Workshop 6
AN ARCHITECT, AN ARTIST, AND A DEVELOPER WALK INTO A BAR
BostonAPP/Lab Notes from September 23, 2013
Questions on the table at this workshop were:
• Given these three perspectives, what are the overlapping interests that will, or that do, guarantee a workable, sustainable model for collaboration that embeds art into a project’s initial design and development concept? What are the opportunities? The constraints?
• What would a final “protocol,” or at least an informal, but rigorous, arrangement, look like?
• What collaborative tools can be developed to support this effort?
Leading the discussion was Tamara Roy, Senior Associate Principal with ADDInc.; Gillian Christy, Sculptor; and Mark McGowan, Manager of Development with Skanska.
From Tamara:
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Architects need to be less egotistical – built environments benefit from multiple layers of artistic input
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Expand definition of "art" – even tight sites can have creative street furniture, landscape design, public lobby art, building murals, green walls, etc
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Use MassArt as a positive example – all aspects are part of school’s mission to infuse city with art – landscape, building, commissioned art in public and private spaces, construction art
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Where else does JOY come from?!
From Mark:
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How does this fit into the project’s performance?
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What does it replace?
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Where does art go on tight urban sites?
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What does art do for the community, the tenants, the building, the investors?
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What happens if the art is “forced”?
From Gillian:
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Bring artist in early. By getting an artist involved prior to final design can allow more freedom and unexpected outcomes.
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Use "Embrace" at The Plant as an example that when public art piece was chosen it became the name and logo of the project.
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Collaborative design process with the team. Meeting with the group to determine public art design can be a fun process and meet needs of the project. This could be 4-12 weeks of design work, often with a $1500 fee to artist. This is more desirable than a contest or RFP selection process. Use "Wave Traveler" as example.
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Community engagement: artist leads public participation efforts in the surrounding community. Use "Pathways" in Fitchburg, MA, as example.
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Ultimate goals of public art: Create relatable pieces of art that are meaningful and are a powerful connection to the place in which they are sited.