In Brief
Minneapolis Mayor Moves to Cut Public Art Funding
Minneapolis won't be getting any new public art next year if the city's mayor gets her way.
Public Art
News
In Maryland Wizard Statue, Some See Salve for Recession Woes — but Not All Are Enchanted
An eight-foot-tall sculpture of a wizard in a couple's front yard has sparked a debate in the village of Oakland Mills, Maryland, about what constitutes appropriate neighborhood statuary, who has the power to decide what is and isn't art, and whether or not the towering sorcerer could help lift the
Art
Washington, DC, Becomes a Playground of Public Art
One week ago, an installation by artist Abigail DeVille was dismantled in Washington, DC. “The New Migration” was a collection of materials gathered by DeVille during a road trip from DC to Jacksonville, Florida, retracing and reversing the steps of a popular route taken by African Americans fleeing
In Brief
Artists Take Responsibility for Brooklyn Bridge Flag Swap
The New York Times is reporting that German artists Mischa Leinkauf and Matthias Wermke have taken credit for what they're calling an artistic act meant to celebrate "the beauty of public space.”
Art
Artist's 100-Year Project Will Grow Books from Saplings
It takes a certain measure of both hubris and selflessness to create an artwork that won't be completed until long after your death. Scottish artist Katie Paterson's "Future Library" begins this year and will come to fruition in 100.
In Brief
Town Paints Sculpture Blue, to Artist's Horror
French municipalities are mistreating the public works they commission under a national "1% for art" program, with one going so far as to recently repaint a sculpture without the artist's approval, Libération reported.
Art
Street Murals Designed to Reduce Pedestrian Deaths
Drivers need to slow down. Traffic deaths are a serious problem across the United States, with pedestrian fatalities increasing in past years. One effort to keep eyes on the road is the use of colorful street art — painted right on the streets.
Art
Jeff Koons, Kara Walker, and the Challenge of Public Art
As if his museum-filling Whitney retrospective weren’t enough, Jeff Koons currently has a massive sculpture on view at Rockefeller Center. “Split-Rocker” is comprised of two halves, one the recreated head of a toy pony rocker, the other the head of a toy dinosaur rocker.
Art
A Shock of Color in the City
PHILADELPHIA — There are two public works on view in the Northeast right now by the Berlin-based artist Katharina Grosse. One, in Philadelphia, zips past as you ride a moving train; the other, in Brooklyn, inspires you to stand still and look closely.
Art
New Subway Art Installation Brings the Home into the Commute
Three stations on the M subway line in Ridgewood, Queens now have permanent art installations that bring moments of home into the commute.
Art
Covering a City's Potholes with Art
CHICAGO — Jim Bachor began his personal public-works project to repair potholes with mosaic works in the summer of 2013.
Art
What Does Kara Walker's Sugary Sphinx Tell Us?
One of the season's most anticipated art events will finally open to the public tomorrow. Kara Walker's "A Subtlety," aka the "Marvelous Sugar Baby," is the renowned artist's first public artwork.