l e d the individual sculp-

programming in accordance

Many o f the artworks were

Laurie Anderson used h a r m o n -

tures after the species

w i t h the West H o l l y w o o d

interactive, including Luke

ics and undertones o f string

N e p e n t h e s , carnivorous plants

Urban Art Program.The

Jaeger's Wayback, a c o i n - o p e r -

instruments and electronics to

that have evolved to attract,

West H o l l y w o o d Fine Arts

ated animation m a c h i n e art

transform the space into a

trap, and digest insects and

C o m m i s s i o n rotates the pro-

installation; Kathleen Volp's

giant violin. David Byrne

small animals for nutritional

g r a m m i n g every four to six

Human Belli Toss; Jason Daniels'

recorded jokes told by Borscht

benefit. T h e arrangement o f the

months and works with

Video Clusters & Related

Belt comedians. Marina

bronze sculptures is intended to

various nonprofit arts organiza-

sions, an interactive virtual

R o s e n f e l d broadcast musical

evoke singing choruses and

tions to collect and curate

t o t e m p o l e using television

notes in the atrium that

clusters o f maidens,

digital and v i d e o artworks.

screens; and Karen Kroul's six-

m i m i c k e d the effect o f pebbles

[middle Photo courtesy Hartsfield

More information on LA

f o o t magnetic painting that

scattering over the water's

Atlanta International Airport]

could be manipulated by v i e w -

surface. B e n R u b i n broadcast

e r s . T h e R e v o l v i n g M u s e u m is

the shouts and calls o f c o m -

T h e West H o l l y w o o d Fine

an artist-run organization dedi-

modities traders at the N e w

Arts C o m m i s s i o n partnered

Urban Art Program Art o n

cated to public art projects,

York Mercantile Exchange.

with the LA Freewaves 2 0 0 2

the Outside, contact Alison

Expan-

issues o f unity, identity, and the

Freewaves and TV or Not

For information o n the

exhibitions, and educational

For m o r e information, visit

Festival to host TV OR NOT TV.

Maxwell at a m a x w e l l @

programs that provide collabo-

www.creativetime.org/

v i d e o and digital presentations

weho.org.

rative opportunities for artists,

sonicgarden.

youth, and c o m m u n i t y m e m -

TV

can be f o u n d at Freewaves.org.

that were displayed o n Sunset

[right Image designed by Joanne

Strip video billboards from

Shannahoff]

bers o f all backgrounds, ages,

N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 2 through

and abilities. M o r e information

February 2 0 0 3 . T h e project,

is available at w w w . r e v o l v i n g -

part o f the Commission's Art o n

museum.org.

the Outside program, featured

[left Human Ball Toss. Photo

works by five media artists;

courtesy the Revolving Museum]

Laurel B e c k m a n . T e d Fisher and Douglas M c C u l l o h . A n n Kaneko, and Eric Saks. Individual art works ranged from fifteen seconds to about o n e minute in length and explored

42

BAFFLE-BALL

10 Vf

RECENT

PROJECTS

CONVERTIBLES, a permanent, site-

THE ELECTRIC FIELDS Of CALIFORNIA by

to understand nature, our sur-

specific sculpture created for the

D e b b y and Larry Kline consists

roundings, and ourselves,"

city o f M e n l o Park, Calif., was

o f five installations stretching

according to the artists. T h e

c o m p l e t e d last fall by San Fran-

across California from the

work was installed last fall o n

cisco artist Brian G o g g i n and

U . S . / M e x i c o border to Sacra-

three walls o f a t w o - s t o r y

stonemason Michael Eckerman.

mento. A m b i e n t electrical fields

atrium in the N e a r S o u t h Trans-

T h e animated sculpture o f stone

beneath high-voltage p o w e r

fer Tunnel, c o n n e c t i n g adjacent

c o u c h e s appearing to sprout

lines illuminate

subway and elevated stations at

organically from the soil arches

bulbs w i t h direct electrical c o n -

R o o s e v e l t R o a d in the city's

t w e n t y - o n e feet high and is vis-

nections. T h e work addresses

South L o o p area. Hopes and

ible to people traveling on W i l -

responsible use o f electricity.

Dreams had extensive c o m m u -

l o w R o a d , a main artery to

Each site will be installed for six

nity involvement. M u c h o f the

ceiling o f the circulation area,

M e n l o Park. Constructed o f

months. An exhibition o f p h o -

mosaic consists o f m o r e than

and in an atrium. T h e three-part

stone, concrete, and steel, Con-

tographs o f the project ran at

4 , 0 0 0 clay tiles created by m e n ,

vertibles is the result o f over

T R E S Studio and Gallery in

w o m e n , and children during

three years in planning and c o n -

N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 2 . T h e project

w e e k e n d workshops held o n the

struction.The sculpture's gesture

was funded by the Gunk F o u n -

grounds o f the Field M u s e u m in

o f growth references the site's

dation in N e w York.

ILLUMINATA, a free-floating sculpture by Seattle-based artist Clark W i e g m a n , was installed in the Ruth A. Haas Library o f D a n bury 's Western C o n n e c t i c u t University in August 2 0 0 2 . T h e artwork was fabricated over three years and was installed by W i e g m a n , aided by assistants.

