Art in the Public Realm

The making and viewing of art has always played a critical role in the transformation of culture and society. Throughout history, artists have reflected upon and responded to the events of their time, imagining new pathways toward an unknown future. Art in the Public Realm bridges traditional public art practices and new forms of direct engagement and exchange in order to provide undergraduate students and citizens-at-large the capacities essential to the conception, making, and engagement with public art. Faculty and students draw upon diverse disciplines including the arts, social sciences, science, engineering, computer science, design, and more in order to explore complex issues and successfully realize creative work. Examples of this can be seen from courses as wide-ranging as a commission from the U.S. State Department for the public art installation at the new U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway, to an ongoing social practice in art course focused on collaborating with local residents of the town of Bennington, to a Sister Cities Project in the Philippines, to a collaboration between a photographer and an anthropologist on documenting the impacts of the war in Afghanistan. Outside partners include governmental agencies and NGOs, local residents, and organizations from the region and beyond.