The brightly painted traffic box you pass every day on your way to work. The mural painted on the wall outside your favorite coffee shop. The sculpture planted in the center of your neighborhood park. These are all examples of public art, a genre of art meant for public creation and consumption that doesn’t come in a specific form, but is rather defined by its unique association of how it’s made and where it’s located and the meaning behind it, according to the Association for Public Art. Often expressing community values or making an otherwise bland or plain space beautiful — public art is for everyone.
Several cities in the Pacific Northwest are defined by their public art installations, such as Seattle, Washington, Belleview, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Gradually, parts of Idaho have also become places where public art has flourished, such as in Boise and Moscow. Recently though, this growth has been met with opposition. In March, an Idaho bill aiming to restrict local government’s ability to place public art was presented to the Idaho House Revenue and Taxation Committee, claiming public art is “frivolous” and should be at the bottom of the state’s priority list, according to the Idaho Press.
This bill is just one example of the resistance to the arts that has long existed on a local and national scale, reflected in the poor funding and value some art programs and artists are given. However, the support for the arts is just as fierce as its opposition.
In this photo story, local artists share their public art projects and reflect on the benefits that their art, along with other public art, brings to a community.
Justin Pickard, an artist and University of Idaho alumni living in Moscow believes that public art is what centers a community.
“The original word for religion, its etymology, is community,” Pickard said. “Throughout time, we’ve used community in relation with art to convey a lot of cultural ideas. I think now we’re at an age where we can separate art into its own community and not have it ride on the coattail of religion. Having art that isn’t based in politics or religion, and just in the sense of community is really important. A commonality between all religions is that there’s some sort of art to help bring people together – so, just having public art brings people together naturally.”
Stephanie Inman, a Boise-based public artist and cultural planner with works featured at Boise City Hall, understands some of the resistance towards public art, but thinks the benefits outweigh the costs.
“It’s taxpayer dollars, so you have to be very responsible with all your decisions,” Inman said. “I understand some people being hesitant, but I also see so much value in it. And once it’s there a lot of people really are appreciative. It’s accessible, and everyone can visit that.”
UI students Brittany Blakely and Tala Davis create paper flowers that hold seeds of native Palouse plants that they plan to distribute for the public to plant at the end of the semester – all from Blakely’s kitchen table.
“I found a paper-making tutorial on Tik Tok and thought, ‘why not?’” Blakely said. “I think it’s going to be a fun project for the community to take part in that’ll also benefit the environment on the Palouse.”
Faith Clark, a UI alumni, was chosen by the City of Moscow to have her sculpture installed outside of the Intermodal Transit Center in 2021.
“It’s one thing when you make something and you’re like, ‘this is super cool, but only two people in my direct vicinity are going to see it,’” Clark said. “But if it gets put in a public forum all of these people get to see it even though they have no idea who I am, and I think that’s very cool.”
Kim Timmons, a UI student working on a metal angler fish to submit to Moscow’s call for art, believes public art is invaluable to a society.
“Everything in life is about art,” Timmons said. “Anything you love or anything that gives you joy – an artist did that. Any song you like, and building you think is cool – an artist or a designer made that. Humans are creative, social creatures and to have pieces of work that solely represent that, I feel like that’s really important.”
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