Individual pieces are suspended from the ceiling in the library entranceway, along the corridor

w o r k â&#x20AC;&#x201D; B o w l , River, and Leavesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is an attempt to pay h o m a g e to the library's natural setting, Danbury's history, and the pursuit o f k n o w l e d g e

agricultural roots and its e v o l u -

through research. In the pavil-

tion into an upscale residential

fluorescent

the s u m m e r o f 1999. W i t h CPAG artists providing guidance and

After three and a half years and

materials, participants carved images related to the six broad

ion, a spun-steel bowl, coated to

community. Convertibles was

setbacks involving design, loca-

look aged, hangs from the ceil-

sponsored by the M e n l o Park

tion, and construction costs,

themes o f Project M i l l e n n i u m , a

ing. Letters are cut into the

Arts C o m m i s s i o n . For more

C h i c a g o Mayor Richard M .

year-long city-sponsored initia-

b o w l and a light inside bathes

information about Brian G o g -

Daley along with transportation

tive: origins, transitions, n e w

the area underneath in letters

gin, visit w w w . m e t a p h o r m . o r g .

and cultural officials this past

directions, discovery and t e c h -

that e c h o the Rosetta stone,

For more information about

D e c e m b e r dedicated a large-

nology, environment, and shap-

with its parallel texts o f Egypt-

Michael Eckerman, visit

scale mosaic mural featuring the

ing c o m m u n i t y ,

ian hieroglyphics and Greek

www.eckermanstudios.com.

work o f thousands o f volunteers

[left Photo courtesy CPAG]

words. In the circulation area,

[middle Photo courtesy the artist]

in a n e w C h i c a g o Transit

1 2 - b y - l 8 - i n c h panels h u n g

Authority pedestrian tunnel,

above the main corridor display

signaling the agency's r e n e w e d

texts in 144 languages, math

c o m m i t m e n t to public art. HOPES

formulas, a stock market graph,

AND DREAMS, led by C h i c a g o P u b -

musical notes, and other

lic Art Group artists Juan Angel

illustrations. T h e c o m m i s s i o n

Chavez and C o r i n n e Peterson

for Illuminata c a m e through

and twelve assistants, is c o m -

the C o n n e c t i c u t C o u n c i l

posed o f m o r e than 1,800

for the Arts.

square feet o f handmade clay,

[left Photo courtesy the artist]

broken ceramic, and glass tiles shaped into images "symbolizing the constant h u m a n search

RECENT

PROJECTS

T h e y e a r - l o n g exhibition series

T w o recent works for children's

In D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 2 , M i a m i -

log o f Christopher C o l u m b u s

POINTS OF ENTRY launched its third

parks by Oakland, Calif, artist

D a d e Art in Public Places

w h e n he was in the waters

installation o n March 2. Flight,

Johanna Poethig drew sharply

c o m p l e t e d five public art

o f f the Bahamas. For The

by Ali.i Hasan-Khan, continues

different responses from their

installations for three terminals

Journey, Carolina Sardi used

through May 18 in the four

respective c o m m u n i t i e s .

at the Port o f Miami. D e b o r a h

steel rods that she bent, welded,

storefront w i n d o w s o f 97

DRAGONFLY, a ceramic-and-paint

Brown's installation features

and painted to construct line

Orchard Street o n the Lower

mural, is installed o n the e x t e -

t w e n t y - f o u r glass mosaic

drawings o f suitcases, sea

East Side o f N e w York City.

rior wall o f T u t u b i Park in San

roundels depicting wildlife o f

creatures, and islands that flow

Points of Entry is a partnership

Francisco's Minna Russ h o u s i n g

the Everglades and Biscayne

through the terminal's baggage

b e t w e e n the Lower Manhattan

development. Poethig worked

Bay. MIAMI ON THE WILD SIDE

claim areas. M i a m i - D a d e Art

Cultural C o u n c i l and the Lower

with Asian N e i g h b o r h o o d

draws o n south Florida's

in Public Places is funded by

East Side T e n e m e n t M u s e u m .

D e s i g n in planning public art

aquatic and avian creatures.

m o n e y representing 1.5

T h e series explores the signifi-

for the park.The mural, a fan-

T h e roundels, installed o n inte-

percent o f the construction

cance o f immigrant c o m m u n i -

tasy landscape o f dragonflies,

rior columns in the terminal,

cost o f c o u n t y buildings.

ties in N e w York City, their

represents regeneration.Tutubi

create the sense that the viewer

T h e Art Trust Fund is

experiences since September

Park w o n a Beautification

is peering out a porthole into

administered by an appointed

11, and broader immigration

Award from the city o f San

the natural world. C h i c a g o

citizen's board.

policies. Flight looks at contra-

Francisco. At Ted Fairfield Park

artist Karen Glaser's Aquascapes:

dictions surrounding the idea o f

o n the outskirts o f Dublin,

Miami Seaport Project spans a

America as a land o f o p p o r t u -

C a l i f . Poethig created BIRDWATCH,

2 2 6 - f o o t wall and includes

Mass., has recently c o m p l e t e d

nity for immigrants, in particu-

a ceramic mural that celebrates

sixteen large-scale black-and-

a large public artwork in the

lar the p o s t - S e p t e m b e r 11

the birds o f northern California.

w h i t e photographs o f marine

park adjoining the n e w

erosion o f civil liberties result-

A l t h o u g h the design process and

life that flow over a background

Invesco Field in Denver, Colo.

ing from h e i g h t e n e d concerns

c o m p e t i t i o n were o p e n and

o f crystalline blue water. T h e

PASS THROUGH THE LAND was e x e -

with "homeland security."The

proposals were o n v i e w at

effect is o f l o o k i n g through a

cuted m t w o stages. Phase

project reflects o n the specter o f

D u b l i n City Hall, the finished

glass-bottom boat. N i t i n

one, Mountainscape,

fear that has infused the ordi-

mural drew protests from s o m e

Jayaswal's Listening Benches are

structed in the s u m m e r o f

nary lives o f many Muslims dur-

area residents. Several people

concrete seating elements for

2 0 0 1 . It uses native Colorado

ing the last year and a half,

objected to the mural's style and

exterior areas. All Night Long,

stone to f o r m a labyrinth

[left Photo by Jason Mandella]

color, perceiving it to be out o f

We Heard Birds Passing, by

3 0 0 feet in diameter. T h e

character for the n e i g h b o r h o o d .

