August 8, 2023
Here is a sneak peek at the first episode of the Albuquerque Public Art Program's new podcast series, Take Another Look: "What is Public Art?" and podcast newsletter!

Sign up to continue receiving the Take Another Look Podcast E-Newsletter to get access to materials and resources discussed during the podcast.
Take Another Look: "What is Public Art?"
Take Another Look: "What is Public Art?" is a discussion between Sherri Brueggemann and Dr. Erika Doss.

Sherri, Erika, and host joni palmer, phd., discuss the definition of public art; the current trends, challenges, and opportunities in public art; as well as exciting projects and research they have in the works.

Listen and watch Take Another Look on:
Meet the Host
joni palmer's professional life has been a blend of practice and academia. Her professional practice experience in planning and design (working in both the public and private sectors) includes working for municipal, state and federal government, and private firms in Boston, Seattle and San Francisco. Currently she is a planning consultant whose work focuses on arts and cultural planning, community engagement, outdoor recreation, and wildlife conservation.

Her research includes: arts, culture & sustainable communities; reading & writing landscapes, which involves something she calls fieldbooks, as well as geopoetics and resilience planning.
Meet the Guests
Sherri Brueggemann is the City of Albuquerque Public Art Urban Enhancement Division Manager. She holds a Masters from UNM's School of Public Administration with emphasis in arts and cultural policy. Sherri was a founding member of the American for the Arts Public Art Network (PAN) and served on the PAN Council from 2000-2002.

She is also a former printmaker, special events coordinator, winery owner and adjuncts faculty at the University of New Mexico's College of Fine Arts, Arts Management Program.
Dr. Erika Doss was a professor in the Department of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame until recently, when she moved to Dallas to be the Edith O'Donnell Distinguished Chair at The Edith O'Donnell Institute of Art History, The University of Texas at Dallas.

Check out a few of Erika's books from University of Chicago Press.

Erika's books are available from online book sellers as well as at UNM Libraries and the Albuquerque Public Libraries.
Learn More About the People, Places, and Projects Discussed in Episode 1
Sandia Science & Technology Park (SS&TP)
Founded in 1998, the SS&TP is a 340-acre, master-planned technology community located south of Central Ave, along Eubank Blvd. Associated with Sandia National Laboratories and adjacent to Kirtland Air Force Base, SS&TP resident companies have easy access to world-class facilities, technologies, scientists, and engineers. From startups to large, established corporations, the SS&TP is where technology works.

Learn more about the Sandia Science & Technology Park:
Sunport Reimagined Renovation Project
The Albuquerque International Sunport is a treasured and invaluable asset for the Albuquerque community and state of New Mexico. The Dream of Flight project will not only upgrade the terminal's aging infrastructure to enhance the safety and security of the facility, but will provide a reimagined experience for the millions of travelers we welcome each year.
Monument Lab
Monument Lab is a nonprofit public art and history studio based in Philadelphia. Monument Lab works with artists, students, educators, activists, municipal agencies, and cultural institutions on participator approaches to public engagement and collective memory. Founded by Paul Farber and Ken Lum in 2012, Monument Lab cultivates and facilitates critical conversations around the past, present, and future of monuments.

Monument Lab defines monument as "a statement of power and presence in public."
Additional Readings and Resources
The Art In Municipal Places Ordinance was established in 1978 and created the purpose of the Public Art Program and the Arts Board, as well as the funding mechanism for the acquisition of public artworks. In October 2022, City Council approved an Ordinance change from 1% to 1.5% for Art AND updated the definition of public art to include temporary and digital media art!
Americans for the Arts is an organization that provides a wealth of resources and support for a wide range of people interested in arts and culture in the United States. Their "mission is to build recognition and support for the extraordinary and dynamic value of the arts and to lead, serve, and advance the diverse networks of organizations and individuals who cultivate the arts in America."
Are you interested in learning more about public art?! Here's a few of joni's suggested articles and books to get you started:
  • Becker, Jack. 2004. Public art: An essential component of creating communities. Americans for the Arts, Monograph March: 1-15.
  • Doss, Erika. 1995. Spirit poles and flying pigs: Public art and cultural democracy in American communities. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  • Doss, Erika. 2010. Memorial mania: Public feeling in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Finkelpearl, Tom. 2001. Dialogues in public art. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • Knight, Cher Krause. 2008. Public art. Theory, practice and populism. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
  • Lacy, Suzanne, ed. 1995. Mapping the terrain new genre public art. Seattle, WA: Bay Press.
  • Phillips, Patricia C. 1988. “Out of order: The public art machine.” Art Forum December: 92-96.
  • Raven, Arlene, Ed. 1989. Art in the public interest. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press.
  • Senie, Harriet F. and Sally Webster, eds. 1992. Critical issues in public art: Content, context, and controversy. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
City of Albuquerque Public Art Urban Enhancement Division | cabq.gov/publicart