New Land Marks

"What will we leave for future generations? What is it about a community that might inspire a work of art? Can that art give meaning to our public spaces?". "The artists and communities participating in the program New Land Marks: Public Art, Community, and Meaning of Place have been grappling with these challenging questions. The resulting book documents how a long-standing Philadelphia cultural organization - the Fairmount Park Art Association - initiated this program in order to plan and create unique public art projects with communities that volunteered to participate. Artists have been working with these communities to incorporate public art into ongoing community development, urban greening, civic history, streetscape enhancement, and other revitalization initiatives. The resulting proposals - which represent "works in process" - celebrate community identity, commemorate "untold" histories, inspire civic pride, respond to the local environment, and invigorate public spaces. This book is a guide for those interested in how communities and artists can examine the appearance and meaning of public spaces." "In addition to illustrating the work of the twenty-one artists participating in this innovative public art project, the book includes essays by noted authors Ellen Dissanayake, Thomas Hine, Lucy Lippard, and Penny Balkin Bach, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Art Association, who also served as general editor."--BOOK JACKET.