Miami artist Lydia R u b i o ,

outer ring is constructed o f

Supporters o f the artwork pre-

consists o f six paintings o n alu-

Colorado moss stone, a soft

vailed over its detractors,

m i n u m panels with text in

sandstone easily sculpted

[right Dragonfly.

reverse aluminum letters.

by the elements. A central

Photo courtesy the artist]

Integrating expansive views

ring is made up o f Zuni, a

o f sky with sculptural birds

blue-gray granite, w h i l e the

and text, the piece reflects

inner circle is f o r m e d o f

Catherine W i d g e r y o f Truro,

was c o n -

Rubio's exploration o f the

Colorado ruby stone. T h e

j o u r n e y as a path to transforma-

project's second phase, Aspen

tion, growth, and self-discovery.

Towers, was installed in

T h e title was taken from the

O c t o b e r and consists o f a

RECENT

grove o f five stainless-steel

Artists R o b e r l e y Bell, C o u r t n e y

PROJECTS

An expository website and a

Susan Kaprov recently c o m -

mesh sculptures. Each o f the

G r i m m , and Alison Slein collab-

series o f three public p e r f o r m -

pleted URBAN HELIX, an eight by

t w e n t y - e i g h t - f o o t towers

orated o n TRANS-IN-STORY, a transi-

ances o n N e w York City streets

fifty-four f o o t c o m m i s s i o n for

comprises t w o full silhouettes

tory public artwork created for

during the w e e k o f March 24,

the Polytechnic University at

and o n e half silhouette o f an

the B - l i n e bus in G e n e s e e

2 0 0 3 , constituted WHAT IS WHAT:

Metrotech C e n t e r in Brooklyn,

aspen tree. T h e "trunks" are

County, a rural farming c o m -

BILL SHANNON FROM STREET TO WEB. a

N.Y. Located in the entrance

six inches in diameter at the

munity in upstate N e w York

collaboration b e t w e e n artist Bill

lobby o f the University's n e w

base, diminishing to four

that is celebrating its b i c e n t e n -

Shannon and w e b designer Eric

academic w i n g , Urban Helix is a

inches near the "foliage."

nial year. T h e project attempts

Rosevear. Shannon, w h o is also

c o m p o s i t e o f images, patterns,

T h e "leaves" are discs o f vary-

to create a sense o f place in the

k n o w n as Crutchmaster,

and e n c o d e d messages inspired

ing thickness, w h i c h gives

bus by placing translucent

explores a variety o f art forms

by science and technology, and

each tree a different musical

images o n the w i n d o w s . Images

including dance, choreography,

is perhaps the largest work o f its

tone w h e n the w i n d rustles

include both contemporary and

street interventions, and writing.

kind to be fabricated in fired

through them. M o v e m e n t o f

historical photographs, a c c o m -

T h e March street performances

enamel o n tempered float glass.

the discs also changes the

panied by digitized handwriting

were a u g m e n t e d by streaming

D N A , buildings, robot humans,

aspens' color as the discs reflect

from sources obtained at the

video d o c u m e n t a t i o n o f the live

and n e o n atoms are a f e w o f the

various surfaces. T h e Invesco

local historical society. Images

interventions as well as past per-

images f o u n d in the work,

Field park was designed by

were o n display through the

formances. Shannon's p e r f o r m -

[right Photo courtesy the artist]

landscape artists at Civitas,

winter o f 2 0 0 3 . T h e project was

ance style integrates his crutches

Inc. Aspen Towers was fabricated

funded in part by the N e w York

and facial expressions drawn

H e n d e r s o n , N . C . is the site for

by Les Aciers Formatech o f

State C o u n c i l o n the Arts,

from silent films and is influ-

a spring exhibition called SHOW

Montreal and installed by

[middle Photo courtesy the artist]

e n c e d by his background in

ME THE SCULPTURE. Five projects

urban dance and as a street

will incorporate sculpture o n

T o m Otterness' FREE MONEY will

skater in his native city o f Pitts-

d o w n t o w n walkways, by build-

be o n v i e w through April 13,

b u r g h . T h e street performances

ings, o n nature trails, and in gal-

2 0 0 3 , o n Park Avenue and 57th

featured what Shannon calls an

leries. From May 27-July 19, the

Street in N e w York City. T h e

"untrained street aesthetic" that

work o f British environmental

n i n e - f o o t bronze sculpture

draws o n "conflicted kinetic

sculptor and land artist David

depicts a couple dancing atop a

imagery" (e.g., spinning d o w n a

Nash will be featured in the gal-

large bag o f money, designated

flight o f stairs o n crutches). In

leries o f the C e n t e r for Craft,

w i t h a dollar sign. Otterness

each intervention. Shannon

Creativity and D e s i g n . Wood

has eight permanent installa-

posed questions to his incidental

Qiiarrj'-The

tions in various parts o f N e w

audience with ambiguous

display o f n e w work created by

York City, including R o o s e v e l t

actions, creating a temporal

Nash during an April residency

Island. R o c k e f e l l e r Park,

space where chance pedestrians

at the Penland S c h o o l o f Craft.

Metrotech C e n t e r , T i m e s

could encounter, engage in, or

T h e exhibit will feature the

Square, and the N t h Street/

dismiss his site-specific presence.

large drawings Nash uses to

8th Avenue subway station.

Rosevear's website is

envision the shape o f a sculp-

Hackett and Associates, [left Photo courtesy the artist]

www.whatiswhat.com.

Creative Process is a

ture. O n April 27. Asheville sculptor Harry McDaniel's Fiddleheads will tie dedicated as the

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR.SUM. 03

ARTIST

OPPORTUNITIES

first public artwork o n the

T h e Iowa D e p a r t m e n t o f T r a n s -

with a fetus painted o n the

Perry N . R u d n i c k Nature Trail,

portation has o p e n e d six n e w

s t o m a c h displayed at the

tura G o l f C o u r s e will be

part o f the UNC-Asheville Kel-

w e l c o m e center/rest areas that

N e w Museum of Contempo-

awarded a $ 2 8 , 0 0 0 planning

l o g g Center. Fidcileheads is an

incorporate public art. Each

rary Art, Lutz d e v e l o p e d the

and design contract to w o r k

environmental art installation o f

center is built around a particu-

m o b i l e version o f the work

w i t h the c o m m u n i t y and

seven abstract sculptures o f c o l -

lar t h e m e : education, the

in order to reach a m o r e

design team. An additional

ored reinforced concrete e v o k -

U n d e r g r o u n d Railroad, the

diverse audience.

