We want public art to interrogate social injustices, fill us with love and joy, and brush aside human flaws, but it rarely ever lives up to these expectations.
public art
UK Artists Underpaid for Public Art, Report Finds
The grassroots advocacy group Industria found that artists working in the public sector earned a median hourly rate of just £2.60 ($3.25).
Coretta Scott King Gets an Atlanta Tribute
The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, established by the civil rights activist in 1968, unveiled the new memorial on what would have been her 96th birthday.
Voluptuous Mermaid Art Causes a Stir in Italy
The sculpture, dedicated to scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, is described as “a tribute to the great majority of women who are curvy.”
193 Flags Celebrating NYC Food Culture Go Up at Rockefeller Center
The flags of UN member states that typically line the Rink now depict bagels, pizza slices, and local restaurants in a new partnership with the food rescue organization City Harvest.
Art Problems: How Do I Get a Public Art Commission?
Want to leave a mark on your city or town, but don’t know where to start? Paddy Johnson has some tips.
Internet Goes Wild Over Outdoor Gym of Hindu Puppets
Indian artist Diptej Vernekar attached puppets of Hindu avatars to exercise equipment that anyone could activate and engage with.
Nancy Rubins on Objects in the In-Between
In her world, there is no detritus and everything (everyone) is charged with potential.
What Do Bostonians Think of the New MLK Monument?
Despite the deluge of online memes, reactions on the ground were mostly positive, but some think the work lacks context.
What Rights Do Artists Have When Their Work Is Destroyed?
A string of recent mural removals raises important questions about how public artworks are protected and what recourse, if any, exists for artists in the event of their destruction.
Hank Willis Thomas Memorializes MLK and Coretta Scott King’s Love
The sculptural tribute was installed in a Boston park, the city where the couple first met.
Can Public Art Save New York’s Grittiest Bus Terminal?
Nine contemporary artists have taken over vacant advertising spaces at the aesthetically beleaguered Port Authority.