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.


Ms. Lisa Mariam

Public Art: Advice from a First Timer

Posted by Ms. Lisa Mariam, Aug 18, 2016 3 comments


Ms. Lisa Mariam

Imagine Art Here: Tysons Tiles was an ambitious project for a public art novice. I learned some valuable lessons managing a public art project for the first time that I’d like to pass along.

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Julia Vogl

Finding Community In A Place That Seemingly Had None

Posted by Julia Vogl, Aug 18, 2016 0 comments


Julia Vogl

My brief was to make something temporary, to create a colorful distraction to the development and inspire people—but it accomplished so much more: it confirmed that culture is an essential amenity to the growth of a city. 

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Kyu Seok Oh

Wandering Sheep

Posted by Kyu Seok Oh, Aug 17, 2016 0 comments


Kyu Seok Oh

I envisioned an image of the sheep straying into the park. It is as if, from somewhere far away, one day a flock of sheep wander into Chinatown Park at the Rose Kennedy Greenway for some unknown reason. But at the same time, they look natural as if they have been there all along.

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Patricia Dalbin

From Parking Lot to Public Art

Posted by Patricia Dalbin, Aug 17, 2016 0 comments


Patricia Dalbin

“Chroma Booster” plays on the tradition of having a fountain in large public gathering spaces. The 55-foot tall painted pipes invited visitors to the pathway to cool off in the mist or play with other features that will send water cascading on their friends. Visitors see how art can be transformational and repurpose something utilitarian like a parking lot into a vibrant public meeting space.

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Fernando Orellana


Nadine Wasserman

Public Art Works Consider Festival’s Physical Place in History

Posted by Fernando Orellana, Nadine Wasserman, Aug 17, 2016 0 comments


Fernando Orellana


Nadine Wasserman

The more I looked at the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers coming together in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River, the more I drew parallels between those waters and myself. I, and so many others like me, are the children of two genetic and cultural rivers that propelled towards each other for thousands of years. The confluence of these two rivers can be seen as the unavoidable collision of the Old World with the New World.

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Nataly Gattegno


Jason Kelly Johnson

Public Art Reveals a City’s Hidden Desires

Posted by Nataly Gattegno, Jason Kelly Johnson, Aug 16, 2016 0 comments


Nataly Gattegno


Jason Kelly Johnson

Murmur Wall is a two-year experimental installation that offers a glimpse into the immediate future. It is an artificially intelligent, anticipatory architecture that reveals what the city is whispering, thinking, and feeling in real-time. 

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