$ 1 1 9 , 0 0 0 has b e e n identified

i n g the image o f ferns o p e n i n g

Mississippi River, Lewis and

for i m p l e m e n t i n g the public art

in spring. O n June 7, Take a Seal

Clark, and so o n . T h e projects

[right Photo by Rise Cale] • • •

will be d e d i c a t e d . T h r e e

relied o n percent-for-art funds.

c o m p o n e n t o f this project. T h e selected artist or artist team for

b e n c h e s were designed for the

Artworks include murals,

nature trail by U N C - A s h e v i l l e

b e n c h e s in the shape o f canoes,

tine art students. J. R o b e r t s cre-

and various sculptures.The

ated a ceramic-tile b e n c h ,

project has w o n several awards,

R o b i n L.Van Valkenburgh fash-

i n c l u d i n g the Iowa Chapter o f

T h e City ofVentura is l o o k i n g

design team. An additional

i o n e d a cypress seat over a

the A m e r i c a n S o c i e t y o f Civil

to c o m m i s s i o n t w o artists or

$ 1 1 2 , 0 0 0 has b e e n identified

curved metal base, and Sean

Engineers O u t s t a n d i n g Civil

artist teams to develop public

for the i m p l e m e n t i n g o f the

Pace designed a m e t a l - c a n -

E n g i n e e r i n g Project A c h i e v e -

art for t w o n e w projects: the

public art c o m p o n e n t o f this

tilevered seat under a sculptural

m e n t and the First Place Grand

renovation o f the Buenaventura

project. T h e criteria used by the

f o r m that catches rainwater to

C o n c e p t o r Award from the

G o l f C o u r s e and the Olivas

selection panel will include: the

till a b i r d b a t h . T h e sculpture

American Council o f Engineer-

Park G o l f Course. T h e plan-

artist's professional qualifica-

e x h i b i t i o n is sponsored by the

ing c o m p a n i e s o f Iowa,

ning, design, and construction

tions; proven ability to u n d e r -

H e n d e r s o n C o u n t y Arts C o u n -

[middle Image courtesy Amber

o f these major projects will

take projects o f a similar scope;

cil and the C e n t e r for Craft,

Tiarks Boddy Media]

offer many opportunities to

artistic merit as e v i d e n c e d by

integrate public art into the

the submitted materials; and

the Olivas Park G o l f C o u r s e

Creativity and D e s i g n .

ARTIST O P P O R T U N I T I E S April

will be awarded a $ 2 8 , 0 0 0 planning and design contract to w o r k w i t h the c o m m u n i t y and

|left Fiddleheads. Photo courtesy

O n March 2 0 , Creative T i m e

planned improvements in

demonstrated ability to w o r k

the Center for Craft, Creativity

presented THE PEACE PIECE by

renovating these t w o c h a m p i -

w i t h g o v e r n m e n t agencies,

& Design]

c o s t u m e designer and artist

onship, e i g h t e e n - h o l e , par 7 2

engineers, design professionals,

Adelle Lutz. C o n s i s t i n g o f

g o l f courses w i t h o c e a n breezes

and the c o m m u n i t y in the cre-

w o m e n w e a r i n g hand-painted

along the Santa Clara River.

ation o f an art project. T h e

black burkhas, performances

T h e selected artists or teams

deadline is April 25. T h e proj-

t o o k place at a variety o f sites

will develop e n h a n c e m e n t s as

ect is o p e n to artists living in

t h r o u g h o u t N e w York City,

m e m b e r s o f the projects' design

California.For m o r e i n f o r m a -

i n c l u d i n g the Grand Central

teams. T h e selected artists or

tion, i n c l u d i n g a c o m p l e t e

Terminal and R o c k e f e l l e r

teams will participate in c o m -

prospectus, contact Kerry

Center. The Peace Piece o r i g i -

m u n i t y workshops during the

Adams at City o f V e n t u r a

nated several m o n t h s ago in

design process. Fabrication

Public Art Program, Cultural

reponse to the o n g o i n g situa-

oversight o f the designed public

Affairs Division, G o l f C o u r s e

tion in Afghanstan. Orginally

art elements will also b e a

Projects, 501 Poli Street,

part o f the Burklia/Womb,

c o m p o n e n t o f the scope o f

R o o m 2 2 6 , PO B o x 99, Ventura,

services. T h e selected artist or

CA 9 3 0 0 2 - 0 0 9 9 .

a

sculpture o f a velvet burkha

46

artist team for the B u e n a v e n -

NEWS

BRIEFS

T h e R e g i o n a l Arts & Culture

in the U n i t e d States. T h e

o f art, from interior artwork

C o u n c i l (RACC) in Portland,

deadline for n o m i n a t i o n s is

to large-scale o u t d o o r pieces.

d u r i n g February 2 0 0 5 , after

O r e g . , invites artists/teams from

May 1. N o m i n a t i o n s are

Interested artists can visit the

w h i c h the 7 , 5 0 0 gates will b e

the U n i t e d States and Canada

a c c e p t e d o n l i n e at the NEA

n e w website at w w w . f l o r i d a -

r e m o v e d and the materials

to s u b m i t qualification for a

website, h t t p : / / w w w . a r t s . g o v /

arts.org. For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n ,

recycled. T h e entire p r o j e c t —

public art project at t h e M u l t -

honors/medals/nomination/

c o n t a c t the program a d m i n i s -

i n c l u d i n g materials, installation,

n o m a h C o u n t y Headquarters,

index.html.

trator: Lee M o d i c a , Art in

removal, and i n s u r a n c e — w i l l

State Buildings Program,

be paid for by the artists

D i v i s i o n o f Cultural Affairs,

t h r o u g h the CVJ C o r p o r a t i o n .

