City of Oak Creek
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In communities large and small, arts and culture are important contributors to the quality of life for residents. The City of Oak Creek is in the early stages of developing a Public Art Playbook to inspire a future public art initiative in our city.
What is Public Art?
Simply put public art is art in public spaces. The term “public art” may conjure images of historic bronze statues of a soldier on horseback in a park. Today, public art can take a wide range of forms, sizes, and scales—and can be temporary or permanent. It often interprets the history of the place, its people, and perhaps addresses a social or environmental issue. Public art can include murals, sculpture, memorials, integrated architectural or landscape architectural work, community art, digital new media, and even performances and festivals!
(Source: Americans for the Arts)
Oak Creek Public Art Initiative: Art OC
A group of City staff have been convened as the initial task force to:
- outline a vision and goals for public art in the community,
- identify key opportunities for projects and initiatives, and
- define procedures for decision-making and oversight.
The Art OC Mission
Art OC seeks to create memorable experiences for residents and visitors through art expression in the City of Oak Creek by engaging the public, empowering the local art community, and creating a playbook for the production and installation of permanent and temporary works of art.
But what is a Public Art Playbook without input from the public?
In late 2021, we asked our residents and visitors to help shape the future of public art in Oak Creek by answering a brief survey, and we had a great response! As soon as we finish tabulating those results, we'll share them here, so please check back soon.
This input helps us better understand where and how public art can have a strong impact on the quality of life and sense of community pride in Oak Creek, as we formulate a plan for our initiative.