resources for public artists

Study Programs

The following is a list of college and universities that offer programs in public art for artists and administrators. To add a program, e-mail pan@artsusa.org.

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
The Herberger College of Fine Arts at Arizona State University offers an 18-hour masters-level certificate program that will serve students entering the competitive field of public art. The program offers a comprehensive background in the historical roots and contemporary issues related to public art and prepares students to manage public art collections and/or apply for public art commissions. The certificate is open to all students in the Graduate College, regardless of their area of discipline, but is particularly relevant to students in the areas of studio art, art history, architecture, environmental design, engineering and construction.

For more information, contact the Herberger College of Fine Arts at Arizona State University, T 480.965.6536, e-mail Dianne Cripe at DIANNE.CRIPE@asu.edu, or log on to the website at http://herbergercollege.asu.edu/public_art/certificate/. To apply to the Arizona State University Graduate College for non-degree status, see http://www.asu.edu/graduate/ for the application procedure.

California State University, Monterey Bay, CA
The Institute for Visual and Public Arts within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences offers a program focused on the artist’s relationship to its audience and community, and the creation of art as a social act. The program is for undergraduate artists and art educators seeking to earn their BA or BFA. Their website http://csumb.edu/academic/descriptions/vpa.html offers course descriptions, an extensive list of FAQ’s, and the program’s educational approach. For more information, contact Amalia Mesa-Bains, T 831.582.3005 or e-mail vpa@csumb.edu.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
This public art concentration within one of the largest and most comprehensive university sculpture departments in the country offers eight courses to undergraduate and graduate students emphasizing the practice of art-making in the public realm.  Students get hands-on experience in real-world situations, supported by critical inquiry and practical training in the business of being a public artist.  Through project-based courses students collaborate with community and civic organizations, public officials, design professionals and others to explore issues such as environmental sustainability, social service, monuments and memorials, history, heritage, and ethnicity.  Field experience occurs in Chicago as well as Charleston, SC, and sites throughout the world including Istanbul.  The educational experience is further enhanced by taking place within the context of SAIC’s extensive academic resources and Chicago’s position as a major cultural center.

For more information, please contact:
John Parot
Administrative Director
Departments of Sculpture, Ceramics, and Performance
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
T 312.443.3754
sculpturesaic@artic.edu
www.artic.edu/saic/

The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Offers a graduate program in public art. The only program of its kind in the United States, it is a two year professional degree program designed to meet the training needs of those seeking a career in public art. The program is geared towards arts administrators, public art consultants, cultural policymakers, grant writers, non-profit directors and public artists. Their website, www.usc.edu/publicart, includes a list of courses offered, a course schedule, faculty list, and information about the program’s educational approach.

For more information, contact Caryl Levy, Director, or Zipporah Lax, Assistant Director at T 213.743.4562 or e-mail pasprog@usc.edu.

The University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Offers a course series for artists in Public Art that fuses art, design architecture and landscape architecture. Interdisciplinary coursework includes theoretical investigation, design studio and community design/build projects. The program’s website www.studypublicart.org/ includes a course list, faculty list, and information about the program’s educational approach. For more information, contact Professor John T. Young, T 206.543.0997 or e-mail jtyoung@u.washington.edu.