Professional Development | Public Art Masterclass Part 1

Date published: 4/06/2015

Over three Sundays in May, nine artists had the opportunity to experience firsthand the challenges and benefits of presenting artwork concepts for a public art commission.

Over three Sundays in May, nine artists had the opportunity to experience firsthand the challenges and benefits of presenting artwork concepts for a public art commission.

The mock public art tender process was facilitated by artist and Public Arts Coordinator, Maggie Baxter, with designer, Jill Stiely, and Artsource Consulting Manager, Tabitha Minns also providing input and feedback. The sessions covered formulating a thorough response to an artist brief as well as preparing and delivering a concept presentation. They comprised the first part of Artsource’s Public Art Masterclass Series, which is aimed at assisting professional artists interested in incorporating public art into their practice.

Public art is challenging at best. What came through strongly in the discussion over the three days, was that successful public art projects require a rare combination of artistic integrity, project management skills, business sense, relationship management skills, including negotiation and communication skills, and a thick skin. As Maggie put it, “public art is not for the faint hearted.”

Being at the intersections of art, public policy, and private development, the process of public art can be complex and confusing. The participants found that the Masterclass was most beneficial in the insight it provided into this challenging process. They also gleaned valuable feedback on their own approach, and benefitted from seeing their peers present and receive feedback as well. As one participant stated: “A hugely beneficial process. Going through the process and receiving expert feedback has given me a lot of insight.”

The WA State Percent for Art Scheme is over 25 years old now, and many WA local governments have also established their own schemes. Stakeholders and businesses in the development industry are becoming more familiar with public art and their appreciation of artistic practice is slowly becoming more sophisticated. While there is still much education to be done, there are some architects and developers who have learned the value of collaborating with artists, and value artistic contributions to a project. Good public art has a close relationship to an artist’s existing studio practice, but also requires design compromises along the way, as issues of public safety, authority guidelines, coherence in urban design, or other factors come into play.

Our Public Art Masterclass Series is part of the services Artsource offers to support artists. We advocate for best practice and innovation in public art, curation, art policy, commissioning, and community engagement through our work in Consulting Services. For more information visit or call 9335 8366 to speak with one of our Consultants.