Public Art Strategy is the backbone of good placemaking, culturally sensitive artwork and truly adding value to public space. So what exactly does an art strategy entail and why is it so important?

At Art Pharmacy we are art strategists.

But what exactly does that mean?

Well, an art strategy is basically a guide for installing good public art.

As art consultants we develop strategies that are site specific, tailored to our clients and easy to implement.

So why is it important?

A good art strategy is vital to the implementation of public art that adds value to space and is long lasting.

This involves bringing together the context of the site, its history, the communities values, possible artwork opportunities and devising an overarching art narrative that acts as a vision for the site.

Public art strategy is the backbone of good placemaking, culturally sensitive artwork and artwork longevity.

Art Pharmacy’s 3 pillars of Public Art Strategy: Facts, Fun and Finish

PHASE 1: THE FACTS
This is all about asking the who/ what/ why/ where questions.

We ask these questions, investigate the site, and put together an Art and Cultural Snapshot which informs our curatorial direction.

PHASE 2: THE FUN
This is the part where we take the facts and we think BIG, considering the overall vision for the site. We develop an Art Narrative that tells a story and encapsulates the curatorial strategy in a few words.

We use our public art best practice to start to consider all the art opportunities including:

Art Placements (Where are the opportunities for art to be located?)
Art Typographies (What kind of art could feature – mural, sculpture, installation?) and
Art Integration (How does art integrate with the community, wellness and client values?)

PHASE 3: THE FINISH
This is when we take the broad curatorial art narrative and refine it using our high level implementation plan. We get down to the nitty gritty to artist selection, commission, program and budget the proposed project.

Is your next project in need of an Art Strategy?

Whether you need a brand sensitive art narrative or a strategic art framework for a masterplan or major health project, we have you covered with common-sense, actionable strategy.