BPACreating One Brooklyn through the Creative Arts!

Participatory Art/New Genre Public Art

In many neighborhoods of color as well as moderately

income neighborhoods, the arts are either non-existent or

limited to poorly funded school based programs. Even

worst, when local or community based organizations

attempt to provide art, they are required to comply with

rigid agency requirements, high costs and little media

exposure.

These overwhelming circumstances make art non-

essential or a low priority in the very communities that

need creativity the most.

“New genre public art” is different from object based

“public art”. The public has nothing to do with the first

process whereas “new genre public art” is based on the

relationship between the local space and the audience.

Great example is When Faith Moves Mountains by

Francis Alys. In the arid desert of Peru, five hundred

participants literally moved a sand dune ten centimeters

during this installation. It was a project for the 2002 Lima

Biennial and a commentary on the country„s transition

from a dictatorship to democracy.

So, what can we do?

Mix traditional Public Art +

Event-based Social Art

Getting public participation is very

difficult particularly when more

pressing human concerns demand

immediate attention. Cultivating

participation needs to be

underwritten partially.

City policies need to be a little

more flexible. And that does not

mean standards should be

lowered at all BUT the City of New

York is asking artists and arts

group take on TOO much risk

which limits small groups and

poorer neighborhoods from

engaging community residents

and visitors to art.

NRA/ERF acknowledges these

challenges and seeks to alleviate

some of these burdens.

•Get NYCDPR & NYCDOT to work collaboratively with the community which includes scheduling.

•Presently, multi-day special events permits are not allowed. Perhaps two day permits could be

allowed.

•Engineering studies are required by NYCDOT and quite expensive. NRA/ERF could sponsor

blanket insurance like the Times Square Alliance.

•Expedite the lengthy approval process which makes marketing and promotion difficult (even if

you submit a special events permit months in advance.

•Expedite outstanding capital contracts that would improve repairs and improvements.

Introduce

•Artists Residencies (paid time to develop projects)

•Artist Fellowships (merit based financial awards)

•Art making workshops for the public

•Art making workshops for artists

There is precedence in NYC & around the country

Creative Times 2010 Keys to the City

John Malpede 2004 RFK in EKY