Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Teacher's Tips: Leave time to just plain play this summer ... 22 hurt in rollover of shuttle bus ... Ticket availability ... Teacher's Tips: Leave time to just plain play this summer ... 22 hurt in rollover of shuttle bus ... Ticket availability ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Public art vs. private art Comment By David Sherr DailyTidings.com By David Sherr Posted Jun. 27, 2016 at 12:01 AM By David Sherr Posted Jun. 27, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News In reference to letter by Michael Niemann, "On the role of art": He writes, "One of art's crucial functions is to disrupt the way things are, to make us look again in disbelief, to open vistas we hadn’t known were there." Is he referring here to personal art — art designed by the artist to reflect his or her own personal vision and preferences? Or to public art? Traditionally, personal art, per se, has been regarded as an entirely separate animal, has been defined differently, and as such has served a wholly disparate function from that of public art. The intent of public art, unlike personal art, has customarily been to reflect and heighten the esthetic sense and values of the community within the public space where it dwells. This is even more crucial when public art is placed within a historic district. The Public Arts Commission has unfortunately blurred the distinction between these two separate functions of art in the redo of the Plaza three years ago, and recently its spearheading of the Gateway Island art installation project, to the continued detriment and ongoing consternation of many here. Both public art projects have been handled by the PAC in a personal, proprietary and decidedly un-public manner, and both have caused unprecedented controversy for our community. In an article subtitled "Good Public Art Depends on Good Public Spaces" in Public Art Review, Fred Kent and Cynthia Nikitin describe in the first paragraph the defects in the way our PAC and other communities have dealt with their public art process, and thankfully outline an alternative approach: " 'It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people; what is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.' —William H. (Holly) Whyte "During the past two or more decades, communities around the country have fallen victim to the relentless machinations of a group of people with an overdeveloped, overspecialized “creative function,” who see themselves as experts rather than collaborators or service providers. In the face of these experts and their implicit authority, communities have been intimidated and made to feel impotent. The public has been convinced to leave the creative function solely in the hands of the specially trained — namely architects, artists, and designers — and to abdicate its role in nurturing the creative life of the city. As a result, the communal psyche has atrophied and the public realm has suffered. Projects — whether public art, public parks, or public transportation — designed without the community in mind have provoked fierce criticism by host communities. That criticism is based on, among other things, a lack of trust in the motives of the professionals involved, who often serve something other than the public good and whose priorities are often different from those of the community." The rest of this article is at http://www.pps.org/…/collaborative-creative-placemaking-go…/ David Sherr of Ashland is editor of the Ashland Plaza Restoration Project. By David Sherr DailyTidings.com By David Sherr Posted Jun. 27, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501