NUTS AND BOLTS: A GUIDE TO PUBLIC ART
© Kansas City Artists Coalition
WHY PUBLIC ART
1. Public art and the community participation that accompanies it, contributes to the unique identity of a city.
2. Public art offers visual appeal, pride, ownership, a sense of celebration, fun and often represents the health and wealth of the city it inhabits.
3. Public art can create partnership opportunities – locally, Arts In Transit, arts organizations and private supporters invest in public art. A formal public art program often sparks private projects and participation, often increasing the value and impact for all parties involved.
4. Public art receives many times the media attention other art forms receive.
5. An average public art project provides many times the economic impact of arts events in traditional venues, yet the cost to the public for public art can be less than $1 per taxpayer per year, based on the amount of public funding used to fund public art. In two cases – Christo’s “Wrapped Reichstag” for Berlin, which generated more than $300 million in three weeks for that city, and Chicago’s “Cows on Parade,” which generated more than $200 million for that city – no taxpayers dollars were used.
6. Compared to theatres and museum, public art has relatively low overhead, low staffing costs and produces less waste or environmental damage.
7. More money is spent cleaning up unwanted graffiti than is spent on most of the public art in major American cities.
8. Nationally, millions of viewers experience public art firsthand every day, this is many times broader than the audience experiencing art galleries, museums and theatres combined. The Vietnam Memorial alone is visited by more than 10,000 people daily, and artworks in airports or subways are seen daily by over 5 million travelers.
HOW IS THE MONEY DISTRIBUTED
According to Washington State % for Art Research, for each Percent for Art project money expended:
66.6% is returned in sales tax
42 – 43% goes to direct purchase of materials
9 – 10% is spent on overhead (studio, utilities, etc.)
30 – 37% goes to pay salaries and wages of artists and subcontractors for fabrication/installation work
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
All of these issues are ongoing and interconnected. One issue re-aligns the others. For instance, high installation costs can reduce the scope of work, thus reducing the installation costs and allowing more scope. It is a balancing act that will continue throughout the entire process.
1. Constraints and Opportunities
Each specific project has its own set of constraints and opportunities, determined by the site, the process of construction, the entities involved, and by the type of work that you intend to do. Start by defining these constraints and opportunities.
2. Communication
It is important to establish lines of communication with everyone involved in the project. An e-mail list is the easiest way to update everyone and keep the project transparent. Keep notes on everything. Document everything.
3. Budget
Be realistic. Don’t over-extend. Most public art projects require you to work backwards from a budget. Establishing parameters early for labor and materials and necessary subs is important. If fabricating the work yourself, it is okay to pay yourself. The artist’s fee does not include fabrication costs. Remember that if you weren’t fabricating the work yourself, you would be paying someone else to do it. Leave room for mistakes. They will happen. Make sure everything is covered. Remember, everything costs somebody something.
4. Installation
Most construction Sites are union. It is most often necessary to define the parameters of installing the work in accordance with the trades. For instance, electrical work will most often have to be done by union electricians. It is important early on to establish the necessary budget for this work.
5. Making art
All of these issues often seem contradictory to the art making process. It is important to establish points within all of these issues in which decision making akin to your studio practice can happen. Putting a structure to that often results in less than impassioned work, and it is important to find the connection with why you make art.
RESOURCES
The Kansas City Municipal Art Commission/One-Percent-for-Art Program has a public art email announcement list. To subscribe for free, visit the website and click on the “Sign up for our mailing list” button. It will walk you through the process. Under select your interests, make sure you check the box for “Municipal Art Commission Public Art Information”
Americans for the Arts/Public Art Network (PAN)
Art Deadline
Art Public
Arts Calendar
Arts Wire
Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts
Missouri Arts Council
Phoenix Art Commission/Artist Opportunities
Public Art On The Net
Public Art Review
Regional Arts Commission
St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts
Save Outdoor Sculpture (SOS)
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)