Blog Posts for 2016 Public Art Year in Review

Thank you to the many people who have been blog contributors to, and readers of ArtsBlog over the years. ArtsBlog has long been a space where we uplifted stories from the field that demonstrated how the arts strengthen our communities socially, educationally, and economically; where trends and issues and controversies were called out; and advocacy tools were provided to help you make the case for more arts funding and favorable arts policies.

As part of Americans for the Arts’ recent Strategic Realignment Process, we were asked to evaluate our storytelling communications platforms and evolve the way we share content. As a result, we launched the Designing Our Destiny portal to explore new ways of telling stories and sharing information, one that is consistent with our longtime practice of, “No numbers without a story, and no stories without a number.”

As we put our energy into developing this platform and reevaluate our communications strategies, we have put ArtsBlog on hold. That is, you can read past blog posts, but we are not posting new ones. You can look to the Designing Our Destiny portal and our news items feed on the Americans for the Arts website for stories you would have seen in ArtsBlog in the past.

ArtsBlog will remain online through this year as we determine the best way to archive this valuable resource and the knowledge you’ve shared here.

As ever, we are grateful for your participation in ArtsBlog and thank you for your work in advancing the arts. It is important, and you are important for doing it.


M. Michelle Illuminato

A Factory Lost & Found in Pittsburgh

Posted by M. Michelle Illuminato, Aug 15, 2016 0 comments


M. Michelle Illuminato

The “Lost & Found Factory” tapped into our personal memories of singular connections we have to special things. These objects may be small or large or abstract and unwieldy, and yet somehow they all have been etched onto our minds. They act as symbols for relationships, relics of important moments, or as souvenirs that take use back to places we have experienced. 

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Ms. Rebecca A. Ehemann

Provoke laughter, surprise and contemplation with temporary public art

Posted by Ms. Rebecca A. Ehemann, Aug 16, 2016 0 comments


Ms. Rebecca A. Ehemann

“My hope is that the piece will shift viewers out of their everyday space and into a sense of wonder, make them think about things in a different way."

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Aaron Counts

Creative Justice

Posted by Aaron Counts, Aug 16, 2016 0 comments


Aaron Counts

Creative Justice is a public art program, but it is also a social justice movement. No coincidence that both art and social movements are born of imagination. They are about exploring the possibilities we create as individuals and as members of communities. About seeing where we are and where we want to go. In doing so, they articulate the power and potential of our communities.

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Michelle Angela Ortiz

“Familias Separadas”

Posted by Michelle Angela Ortiz, Aug 19, 2016 0 comments


Michelle Angela Ortiz

Public art can serve as a platform to educate, create awareness, and to inspire action. As an artist working in communities for more than 15 years, I believe that when we decide to write and tell our own stories and create the images that are true reflections of who we decide we are—those are revolutionary acts.

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Ms. Letitia Fernandez Ivins


Pauline Kanako Kamiyama

Covert Curatorialism: Inverting the Landscape

Posted by Ms. Letitia Fernandez Ivins, Pauline Kanako Kamiyama, Aug 19, 2016 0 comments


Ms. Letitia Fernandez Ivins


Pauline Kanako Kamiyama

As public art project managers, we walk the line between nudging artists to push their vision and practice while giving them the confidence and trust to imagine and execute a groundbreaking artwork. Trusting your own expertise and instinct—paired with an understanding of an artist’s aesthetic, studio practice and process—paves the way for an authentic and successful artwork.

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