Great Art in Great Cities
Fortunate people don’t have to travel far to enjoy quality art. Their cities have made a decision to incorporate sculpture into public places for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. Here are some of them:
We could scarcely imagine Washington, D.C. without its monumental sculptures. Lincoln in his chair has been the backdrop for some of the nation’s important moments, and the hush of the Jefferson Memorial connects visitors to the spirit of this man and the principles that framed this nation.
With the simple reverence and profoundly personal focus of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Maya Lin changed the way the public interacts with memorial sculpture. In the slogging figures of the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the blend of words and statues in the memorials to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr., the nation has found new ways to reflect its evolving history and honor those who shaped it.
Learn more about Washington’s many memorials: www.nps.gov/nacc/index.htm
New York City is home to a lot of people — and a lot of art that’s out in public for their enjoyment and that of the millions more who visit the city each year. See some of it here www.nyc-arts.org/collections/view/id/107.
Albuquerque’s rich offering includes mosaics and murals as well as sculpture; see more here www.cabq.gov/publicart.
Seattle has made public art a priority. Even fire stations and manhole covers show off an artistic touch. www.seattle.gov/arts/publicart/
Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor, photo by Ermanec
You don’t have to enter a gallery to see the work of great artists in Chicago. Sculptures by Miro, Calder and Chagall are on display outdoors, and the ever-changing show in Millennium Park introduces tomorrow’s Picassos to today’s pedestrians.
Portland, Oregon boasts of a rich offering of art, outdoors and in civic buildings. www.racc.org/public-art/
Airports are full of people on the move, a ready audience for public art. The new Denver airport has a remarkable collection, some of it controversial. See examples here flydenver.com/publicart.
When Sacramento planned a new terminal at its airport, it set aside $6 million for a dozen pieces of permanent art. The busy Philadelphia airport showcases both permanent and rotating art.
Brick cladding for bridge supports by Andrew Leicester
