The Fear of (Public) Art

Art and Public Art continues to be banned and destroyed, installed and taken down, argued about for long periods by different stakeholders. This is evidence of the power of art to unsettle, to speak truth to power, to question our cherished cultural norms, our democracy and various basic American principles. When art is installed in public space, space that is not privately owned, and paid for with tax money it can become a contentious issue. Yet it can also lead to economic regeneration of towns and cities, as much research on the creative class and creative cities attests. Artists and scholars discuss the power of art and the importance of advocating for art, artists, and freedom of expression. What can public art bring to your town - and can your town handle it? As David Freedberg writes: “Those people who seek to destroy art...testify to its very power... they acknowledge that works of art... enter our deepest feelings and rouse our deepest emotions.”