Creating Public Art

Article by: Alexenberg and Benjamin

It is really important for people to stand together as a community, not only to find develop a bond but also to express themselves and their cultures in order to become unified. Both young people and elders have a huge impact on the community.

            The thrones are a great example of how public art can bring the community together. The elder population of the community created the thrones’ details and tiles, and high school students assembled them. It is interesting how so many people can get involved and create such beautiful public art. The thrones will be around for years to come for people of the community to enjoy. The art demonstrates cultures and feelings that elders in the community share and now are community’s future generations are able to enjoy the art and have an understanding for the elder populations culture.

            I found it really interesting how each of the people working beside each other were so different, but they could collaborate and create something awesome together as a whole. The thrones were created by people of different races, ethnicity’s, religions, and generations; I found this really interesting because even though the thrones have many different elements created by the people to demonstrate the cultures they still come together and look unique as a whole.

            Community art can help bring an attachment to ones community.“In a complex society such as ours which wishes to allow group differences to emerge, not submerge, we need to find ways for these groups to express themselves and be heard and valued. One of the major purposes of participation is to allow diversity to be expressed.” (Halprin&Burns,1974,p.11) Art is a vital part of community learning. It can teach the community members not only about art itself but also about the artist.

            The process of making this art is very important to the community. The students were able to teach the elderly people how to develop the mosaic tiles even though they have never done anything like that in their life. It gave the people a chance to encounter the cultures between generations.  The artwork itself creates a community. The process of creating the artwork brought interaction between the different cultures. The people were able to find a bond over doing something they have never done before.