Forecast Public Art Executive Director Jack Becker conducted the Public 101 Workshop to artists, community leaders, and arts enthusiasts on Tuesday, April 27 in Bemidji.
Attendees assessed public art projects from across the globe, learned the processes of planning a successful public art project, and considered the multitude of levels from which public art is judged. Considerations such as funding, organizing, message, temporary versus permanent art, and the differences between community initiated and artist initiated projects were discussed and analyzed.
Public art can make powerful statements – sometimes grand, impacting thousands, other times intimate, influencing individuals on the personal level. Becker noted that the art in a community becomes the barometer of that culture, indicating where an area has been, where it is, and where it may go. Public art creates meaningful public space.
Forecast Public art is a St. Paul based company dedicated to strengthening and advancing the field of public art – locally, nationally, and internationally – by expanding participation, supporting artists, informing audiences, and assisting communities.
The workshop was organized by the Region 2 Arts Council and funded by an allocation of Minnesota’s Land and Legacy Amendment .
Click here to view Lakeland Public Television’s news story on the Public Art 101 Workshop!
r2arts.org 