Director's Note: Bringing Communities to Life through Public Art
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| Piedmont Arts' Historic Circus Mural parades through Uptown Martinsville |
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| Old Glory welcomes guests to the Black Box Theatre |
There has recently been much in the news about public art. The City of
Martinsville and New College Institute have unveiled several murals in recent
months, and Piedmont Arts has shared its plans for a public art garden on the
corner of Starling Avenue and Mulberry Road.
At Piedmont Arts, we believe public art makes a statement about the
community in which we live. It says that
we collectively value arts and culture and we want art to be accessible to
everyone.
According to Americans for the
Arts Public Art Network Council, communities gain value through public
art—cultural, social and economic. “Public art is a distinguishing part of our
public history and our evolving culture. It reflects and reveals our society,
adds meaning to our cities and uniqueness to our communities.”
Through public art we can aspire
to be a place where people want to live, visit and bring a business or
company. It can distinguish Martinsville-Henry
County from other cities that can look bland and boring; giving our community a
stronger sense of place and identity. Public art can also connect our past,
present and future. The three initial pieces that we hope to install in the
Piedmont Arts public art garden are from Virginia artists with local ties. Mark
Wright’s piece uses icons that evoke images of the past, but also show how the
past has shaped who we are today. Jessie Ward’s work will be the future “O” in our
very own permanent LOVEwork. And, Ed Dolinger's piece celebrates native tree species in a collaborative work that offers local students the chance to be part of a major public art project.
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| Kabuki Dancer shines bright as a permanent feature on Piedmont Arts' patio |
According to Americans for the Arts, “Public art
activates the imagination and encourages people to pay attention and perceive
more deeply the environment they occupy. Public art stimulates learning and
thought about art and society, about our interconnected lives, and about the
social sphere as a whole.” At Piedmont Arts, we want to create a space where
the art is uniquely accessible and people can experience art during the course
of their daily life, whether on a walk, having lunch outside, looking for a
place to meditate, or a unique space for classes.
Public art can provide the community
with “direct and ongoing encounters with art.” We hope we are successful in
getting the Our Town grant from the NEA, but if we don’t, Piedmont Arts will
continue to find ways to create public art so that our community can celebrate
its unique culture. “Public art does something that neither a public space
without art nor even a museum with all its art can do: it can capture the eye
and mind of someone passing through public spaces. It can make us pay attention
to our civic environment; it can encourage us to question what’s around us.”
For a complete list of works in Piedmont Arts' Public Art Project, click here >>
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