Mahncke Park Neighborhood

Art in a Neighborhood, by Mike Greenberg

Jul 19, 2004

A walk through nearly any neighborhood in nearly any city in Europe will take you past public fountains and monuments designed by artists, street lights and benches designed by artists, even sidewalks and sewer grates designed by artists. In Europe, art is fully a part of daily life, and a neighborhood without art is as inconceivable as a bicycle without wheels.
Increasingly, American neighborhoods are looking to artists to add beauty, utility and value to public spaces, to signify neighborhood pride or aspirations, to reflect neighborhood history and culture.

Before jumping into an art decision, it?’s a good idea to understand the options, the potential rewards and the risks.

First, you need to know the difference between ?“public art?” and ?“art in public places.?” If you buy or commission a sculpture and put it in the middle of a park, that?’s an example of ?“art in public places.?” If you hire an artist to help design the park or some of its major features, that?’s ?“public art.?” The bronze sculpture of George Brackenridge at the Broadway entrance to Brackenridge Park is art in a public place. The tile mural on a retaining wall along the Fulton Street railroad underpass is an excellent example of public art. (The city of San Antonio?’s public art program is officially called ?“design enhancement?” and is part of the city architect?’s office in the public works department, though it also maintains a close relationship with the office of cultural affairs.)

The two terms sometimes overlap, but in general ?“public art?” indicates the application of an artist?’s conceptual and aesthetic skills to practical objects that might otherwise be bland or ugly. One example is on the River Walk immediately behind the Municipal Auditorium. The trellis of intertwining ?“trees?” by concrete artist Carlos Cortes looks like a purely decorative addition, but the art is a clever disguise for steel bracing for the concrete retaining wall, to keep it from bulging outward under the weight of 18-wheelers at the auditorium?’s loading dock.

Often, the public artist is a problem-solver: The Fulton Street project was partly an answer to the neighbors?’ wish to discourage graffiti, which had been a perennial problem on the blank concrete surfaces of the old wall. The project also adds beauty and visual stimulation to a formerly drab walkway that?’s used daily by many school children, and it provides an attractive gateway/link between two proud old neighborhoods, Alta Vista and Beacon Hill.

Art in public places usually reflects only the artist?’s personal aesthetic vision. Public art, by contrast, is much more collaborative; the public artist consults with the architects or engineers who are the lead designers, the government agency (such as the public works or parks department) that is the client, the civic organizations (such as the San Antonio Conservation Society) that may have an interest in the project, and the neighbors who are expected to use it. The public art or design enhancement has to meet the client?’s functional needs, fit into the architectural or engineering plan and reflect the cultural and aesthetic wishes of the community it will serve.

Neither approach - public art or art in public places -- is right or wrong. The choice depends on the circumstances. Sometimes a handsome art work is exactly what is needed to add value, delight and focus to a public place: The famous Chicago Picasso is a case in point. Sometimes a stand-alone art work just gets in the way, and the more collaborative, functionally oriented work of the public artist makes sense.

One possibly decisive difference, however, is that the city has a process for funding public art, but not art in public places. Major capital projects such as parks improvements, library branches and even drainage improvements may include design-enhancement components - meaning that public artists are part of the design team along with the architects and engineers. These projects are usually funded by bond packages. If no major public works project is being planned for your neighborhood, however, public art isn?’t an option - unless a neighborhood can convince the city to add a project to a future bond package.

Art in public places usually requires private funding to purchase and install the art work. If a neighborhood can?’t raise the necessary money alone, it?’s sometimes possible to partner with nearby businesses or institutions. Private funding also could be used for a public art project that a neighborhood initiates. Whether it?’s public art or art in public places, the privately funded project in a public place must be approved by the relevant city departments, the Historic and Design Review Commission and City Council, and an endowment to pay for long-term maintenance and repair is also usually necessary.

Maintenance and repair can be significant issues, especially for art in public places. Fountains get clogged with mineral deposits from our hard water, and debris from trees and careless people. Sculptures are vulnerable to hail and water damage, air pollution and vandalism. Art that falls into disrepair can become more a liability than an asset - a sign that the community doesn?’t care enough about its public spaces, and an invitation to disorder. Careful design and durable materials can minimize maintenance issues, and a highly visible, well-used location can discourage vandalism, but you can?’t expect to eliminate either problem entirely.

A well-conceived art project, however, is worth the effort and the risk. We don?’t stop building streets and libraries, even though we know we?’ll have to repair and eventually rebuild them. Like streets and libraries, art can play an active, valuable role in the narrative of neighborhood life. Also like streets and libraries, art projects need to be planned with clear public purposes and user groups in mind.

If the public purpose is sound, and the art project is well matched to its purpose, and the cost is reasonable, you have a strong case to take to your neighbors, to potential business and institutional partners and to public agencies.