5 0 1 SE H a w t h o r n e Blvd. in Portland. T h e art b u d g e t is S I 0 5 , 0 0 0 i n c l u d i n g fabrication and installation. T h e deadline is April 2 5 . For details, visit RACCS website at w w w . r a c c . o r g or contact Peggy K e n d e l l e n , email: p k e n d e l l e n @ r a c c . o r g ; tel: 5 0 3 - 8 2 3 - 4 1 9 6 .

A n artist will be selected to create a site-specific public art c o m p o n e n t for the Live O a k Public Library, Santa Cruz County. Construction will b e g i n in 2 0 0 4 . T h e b u d g e t for the public art c o m p o n e n t is approximately $ 7 0 , 0 0 0 .

Proposals for this project may

May

incorporate or e n h a n c e o n e or m o r e o f the e l e m e n t s

A d m i n i s t e r e d by the National E n d o w m e n t for the Arts, the N a t i o n a l Medal o f Arts is the highest award g i v e n to artists and arts patrons by the g o v e r n m e n t o f the U n i t e d States.

T h e award is g i v e n by the president to individuals or groups w h o , in his j u d g m e n t , "are d e s e r v i n g o f special r e c o g n i t i o n by reason o f their outstanding c o n t r i b u t i o n s to the e x c e l l e n c e , g r o w t h , support, and availability o f the arts in the U n i t e d States." T h e award is n o t limited to a single field or area o f artistic endeavor but is instead d e s i g n e d to h o n o r e x e m p l a r y individuals and organizations that have e n c o u r -

1001 D e S o t o Park D r i v e , In o t h e r d e v e l o p m e n t s in N e w

Tallahassee, FL 3 2 3 0 1 ; tel: 8 5 0 - 2 4 5 - 6 4 7 6 ; fax: 8 5 0 - 2 4 5 6 4 9 2 ; email: l m o d i c a @ m a i l .

w i n d screen,

dos.state.fi.us. All future Florida calls and publications

T h o s e w i t h o u t Internet access s h o u l d request a d o w n l o a d and p r i n t o u t from their local

e l e m e n t that the artist c h o o s e s to incorporate i n t o his or her plan. Artists may also c h o o s e to create a u n i q u e , free-standing, site-specific piece. T h e deadline is M a y 1. For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , contact Barry C. Samuel, Director, Santa C r u z C o u n t y D e p a r t m e n t o f Parks,

design i n c l u d e a 1 , 7 7 6 - f o o t spire s u r r o u n d e d by o f f i c e

the slurry wall that holds the H u d s o n R i v e r back

N E W S BRIEFS

from

the site. M u c h has b e e n s p e c u -

signage, bike racks, etc. In this

funds allocated for the specific

e l e m e n t s o f the Libeskind

level m e m o r i a l park, featuring

• • •

d r i n k i n g fountains, b e n c h e s ,

w o u l d b e a u g m e n t e d by the

firm to rebuild the W o r l d

buildings and a b e l o w - s t r e e t reference librarian.

streetscape, w i n d o w treatments,

the public art c o m p o n e n t

h e a d e d by D a n i e l Libeskind,

Trade C e n t e r site. T h e main

will b e w e b - b a s e d only.

flooring,

case, the funds b u d g e t e d for

York City, S t u d i o Libeskind,

was c h o s e n as t h e architecture

planned for the library, such as paving, walls, light fixtures, a

will remain for s i x t e e n days

lated a b o u t the process, and O n January 22, 2 0 0 3 , N e w York C i t y M a y o r M i c h a e l B l o o m b e r g a n n o u n c e d that the city has g i v e n p e r m i s s i o n to N e w York artists C h r i s t o and

m u c h is still in d o u b t , i n c l u d i n g the project f u n d i n g . Will the final result actually l o o k like w h a t was proposed? A m e m o rial design for the site has n o t

J e a n n e - C l a u d e to realize their temporary w o r k o f art The Gates, Central Park, York, 1979-2005.

yet b e e n c h o s e n .

New

The 7,500

gates, sixteen feet high and varying in w i d t h f r o m six to

• • • EXHIBITIONS

e i g h t e e n feet, will b e spaced at

THE CITY, THE GAP AND THE

ten to

REGULATIONS, is a manifestation

fifteen-foot

intervals

a l o n g the edges o f walkways

that will e x p l o r e c o n t e m p o r a r y

in Central Park. F r e e - h a n g i n g

urban p l a n n i n g and will

offered inspiration to others

saffron-colored fabric panels

i n c l u d e presentations by thirty

t h r o u g h their distinguished

suspended from the horizontal

design students in the S t r o o m

bar o f each gate will c o m e

e x h i b i t i o n space o f T h e H a g u e

aged the arts in A m e r i c a and

a c h i e v e m e n t , support, or

O p e n Space, and Cultural Services; tel: 8 1 3 - 4 5 4 - 7 9 0 0 .

Summer

patronage. Citizens across the

Florida's Art in State Buildings

d o w n to approximately seven

in T h e N e t h e r l a n d s . T h e s t u -

U n i t e d States are invited to

Program a n n o u n c e s its n e w

feet above the ground. T h e

dents, w h o spent a w e e k w o r k -

participate in the n o m i n a t i o n

S p r i n g / S u m m e r 2 0 0 3 Call to

poles s u p p o r t i n g the panels

ing, living, and s t u d y i n g in

process. N o m i n e e s must be

Artists, c o n t a i n i n g descriptions

will b e secured by 1 5 , 0 0 0 steel

Transvaal, will present their

living U.S. citizens or p e r m a -

o f f o u r t e e n n e w public art

footings weighing 600 pounds

work simultaneously w i t h the

n e n t residents w h o have tiled

projects w i t h submission d e a d -

each, p o s i t i o n e d o n paved

s h o w i n g o f results f r o m a

for naturalization and are e l i g i -

lines in May, June, July, and

surfaces, so the gates will

D u t c h design w o r k s h o p held in

ble to b e c o m e U.S. citizens.

