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City of Dallas public art office previews district maps, dedications and outreach plans
Summary
The Office of Arts and Culture briefed the committee on public art dedications, a new council-district map of public art, documentary work and a forthcoming public art master plan financed in part by bond set-asides.
Martine Philippe, director of the Office of Arts and Culture, and the public art team updated the Quality of Life Committee on Jan. 21 about recent and upcoming public art projects, new council-district newsletters and an interactive planning map that overlays public-art locations with council districts.
Philippe said the office will e-mail quarterly council-district newsletters and has developed a public art installation planning map created with GIS. "So here we are really excited to share 1 key update. This week we will be e mailing our newly developed quarterly Council District newsletters and for each Council District, you will note what you see here on this slide," she said.
Why it matters: The public art program links bond-funded capital projects with a local set-aside for art, and the office said it is increasing coordination across departments and with outside partners to move art projects from planning to installation and ongoing maintenance.
The briefing described the program's funding model: bond projects frequently include a set-aside for public art that pays for both installation and program administration. Staff noted the public art committee is a standing committee of the arts and culture advisory commission established in city ordinance and that the division has added project-management processes to track each project from research through dedication.
Recent and near-term items discussed included a preservation project for an exterior mural at a Fair Park federal building, upcoming dedications timed for favorable weather, a documentary about Martyrs Park that will premiere at the Denton Black Film Festival, and continued outreach to address "art deserts"—areas with little public art. The office also said it has a conservation manager on staff and will pursue a public art master plan in the coming fiscal year.
Council members asked about partnerships and distribution: staff said they plan to share the interactive map with Visit Dallas and other partners to highlight art outside the major cultural districts and to use mapping to identify gaps. Council Member Gracie and others suggested expanding the map to include murals or works not owned by the city. Staff said the current map is phase 1 and the office intends to expand to include non-city-owned public art in later phases.
Ending: The committee encouraged the office to return with progress reports on the master plan and with materials council members can distribute for constituent outreach and promotion.
