Hello Angela and Colleagues,

So the short answer is Yes: I have been activating permanent public art through temporary public art projects has been part of my practice as an artist and administrator for more than three decades.

My longer answer has links:

My permanent living tree sculpture, House for Summer, in Portland's Hoyt Arboretum, was planted in 1987. After three years of growing and shaping, I initiated and directed Kepler's Dream, a summer solstice performance in 1990, with commissioned dance, music and set design. It was performed twice over two nights. I continued with annual site-specific performances through 1992, then made them every five years. See http://helenlessick.net/helen-lessick-art-houses.html

I wrote the grants, on behalf of the non-profit Arboretum Friends Foundation, to fund these works and pay my commissioned artists Michael Stirling and Ruby Burns. Then I was asked by other artists - dancers and butoh performers - for permission to use my work as a site for their original performances and outdoor art events. Once this access was assured, this public art site was used for storytelling and classes.

For House for Autumn, a site-and season-specific public art from 1991, I contracted three story tellers and an indigenous drumming group, to enhance the work built from local fescue (hay). Filmmaker / artist / administrator Kristy Edmunds and I made a 10 minute b+w film about the project. The 16 mm film is stunning; and I had it digitized for an exhibition in 2018. If anyone is interested in seeing or showing it, I'd be happy to send a link.

For public art in Inglewood Senior Center, which I managed from conception to the 2018 opening, artist Susan Narduli created multi-site public art for a grand lobby wall and exterior canopies. The LA artist was tasked with reflecting the Inglewood community. I shared the public art poetry book by J. Malaika Beckford, created as part of our Inglewood Growing Art in Public program in 2015. Malaika's poem Sweet City, is featured on the front page of Inglewoodpublicart.org, and was incorporated into Narduli's backlit lobby screen, along with poems by other writers. Beckford also performed a reading at the art dedication, contracted by the art program, to coalesce the multiple voices and talents making the effort possible. There's a short film about that too: http://helenlessick.net/art-consultations.html

Temporary public art has a history that has been too long overlooked!

best,

Helen Lessick

HelenLessick.net

On Tue, 17 Aug 2021 at 07:48, Angela Adams <Aadams@arlingtonva.us> wrote:

Thanks, Susan.

Hope you are well.

Angela

From: public_art_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com <public_art_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com> On Behalf Of Glasser, Susan M. - PDR
Sent: Monday, August 16, 2021 4:00 PM
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Subject: RE: Public Art Grants to Activate Permanent Collection

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Never heard of such a thing but it’s a great idea! Good luck.

From: public_art_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com [mailto:public_art_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com] On Behalf Of Angela Adams
Sent: Monday, August 16, 2021 3:52 PM
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Subject: Public Art Grants to Activate Permanent Collection

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Hello Hive Brain!

Wondering if anyone has incentivized temporary public art projects (or other interventions) to activate/interpret permanent public art works through a grants program?

Thank you. Angela

Angela Anderson Adams

Public Art Administrator

Arlington Economic Development/Division of Cultural Affairs

Arlington County, Virginia

703-228-3553, aadams@arlingtonva.us

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