A u g u s t o f 2 0 0 3 . Project art

require n o holes in the g r o u n d .

B e l g r a d e in 2 0 0 1 . B o t h w o r k -

P o s t h u m o u s n o m i n a t i o n s are

budgets range f r o m $ 1 , 5 0 0 to

Installation o f t h e gates is

shops are directed by W i m

n o t accepted. In addition,

$ 8 5 , 0 0 0 , and the various art

e x p e c t e d to take five days.

Cuyvers.The Stroom exhibi-

n o m i n a t e d organizations must

s e l e c t i o n c o m m i t t e e s are

T h e fabric panels will b e

t i o n o p e n e d February 14 and

be established or i n c o r p o r a t e d

searching for a w i d e variety

installed in o n e day. The

Gates

47

runs t h r o u g h April 2 6 .

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR.SUM.03

EXHIBITIONS/CONFERENCES

C o n t e m p o r a r y public art

Approximately twenty works

o f Wheatfield—A

returns to the recently restored

by sculptor Beverly Pepper

Battery Park Landfill,

C i t y Hall Park for the first time

were featured in an exhibition

Manhattan

since 1992 in a retrospective

at Marlborough Gallery in

w h e a t planted and harvested in

matter in N e w York City,

celebrating ten years o f Public

N e w York City in February

the s u m m e r o f 1982.

and the designers responded as

Art Fund projects at Metro Tech

2 0 0 3 . MARKERS: 1980-2002 marked

Center. METROSPECTIVE. presented

Pepper's return to bronze

in lower Manhattan's most

after w o r k i n g w i t h a variety

central public park, revisits six

o f other materials earlier

works that were first e x h i b i t e d

in her career. In the 1960s

as part o f the contemporary

and 70s, Pepper w o r k e d in

art program at Metro Tech

C o r - T e n and stainless steel.

Center, the commercial and

In 1981 she was invited to

educational hub located just

e x p e r i m e n t at the John

over the B r o o k l y n Bridge in

D e e r e foundry with what was

d o w n t o w n Brooklyn. T h e

then a relatively n e w mate-

exhibition, w h i c h runs from

rial—cast ductile iron, w h i c h

January 29-July 1, 2 0 0 3 , pro-

she pioneered as an artistic

vides a n e w v e n u e for six

m e d i u m . H e r investigations

Metro Tech commissions. 9 to 5

led to a series o f totemic

(1996) by Walter Martin and Paloma M u n o z is installed o n t w o o f the park's trees and consists o f bronze pears that appear to e m e r g e from faucets

Monument

(2000), a tiny figure stands at

precipice far above the viewer's head. Brian Tolle's Witch

Catcher

(1997) is a large-scale installation depicting the architectural vestiges o f a seventeenthcentury N e w England h o m e .

Art D o m a n t a y s w i d e - r a n g i n g sculptural work has frequently involved witty recreations o f m u n d a n e objects, altered to a

NEW VIEWS ON FAVORITE PLACES is

April 3 0 at the Urban Center Galleries in N e w York, N.Y. W h e n Place Matters, an

innovative ways to mark historical and cultural places that

said Steve Zeitlin, codirector o f Place Matters. "We h o p e these designs will o n e day b e c o m e on-site place-markers in c o m m u n i t i e s throughout the City." T h e National E n d o w -

initiative o f City Lore and

N e w York, held a design c o m p e t i t i o n for Marking Places that Matter last year; architects, artists, and graphic designers submitted ideas for innovative

m e n t for the Arts and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation funded Marking Places that Matter. For more information contact Marci Reaven, codirector, Place Matters and City Lore; tel: 2 1 2 - 5 2 9 - 1 9 5 5 ;

place markers. T h e eight

Markers,

w i n n i n g designs, w h i c h offer n e w views o n places that

their creative flair, feasibility,

Sentinels, and the current Sentinel Markers. Pepper has

ability to engage the public, and sensitivity to c o m m u n i t y -

public sites to create a variety o f environmental works, both

email: mreaven@citylore.org; or Linda Miller, director o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n s and

matter, were chosen for

Manhattan

based histories. O n exhibit is

marketing, Municipal Art Society; tel: 2 1 2 - 9 3 5 - 3 9 6 0 ; email: lmiller@mas.org.

• • •

Aaron Krachs Stories that Matter, a cell phone-accessed

CONFERENCES

tour o f dramatic m o m e n t s in

Europe. Currently she is

the history o f Italian G r e e n -

w o r k i n g o n a sixty-foot

w i c h Village; David Provan's

fountain set in a public garden o f her o w n design in Terni, Italy, as well as t w o sculpture-as-theater pieces for a private sculpture garden

Historic Overlay, a sculptural

Klem/Bogan's CBGB:

Hard

Work and Hard Play on the Bowery, a site-specific marker

near Sienna, Italy and in

with iconic inlaid artifacts that

Vilnius, Lithuania.

MEASURING UP: DEFINING SUCCESS IN PUBLIC ART is the 2 0 0 3 Public Art N e t w o r k preconfere n c e to the Americans for

w i n d o w o n t o the past;

tell the story o f the legendary T h e Samek Art Gallery in

rock club; Adam Lubinsky and

surreal and o f t e n h u m o r o u s

Lewisburg, Penn., presents

Gary Stoltz's Urban Vessels, a

effect. Balsa Wood

AGNES DENES: PROJECTS FOR PUBLIC

c o m m u n i t y - w i d e marking

Airplane:

plaque. We h o p e d to discover

creatively as w e expected,"

the Municipal Art Society o f

in the U n i t e d States and

the edge o f a daunting

(1982), 1.8 acres o f

o n v i e w March 2 0 through

worked extensively with

and drop into buckets. In Peter Rostovsky's

Moline Markers,

Downtown

MARKING PLACES THAT MATTER:

sculptures, w h i c h she called markers: the Umbrian

Confrontation:

the Arts main conference.

