Public art has always been a reflection of societal attitudes, capturing the zeitgeist of a generation. Now, more than ever, cities across the US are leveraging art’s intrinsic power to catalyse civic dialogue. This week, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge underscored the pivotal role art plays in addressing urban challenges.
Eight cities – Atlanta, Baltimore, Honolulu, Houston, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Salt Lake City – have been selected to receive grants of up to $1m each for temporary public art initiatives that aim to raise awareness on pressing civic issues, ranging from public health and equity to climate change.
Since its inception in 2014, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge has not only fostered artistic endeavours but has also driven over $100m in economic benefits for its participating cities. Michael Bloomberg, the man behind Bloomberg Philanthropies, stated, “The arts have an incredible power to inspire creativity and spark collaboration on some of the most pressing urban challenges.”
The projects announced for this edition are ambitious in their scope:
- Atlanta’s ‘Thriving Together‘ will utilise the mediums of installations, community dinners, mobile art galleries, and festivals to address healthcare disparities through the lens of racial equity.
- In Baltimore’s ‘Inviting Light‘, artist Derrick Adams will rejuvenate Station North, the city’s Arts District, using light installations. A remedy emerging from community feedback, lighting aims to instil a sense of security and respect in an area that has previously witnessed petty crime and neglect.
- Honolulu’s ‘Wahi Pana (Storied Places)‘ looks to the past, planning installations that narrate lesser-known indigenous tales of cultural sites.
- Houston’s ‘HueMan: Shelter’ will attempt to shift perceptions of homelessness. Through collaborations between established artists and those without shelter, installations will provide a voice to this marginalised community.
- Orlando’s ‘Art Pollination‘, spearheaded by Juan William Chavez, merges art and agriculture to spotlight food insecurity by establishing a dialogue between artists and farmers.
- Philadelphia’s ‘Healing Verse Germantown‘ leverages the power of poetry against gun violence. By inviting locals of all ages to pen verses, the project will subsequently integrate these into installations in collaboration with various community stakeholders.
- Climate change is the central theme for both Phoenix’s ‘¡Sombra! (Shade)‘ and Salt Lake City’s ‘Wake the Great Salt Lake‘. While Phoenix’s artists will develop shading installations to counteract extreme urban heat, Salt Lake City will respond to the looming drought threat with public art pieces throughout the city and on the lake’s borders.
Public art grants
Kate D Levin, who steers the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Programme, expressed optimism for the selected projects, recognising their “compelling creativity and commitment to serving their communities”.
These grants are not just charitable donations but rather strategic investments. By only covering certain aspects of each project, such as development, execution and marketing, and not fully funding the entire endeavour, Bloomberg Philanthropies ensures that cities garner support from a broad coalition of backers, making each endeavour a community effort.
The competitive selection process, which began in November 2022, involved more than 150 applications from over 40 US states. Proposals were assessed based on their potential as dynamic public art initiatives, their ability to engage communities, their impact on civic matters, and the likelihood of forging or strengthening public-private collaborations.
Historically, the impact of these grants has been noteworthy. From addressing the aftermath of gun violence and commemorating the centennial of Greenwood’s 1921 Black Wall Street Massacre in 2018 to combating challenges such as derelict properties, environmental concerns, and community-police relations in 2015, these public art initiatives have gone beyond aesthetic contributions.
[Read more: The Kigali-social enterprise using public art to debate social issues]
