Community Statement on Public Art

I'd like to use this post as a more thorough follow-up to the Massey charrette. Here's a recap: On February 27, Ed and Bernie Massey gave a presentation at CreateHere, followed by a brainstorming session directed by Pam Glaser. Pam is a Senior Planner with the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency. Many thanks to her for facilitating the workshop and helping us synthesize the results.

In the charrette, Pam asked participants to consider the following questions:

1. Why is public art important to the community? What should we as a community ask for in terms of public art?



2. What partners can you identify (at the individual, organizational or business level) that should be involved in the creation and promotion of Community Based Public Art?



3. How should we as a community promote and/or create more Community Based Public Art?

Participants worked in groups to brainstorm responses, and their ideas are synthesized in the statement below. In light of Allied Arts' Cultural Plan 2011, this statement is especially relevant for our city.

COMMUNITY STATEMENT ON PUBLIC ART

For Chattanoogans, community- based art is essential to the cultivation of our collective identity and enhances our sense of place. It promotes civic dialogue, builds community, attracts attention and economic benefit, connects artists with the community and enhances the public’s appreciation of art.

Public art impacts a community visually, economically, and educationally. At its most basic level, it brightens neighborhoods and diversifies visual landscapes. Public art projects also stimulate the economy and provide employment for artists and patronage for supporting industries. Further, public art creates opportunities to extend art education beyond the classroom to engage a diverse group of participants.

Perhaps most significantly, public art contributes to a cohesive neighborhood identity, helping residents develop a sense of place within a broad community context.

HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THIS?

We can promote and create more community-based public art by:

incorporating multiple art forms (not just visual),

exploring functional art projects,

consulting with experts from other cities,

and tracking our own successes.

In addition, we can create incentives to encourage private giving and work to cultivate relationships with the City, local businesses, and grassroots organizations.