At the Dublin Arts Council, we believe public art is a dialogue. We view public art as a dynamic process and exchange of ideas rather than a static object. When I spot an Exuvia sculpture hidden in the trees of Coffman Park, I can almost hear the brood cicadas from my childhood. I become curious about what other creatures may be cohabiting in the world around me. When I drive by Feather Point, I am reminded of the twigs gathered by community members now forever encased in the sculpture’s metal arrangement. When I walk among the cement rows of Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees), I contemplate the changing landscape in Ohio and consider what may lie ahead. Public artworks reflect Dublin’s specific landscape, flora and fauna, local history and culture over time.
Art speaks
Feather Point
Feather Point by Olga Ziemska
Public artwork speaks to us in different ways.
It provokes questions about where we came from and where we are going. It brings us joy, inspires playfulness and can slow us down to consider who we are and how we are showing up in the world.
Public art is community dialogue, and in Dublin, public art has much to say.
Art powers imagination
Public artists are skilled, highly trained visionaries who give a gift to the community they serve. Through their creative practice, they weave together an ecosystem of people, ideas, landscapes and history that are specific to a place and then imagine something new.
The creative work of artists fuels our imagination and makes us more human. When we experience art in public places, we enter into a conversation with our local and global communities. We exchange reactions and opinions with others that may strengthen our connection, challenge our perspective, expand our understanding or motivate us to action.
Art impacts culture
Exuvia
Exuvia by Todd Smith
Public art is integral to the cultural landscape of Dublin. Dublin’s collection of public artworks distinguishes our community and creates a sense of place while contributing to Dublin’s aesthetic legacy.
The Dublin Art in Public Places program began in 1988 and has grown to more than 60 large, small-scale permanent, temporary and interactive public art projects today. The collection is currently valued at $3.8 million.
Dublin Arts Council maintains that public art should inspire an emotional response, provoke questions and invite interaction while encouraging ingenuity and creative discovery by artists.
Upcoming events
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Dublin Arts Council invites the community to join the public art conversation through “Public Art Speaks,” a series of free events hosted at selected public artworks in 2024. These one-day events promote community exchange through dialogue inspired by Dublin’s public art.
Many artworks in Dublin’s collection speak to themes and social issues vital to our community today. These include sustainability and the environment, mental health and wellbeing, and indigenous history, to name a few. “Public Art Speaks” provides an invitation for the community to revisit the collection to engage in dialogue together.
The first “Public Art Speaks” event will be held this summer at Watch House in Coffman Park.
Created by Todd Slaughter in 1998, Watch House was designed as a contemplative counterpoint to the adjacent group or family-oriented Dublin Community Recreation Center. Watch House has become an iconic artwork in Dublin’s collection and a beloved feature in the community park. The artist took inspiration from many layers of local history and culture to create the artwork, and these themes are ripe for continued exploration today.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the inspiration for this artwork through a Q and A with the artist during the event. Other events will include artist talks, community activities and fun ways to connect with public art. We look forward to inviting all those who live, work, learn, visit and play in Dublin to revisit, reconsider and reimagine what public art may be saying today.
Please join the public art conversation with the Dublin Arts Council at the “Public Art Speaks” events in 2024; stay tuned for more details about the events and other programming by visiting dublinarts.org.
Ava Morgan is the Public Art Manager of Dublin Arts Council.
Find eclipse inspired ARTboxes in April.
Photos courtesy of Dublin Arts Council
ARTBox
To celebrate the solar eclipse, the Dublin Arts Council is offering a sun and moon mask-making activity inside the ARTbox vessels throughout Dublin. During April, visitors will find art supplies and instructions on how to create a solar-inspired mask, along with “fun facts” about the eclipse. For more information on where to find an ARTbox, visit dublinarts.org.
