The ‘Civic Soft Power’ of Public Places
You know it when you feel it: How the public places of a town reveal a sense of its soul.
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Spotlight on Public Art
26 posts
A Library Garden Celebrates Reading, Art, and Nature
In 2015, Dillsburg, Pennsylvania relocated the town's library to a bigger space to better serve its growing population. A year later, when tragedy struck, the community stepped up to grow the library to include a reading garden.
An Outsider Works with Insiders: Examples from Akron and Cleveland
Mac Love, who has spent much of his life outside Ohio, uses new technologies to bring community residents and college students together. That collaborative approach is now helping citizens’ voices be heard and is driving meaningful change in their neighborhoods.
The Paper Clips Project: Students Bring Holocaust History to Southeastern Tennessee
Whitwell, Tennessee has become the center for a world-renowned cultural education project and Holocaust memorial.
In Honor of Charly Jupiter Hamilton
A person who became the soul of his community, explains his vision—in art, and in memorable words.
Charleston, West Virginia Celebrates Charly Jupiter Hamilton
“‘The Wonder Mural’ by Charly Hamilton changed an entire community. Through inclusion, Charly made a piece for the community by literally painting the community.”
History Come Alive – and Livestreamed!
Eighth of May Emancipation Celebration in Columbus, Mississippi now available on YouTube.
The Artists of Lemmon, South Dakota
The role of the arts in a tiny town with its sights set high
‘This Is What We Train For’
During our five years of travel around the country, my husband Jim and I often found that artists who revealed the perspectives on their hometowns were the people who stopped us in our tracks.
How Artists Build the Spirit of a Town
During our travels to towns around the U.S., Jim Fallows and I have come across several artist-in-residence programs, for example in Ajo, Arizona; Eastport, Maine; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
An Artist-in-Residence Creates a Sense of Place
We’ve seen artist-in-residence programs in a number of the towns we’ve visited. The first was in Eastport, Maine, where we ran into Richelle Gribble, a young artist based in Los Angeles, whom I…
Photos Can Trigger Change in a Town
In 2008, National Geographic photographer Jodi Cobb and photographer and former Second Lady, Tipper Gore, talked about the role of photography at the then Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The…
A River of Words in Pittsburgh
As we've traveled around the country with our American Futures and Our Towns projects since 2013, my husband, Jim, and I have evolved from being skeptics to evangelists about the impact of public arts on communities.
How Art Can Renew a Community
This is No. 2 in a series of three videos from our friends at New America about the realities of community revitalization and economic recovery in the much-discussed Industrial Heartland of…
The Library That’s Also an Art Gallery
A "hub of Winston-Salem in touch with the people."
Old City, Old Buildings, New Life
An art museum with a long history reinvents itself with passion and an entrepreneurial spirit.