For the 16th anniversary of the Public Art Network Year in Review, we offered the selected applicants and artists the opportunity to tell us the stories behind their works. This week's blog salon features the stories behind some of the most compelling public art projects completed in 2015.

Overseeing a public art project involving a private developer is always a huge undertaking. This type of public-private project is more complex than the usual percent for art project because there are a variety of additional economic, legal and political factors to consider. Overall, this project was about managing expectations, being patient and following-up with people. It was fun, challenging and I learned a lot. 

Here are some of the life and project management lessons gleaned from it.

If you wait long enough, the public artwork will be realized

The making of "Fault Whisper" started out with lots of excitement and momentum in 2006 with the selection of the artist team Living Lenses (Po Shu Wang and Louise Bertelsen) and a supportive collaboration involving the landscape architect and development team.

Building Fault Line Park was tied to the construction schedule of adjacent residential towers being developed by Pinnacle International Development. It was anticipated to be a fast-track project with tight deadlines dictated by the redevelopment contract.

The artists’ imaginative concept to connect people in the park and around the world with the movements of the underground fault rupture was enthusiastically received by the community. It was being designed when news came that the project would be put on hold due to the financial downturn in 2008.

Fast-forward to today. “Fault Whisper” and the park will be celebrating a one-year anniversary this month. The response we’ve received about the artwork as well as the park was well worth the wait!

If you honor your commitments, the project will be a win-win (fingers crossed)

The public-private partnership established for the construction of Fault Line Park and the artwork “Fault Whisper” entailed perseverance and follow through by each participating organization and individual.

This included The City of San Diego, former redevelopment agency, developer, architects, general contractor, and last but certainly not least the artist team.

We all shared a commitment to each other's success in realizing the exciting vision for both the park and the artwork. Progress, while long in the making, depended on people in the partnership honoring their commitment with actions.

I (we) faced challenges, including the lengthy delay and later resurrection of the project. Despite various setbacks, it was clear that the project was really important to all the individuals and organizations involved.

It really all boiled down to being deliberate and strategic in building a partnership that could weather the recession, the dissolution of redevelopment, the creation of a new nonprofit corporation to continue revitalization of downtown, changing technologies and expectations as well as the untimely death of one of the artists (which still breaks my heart).

Successful partnerships demonstrate a culture of complete commitment from the beginning that leads to collective enthusiasm and achieving results. There is no doubt in my mind that this project exemplified just that.

If you create an artwork with a mirror-like finish, they will come

Over the years working on the “Fault Whisper” public art project, I definitely became captivated with Living Lenses’ art concept to intersect the natural phenomenon of a fault rupture with sculptural stainless steel spheres and advanced technology.

The artwork’s sound element to share with friends was originally conceived using a telephone line in 2007, which then morphed into a QR code in 2015.

I was intrigued to see whether the general public would or would not interact with the completed artwork. Once installed, people took an immediate liking to the artwork. It became popular with park visitors as a photo opportunity for its unique reflective properties.

In retrospect, I had no idea what a social media (social networking was in its infancy when the artwork was conceptualized) draw the artwork would become because of the mirror-like finish and upon further examination by the viewer, the sound of the earth that can be shared with friends all over the world. I have to hand it to the artists’ for their forward-thinking approach to people’s engagement with the artwork.

More than anything, this project has shown me the power of art. You can reach a public that spans the globe and this reach is exponential.