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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:

  • Architects need to be less egotistical – built environments benefit from multiple layers of artistic input

  • Expand definition of "art" – even tight sites can have creative street furniture, landscape design, public lobby art, building murals, green walls, etc

  • 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

  • Where else does JOY come from?!

 

From Mark:

  • How does this fit into the project’s performance?

  • What does it replace?

  • Where does art go on tight urban sites?

  • What does art do for the community, the tenants, the building, the investors?

  • What happens if the art is “forced”?

     

From Gillian:

  • Bring artist in early. By getting an artist involved prior to final design can allow more freedom and unexpected outcomes.

  • Use "Embrace" at The Plant as an example that when public art piece was chosen it became the name and logo of the project.


  • 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.

  • Community engagement: artist leads public participation efforts in the surrounding community. Use "Pathways" in Fitchburg, MA, as example.

  • 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.

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