Description

Project:
Madison Square Art’s annual symposium, scheduled for June 1, will address the subject of Removing Public Art .  Few issues in the field are more pressing today, as art historians and public officials grapple with the viability of longstanding monuments that are increasingly perceived as degrading and oppressive to many Americans.  The symposium takes place after New York City has come to its own conclusions on the matter, and while numerous other locales expedite removals or interventions. The panel brings together artists, curators and critics to explore the potential for productive progress in this arena. 
Rationale: 
As was the case with the Foundation’s funding of the 2017 symposium, Accessing Public Art , this grant will provide an opportunity for the American Art Program to continue its involvement in the field of public art while not funding the creation of works of art.  The Program’s other recent work in this vein includes a publication grant to Socrates Sculpture Park. These grants can be broadly viewed as a contribution to the attraction and building of new audiences for large-scale American sculpture and American art more generally.  Support for the annual symposium also serves a more targeted purpose than a generic “good neighbor” grant to the organization would do.  Last year’s symposium was exceedingly well-attended and provided a forum for very lively discussion.  This year’s beneficiaries will again include practitioners committed to the field of public art, and students and members of the general public who are becoming involved with it.