City’s First Public Art Plan Advances and Shapes the Future of Public Art in Chicago

Source:  Alderman Reilly Reports 11/3/17
Mayor Emanuel and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) recently released the City’s first Public Art Plan. The plan lays out recommendations that will help shape the future of public art in Chicago and shift how the city talks about and supports public art. The full Public Art Plan can now be downloaded here or viewed online at cityofchicago.org/yopa.
In order to guide a new vision for public art in Chicago, the Chicago Public Art Plan outlines a series of recommendations that are aligned to achieve the following overarching goals:
  1. Update Chicago’s Percent for Art Program
  2. Establish clear and transparent governmental practices
  3. Expand resources to support the creation of public art throughout the city
  4. Advance programs that support artists, neighborhoods and the public good
  5. Strengthen the City’s collection management systems
  6. Support the work that artists and organizations do to create public art
  7. Build awareness of and engagement with Chicago’s public art
The field of public art is continually evolving and expanding to include expansive, interdisciplinary and embedded artwork. The Chicago Public Art Plan acknowledges this and establishes that the process of commissioning public art must welcome creativity in all of its forms and offer broad opportunities for participation. The new plan is a means to advocate for a diverse public art ecosystem and to nurture art that has the potential to surprise, inspire, challenge and bring people together through shared experiences.
To read the full press release click here. To view the Chicago Public Art Plan and learn more about the Year of Public Art, visit www.cityofchicago.org/yopa .