Key speakers, study sessions, case studies, and the year in review will all take place June 5 - 6 , 2 0 0 3 in Portland, Oreg. Join colleagues to learn and discuss the elements that define success in the field.

The Land That Time Forgot

SPACES from January 26-April 6,

network; Miriam Berman and

ARTREPRENEUR: THE NEW ARTS LEADER

(2001) takes the familiar object

2 0 0 3 . T h e retrospective

Melinda Hunt's Going Your Way

is the title for the 2 0 0 3 Annual

and expands it to fifteen feet in

exhibit includes

to Places that Matter, special

C o n v e n t i o n o f Americans for

length. Ken Landauer's Picnic

Fort-Masterplan:

Place Matters Metrocards, maps

the Arts, June 7 - 9 in Portland,

Table (1996) is another super-

landse Waterline (2000), a design

and guides; Richard Deon's

Oreg. T h e conference is for arts

sized version o f a familiar

for a fortress made o f glass;

illustrated street signage;

administrators, board members,

object, w h i l e D o - H o - S u h turns

an architectural rendering o f

normaldesign's NYCL,

the traditional m o n u m e n t

Tree Mountain—A

street side postcard dispensers;

officials, and artists. Three pre-

Crystal Nieuwe

Hol-

Living Time

new

funders, arts advocates, public

upside d o w n with his small-

Capsule,

Marc N o r m a n and Jonathan

conference sessions will be

scale maquette for Public Figures

Trees, 400 Years ( 1 9 9 2 - 9 6 ) ,

Massey's Fantastic 3-D

offered: Cultural Citizens: T h e

(1998). For m o r e information

w h i c h was constructed in the

"Plaques d o serve a purpose,

call 2 1 2 - 9 8 0 - 4 5 7 5 ; website:

Pinsio gravel pits in Ylojarvi,

but the mandate o f this c o m p e -

Measuring Up: D e f i n i n g

www.publicartfund.org.

Finland; and a photograph

tition was to think beyond the

Success in Public Art, and

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPR. SUM. 03

11,000

People,

11,000

Viewers.

Emerging Arts Leadership,

PUBLICATIONS

and technicians. As n o t e d

T h e Sea C h a n g e in U n i t e d

nity art projects that involved

c o m m e n t a r y and selected

Arts Fundraising. For registra-

members o f the c o m m u n i t y

images. Included are such

by editor Yngvason, little

tion, scholarship, and program

where the particular artwork

notables as Squeak Carnwath,

attention has b e e n paid to

information call 2 0 2 - 3 7 1 - 2 8 3 0 ;

was to be located. In addition

Bruce C o n n e r , Viola Frey,

preserving c o n t e m p o r a r y

website: w w w . A m e r i c a n s F o r

to photographs and descriptions

Guillermo Gomez-Pena,

public art. T h e c o n f e r e n c e was

TheArts.org; e-mail:

o f the state's public art projects,

Todd H i d o , David Ireland,

an attempt to address several

events@artsusa.org.

the b o o k includes a brief

Paul Kos, H u n g Liu, T o m

questions that arise w i t h partic-

history o f N o r t h Carolina's

Marioni, and Catherine

ular urgency in regard to

public art program.

Wagner. T h e b o o k attempts to

contemporary, as o p p o s e d to

capture the originality and

traditional, public art: W h a t is

As part o f the 2 0 0 3 Boston Cyberarts Festival, a two-day conference o n digital and

ECOVENTION: CURRENT ART TO

interactive public art will be

TRANSFORM ECOLOGIES by Sue

held April 2 6 - 2 7 , 2 0 0 3 at sev-

Spaid (Cincinnati: C o n t e m p o -

eral locations in B o s t o n and

rary Arts Center, 2 0 0 2 , price

Cambridge. DIGITAL ART AND

not available, paper).This is

individualism that has c o m e

the place o f material e x p e r i -

to be associated with San

mentation in c o n t e m p o r a r y

Francisco and environs. It

public art? W h a t counts as

includes over 2 5 0 color images.

" p e r m a n e n c e " in e v e r - c h a n g i n g public space? W h o has the

PUBLIC SPACE: EXPANDING DEFINITIONS

the exhibition catalogue o f the

SCULPTURE IN PUCE: A CAMPUS AS SITE

OF PUBLIC ART is the product

E c o v e n t i o n held in the s u m m e r

by Sarah Clark-Langager

o f a collaboration a m o n g the

o f 2 0 0 2 at the C o n t e m p o r a r y

(Bellingham, Wash., 2 0 0 2 ,

UrbanArts Institute at Massa-

Arts Center in Cincinnati.

$ 2 9 . 9 5 cloth). Western Wash-

chusetts C o l l e g e o f Art,

T h e exhibition was curated by

ington University's O u t d o o r

Boston University, Harvard

A m y Lipton and Sue Spaid.

Sculpture Garden is almost

University Art Museums, and

T h e author describes e c o v e n -

fifty years old. Clark-Langager

Boston Cyberarts. Sessions

tion (ecology + invention) as

profiles t w o d o z e n o f the

will take place at lecture

"an artist-initiated project

artists w h o s e work is displayed

facilities, b e h i n d - t h e - s c e n e s

that employs an inventive

there. Until 1970, the c o m m i s -

spaces at university art m u s e -

strategy to physically transform

sioning process at Western

ums, supercomputer centers,

a local ecology." O t h e r

was largely controlled by

and various sites o f cultural

terms that have been used to

architects, most o f w h o s e

and technological innovation.

describe this genre include

selections were fairly conserva-

right to decide what will be preserved for prosperity?

