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. 

“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."

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.

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.

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.

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.