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A panel of the nation's foremost artists working in the public realm present their public art projects followed by a discussion: What is public art’s role in creating powerful contemporary spaces?
From traditional war memorials to murals reflecting cultural identity, strong public art can create powerful public spaces. Public art is a transformative element that builds an identity of place through context, a quality that has been largely lacking in American public spaces. How are public artists addressing these new challenges for diverse and meaningful democratic places in the twenty-first century?
The panel of six prominent artists working in the public realm includes two artists currently working on new pieces in Los Angeles, funded through the Community Redevelopment Agency/LA. Buster Simpson’s project at the entrance of the Third Street tunnel and Kim Abeles’ projection installation on Hill Street address contemporary public art issues of time-based permanent installations and light medias in public spaces. Artists Barbara McCarren (MFA 1986) and Carl Cheng are both represented in numerous Los Angeles and Southern California public art collections.
McCarren's work on "Foretokens," a public art project for the King Road Golf Course, was commissioned by the City of San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs. "Foretokens" represents a series of cast bronze amulets in high relief seated on 36” high concrete bases and located the teeing area of each hole on a public golf course.
The concept for the artwork “Foretokens” is based on the tradition of superstition and luck-bringing objects among golfers. It is the intent, with Foretokens, to embrace the notion of superstition and to extend the relevance of amulets and talismans beyond the purely personal. The artist has included objects that refer to local cultures, history and landmarks.
McCarren and USC School of Fine Arts Professor Jud Fine collaborated with landscape architects Robert J. Mueting and Larry Mouri on "Maís" in Cesar Chavez Park in Long Beach, California. McCarren and Fine's "Maís" contributions revolve around the idea of a coastal farm. One aspect of their art plan is a textual maze inscribed with quotations relating to the dignity of agrarian labor and life, the integrity of earthly flora, and the importance of the coastal farm. Those poets and activists quoted include Ernesto Galarza, Theodore Roethke, Joy Harjo, Pablo Neruda and Booker T. Washington. Ernesto Galarza, who is quoted around the outer-ring of the maze, stands out as the first spokesman in the United States for the rights of migrant farm laborers. The center of the maze is a seating area that contains an olive tree, an important food crop in Mediterranean climates and an enduring symbol of peace.
Kim Yasuda, another USC MFA alumna, explores temporary installations in public spaces, as does Stephen Glassman’s recent bamboo public art installation for the City of West Hollywood. With noted moderator Maya Emsden, director of the MTA MetroArt division, the panelists will present their recent public art projects followed by a discussion on the topic: What is public art’s role in creating powerful contemporary public places?
A reception will precede the panel session from 6:00 – 6:30 PM in the Andrus Gerontology foyer. The event will be video taped and streamed on the school’s website.
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