Public Art Party report!

Welcome to INSIDE/OUTSIDE! Whether you joined the PUBLIC ART PARTY in person last Wednesday, hope to attend the next one (more about that below) or are reading this from another continent, I’m thrilled to meet you here.

You see, every time I go to a public art panel in NY, I look around the audience and think, “There are probably 50 people here I would like to meet, or some I may already know, or who might even want to meet me.” Then the panel ends, and we all run to the subway! There’s no time to schmooze (that’s Yiddish for “talk in an informal and warm manner”).

I realized that we don’t have natural places to connect. Public art doesn't have gallery openings, residencies or art fairs. The only way we will come together as a community is if someone makes it happen. I figured that since I have this show up until May 21 about public art, that someone could be me! So I concocted an evening with a little bit of panel, and a whole lotta schmooze.

THE PANEL

We were honored to hear from a powerhouse panel from different sectors of the public art world, moderated by yours truly. The audience ranged from artists to fabricators, public art administrators, architects, private art consultants, real estate developers and more. 

I came up with an unconventional format, because everyone in this room was an expert in their field: I asked the panelists questions, and then they asked the audience questions, with a Q&A at the end. With a 45 minute time limit to maximize schmooze time and six panelists, my goal was to keep the conversation inclusive, brisk and relevant to all. 

My first question was to Kendal: how do you balance the trend for community engagement/research/input/etc with the aesthetic and other demands of public art? 

Many artists had privately expressed frustration to me that RFQ’s increasingly demand some type of “community” engagement, input or activity, without defining what that means, whether artists will have support to make it happen, how long it takes, the cost, or what the outcome is supposed to be. 

Some artists like this requirement, but others feel like it’s just another hoop to jump through, and doesn’t necessarily lead to better artistic outcomes or a warmer response from the community.

Kendal explained in detail how his team navigates these demands by ensuring artists have copious research about each site’s local community, and structuring community involvement throughout the process. But in the end, the commission is awarded on the basis of artistic merit above all. 

He asked a thought-provoking question: what is community engagement? 

Kendal pointed out that everyone in the room probably has a different definition of what that means. This question will definitely be the subject of a future newsletter, so please share your definition of “community engagement” in the comments section (you have to create a login and password to comment).

Each of the panelists made so many interesting points, I could write a book! Here are some highlights:

Sandra asked the audience which public art works filled them with awe, and people called out many names, from Hilma’s Ghost (recently installed mosaic in the subway at Grand Central) to Jaume Plensa’s heads and more. She emphasized that the MTA brings art to the public realm to impact peoples' day to day lives and create memorable experiences.

She also described the methodology used by MTA Arts and Design to guide artists at every step, including community research and engagement, and how having a defined procurement system with clear guidelines prevents mismanagement, political interference, and other types of problems.

Sandra’s advice about systems was partially a response to John, who related that as a real estate developer, commissioning public art can create major headaches. He said that “outside groups” and “special interests” can hijack the art process to interfere with zoning, permit approvals and construction. Sandra suggested that hiring an in-house public art administrator would prevent these issues.

John’s comments sparked some controversy, but led to a spirited conversation. Some people responded that public art is an opportunity to collaborate with the local community, that this friction isn’t necessarily conflict. The inherent tension between having a strong artistic vision and appealing to regular people is what makes public art unique. One artist said (I’m paraphrasing) that he did not want his work to aid gentrification.

The purpose of this event was to learn from each other, and whether or not we agree, I believe that hearing other perspectives can only help us collaborate.

We also discussed the importance of educating the client, whether that’s a corporation, developer, members of a public art jury or a municipal project lead. 

Kimberly explained how educating her public art clients and private art collectors is a long term investment that produces big results. For example, clients may not know at the start of a project what type of art they want, their aesthetic preferences, budget, and other considerations. Her role is to help them clarify these goals and desires in order to select the best artist and work for their site.

Margaret was kind enough to answer the dreaded “tariff question,” as she often works with artists to have their work fabricated in Shanghai with UAP. I asked specifically if tariffs and other economic conditions (the depressed commercial art market, material costs, inflation, supply chain issues, etc) had affected artist selection or the ambition of clients to commission art. Happily, she hasn’t seen it affect her projects in those ways so far.

We could have gone on for another hour, but then we would have missed…

THE PARTY

As I’d imagined, there is a huge hunger for community in the public art world!

I charged the audience with a mission: “Your quest tonight, should you choose to accept it, is to talk to every other color and shape name tag in the room.” Everyone accepted with gusto.

It’s hard to describe the vibe of a good party, but I can say that the enthusiasm to meet, reconnect, talk and make friends was off the HOOK. Some people had traveled from California, Florida, Colorado and elsewhere just for this event to meet new people. Others ran into colleagues from decades-old projects. One woman exclaimed to another, “You exist from the neck down! I’ve only ever seen you on Zoom!”

In fact, at 8:30pm, having demolished the food and most of the absurd quantity of wine and beer I’d supplied, they had to push us out the door. When I finally got downstairs 10 minutes later with all my serving platters and extra drinks, about 20 people were still partying on the sidewalk. As one attendee told me the next day, “it was wonderful.”

The party’s success was also thanks to two amazing volunteers: my husband Albert Marques (fresh off a sold-out tour) and Xenia Diente, Deputy Director of Public Art for the NYC Department of Design and Construction. Thank you both!

WHAT’S NEXT?

About 200 people have asked me when the next PUBLIC ART PARTY will be. Pencil in September 2025 and April 2026. I’m working on it!

Both parties will be in NYC, but if you can’t attend, I encourage you to create a local event! Buy some beer and invite other fabricators to your shop. Moderate a panel of local experts. Have BYOB public art studio visits. It doesn’t have to be big or fancy or expensive. The key word is community.

TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES

Before the next PUBLIC ART PARTY, please use the comment section to talk, make recommendations for the next party, share takeaways from this one, and ideas for future newsletters. Make friends, hire each other, connect! 

PLEASE NOTE: you have to create a login and password in order to comment.

This newsletter will be sent approximately once a month, or as I have free time (haha, what is free time?). Future issues will cover topics mentioned above, public art news, interviews, and more. Please forward it to anyone who would be interested!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

We are currently living through a political, economic and climate crisis that affects us all. We need each other now more than ever! To make it through this, we have to come together to share advice, commiserate, rally, test out solutions and find ways forward. And we will.

Thanks for reading alllllll the way to the end. I can’t wait to see you in the comments!

Mia Pearlman
http://miapearlman.com