T h e t w e n t y - f i v e essays include several case studies o f restoration projects, including Tlie Great Wall of Los Angeles; R o b e r t Morris's untitled earthwork (1979) in a K i n g County, Wash, gravel pit; Martin Puryear's Pavilion in the Trees (1993) in Fairmount Park. Philadelphia; and Alison W i l d i n g s Ambit

(1999)

in Sunderland, U K .

As part o f the conference,

land art, environmental art,

tive. Since 1970, however,

several temporary digital

earthwork, and ecological art.

commissions have b e e n deter-

PHILADELPHIA MURALS AND THE

public art projects will be

T h e m o v e m e n t is generally

m i n e d by an art c o m m i t t e e ,

STORIES THEY TELL by Jane

sited around Boston and C a m -

considered to have b e g u n with

w h i c h has resulted in a more

G o l d e n . R o b i n R i c e , and

bridge. For further information,

Herbert Bayers 1955 grass

diverse collection. For the

M o n i c a Yant Kinney w i t h

call 6 1 7 - 5 2 4 - 8 4 9 5 or visit

mound in Aspen, Colorado.

past thirty years, artists also

photography by David Graham

www.bostoncyberarts.org.

T h e b o o k has sections o n

have b e e n free to select their

and Jack R a m s d a l e (Philadel-

brownfields, biodiversity,

o w n site or c o n t e x t for their

phia: T e m p l e University Press,

reclamation and restoration,

works, w h i c h are located all

2002, $29.50, cloth).This

and urban infrastructure.

throughout the campus. T h e

b o o k profiles the Philadelphia

An online version o f the

b o o k includes the author's

Mural Arts Program, its

CREATING PUCE: NORTH CAROLINA'S

catalogue is available at

descriptions, artist statements,

b e g i n n i n g s as an Anti-Graffiti

ARTWORKS FOR STATE BUILDINGS

www.greenmuseum.org/

and 102 illustrations.

essays by Jeffrey J.York and

c/ecovention/.

•

•

•

PUBLICATIONS

Linda Johnson Dougherty,

N e t w o r k program, and its founder, Jane G o l d e n . Full-

CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF

color photographs, text

EPICENTER: SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA ART

CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC ART

descriptions and stories, a map,

R e g a n (Raleigh, 2 0 0 2 , price

NOW by Mark Johnstone

edited by Hafthor Y n g v a s o n

profiles o f ten mural artists,

not available, paper).The

and Leslie A b o u d H o l z m a n

(Cambridge: Archetype, 2 0 0 2 ,

and stories from the youth

s i x t y - o n e works o f art d o c u -

(San Francisco, 2 0 0 2 , $40,

price not available, paper).

participants c o m e together

mented here were created for

c l o t h ) . T h i s b o o k showcases the

This b o o k collects papers

to create a u n i q u e history

N o r t h Carolina's state buildings

work ot nearly fifty prominent

given at a c o n f e r e n c e hosted

and guide to an influential

b e t w e e n 1982 and 2 0 0 0 .

and e m e r g i n g artists in the

by the C a m b r i d g e Arts C o u n c i l

mural program.

Included are murals, sculpture,

San Francisco Bay area. Each

from O c t o b e r 2 6 - 2 8 , 2 0 0 1 ,

with introduction by Mary B.

architectural embellishment,

profile includes a short biogra-

lighting, and natural forms.

phy and an overview o f the

administrators, conservators,

O n e section describes c o m m u -

artist's work, along w i t h critical

curators, preparators, registrars.

49

and attended by 160 artists,

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . S P R SUM 0 3

M E A S U R I N G DEFINING

U P :

SUCCESS

IN

PUBLIC

June 5-6, 2003

ART

Portland, O r e g o n

Selected C o n f e r e n c e S e s s i o n s : Key S p e a k e r s : Harriet F. Senie and Marc Pally Year in R e v i e w : Patricia Phillips and Henry Say re P u b l i c Art T o u r s Study Sessions Networking Opportunities AMERICANS Schedule, Registration, and Information: ""ARTS www.AmericansForTheArts.org/services/events

P U B L I C

A R T

A Program 202.371.2830 YEAR

N E T W O R K : of Americans

for

the

Arts

www.AmericansForTheArts.org IN R E V I E W

2002 SLIDE

A Public Art Tool for Art and Design Community Planners, and

SET

Professionals, Universities

152 Slides of 4 0 Public Art Projects A n n o t a t e d Slide Script 1 PLACE

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F O R E C A S T

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PUBLIC A R T W O R K S

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Otto R a m s t a d & t h e B o d y C a r t o g r a p h y P r o j e c t Cynthia S t e v e n s Research

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thanks to the Jerome

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For more information on this grant prograr please contact F O R E C A S T at 651 -641-1128 or f o r e c a s t @ v i s i . c o m

Public Art Studies Program The first national graduate program in public art

Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence at USC » Two-year program with night-time course offerings ' Professional faculty practicing in the public realm > Internationally renowned guest speakers » Internship placement for enrolled students » Located in Los Angeles- a regional and national hub of contemporary art, public art, and architecture

Summer Workshops One- and Two-Weeks • May 25 - August 30 Topics include sculpture,

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Degrees offered: Master of Public Art Studies Dual Degree Option: Master of Public Art Studies and Master of Planning

I n s t r u c t o r s : Terry A d k i n s , M a r k A n g u s , G o r d o n C h a n d l e r , A m y F o r s y t h , Hoss Haley, C o l e t t e H o s mer, Bob L e v e r i c h , a n d T h e r m a n S t a t o m Complete

information

online

or call for a

catalog.

www.usc.edu/publicart

PenlandSchool of Crafts

USC UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

A n a t i o n a l c e n t e r for c r a f t e d u c a t i o n in t h e N o r t h Carolina m o u n t a i n s www.penland.org • 8 2 8 - 7 6 5 - 2 3 5 9

CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF

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This unique resource brings together 27 papers presented at a conference on contemporary public art conservation organized by the Cambridge Arts Council.

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