What is Public Art?

  • ​Maui County has many instances of art — including galleries, arts centers, theaters, outdoor exhibitions, school-based projects and more. This plan considers public art to be planned or executed outside of a gallery or theater context and intended specifically for presentation within free and public view, with the following criteria: A) commissioned by a public process; B) characterized by interaction or dialogue with the community; and C) site-specific, meaning that it is created in response to the place in which it resides.  
  • “While a layman’s definition of public art may be “art installed in public spaces,” public art is more than that. State arts agencies and public art practitioners stress that public art is a product of community investment and stakeholder dialogue that doesn’t just occupy but also actively shapes public space.” — National Assembly of State Arts Agencies State Policy Brief

This plan positions the future of public art as a driving force for community cohesion, innovation, and positive transformation. It underscores the importance of sustained partnerships and adaptability in realizing this vision.
​In 2023, we completed a public art master plan focused on the County of Maui’s unique cultures, resources, needs and desires. The plan will join the ranks of 700+ public art programs that have been developed nationwide, and is meant to evolve with community sentiment.

Funded through a grant award by the National Endowment for the Arts, the plan provides a framework for the development and acquisition of public art, participation in the selection process, areas of opportunity, maintenance & conservation, community education & outreach, and recommendations for the future.

Background

  • Historically, public art was often commissioned and funded by rulers, religious institutions, or wealthy patrons. Artists had limited creative freedom.
  • Public art was typically a solitary endeavor by artists or artisans.
  • Over time, it has become a dynamic force for positive change in communities.
  • After the establishment of the National Endowment for the Arts in 1965, the field of Public Art underwent significant change. As more and more cities adopted “percent for art” ordinances, Public Art has evolved from a process that placed large-scale versions of studio sculpture in unrelated spaces into the broader understanding that art may take various forms, including being routinely integrated into the surroundings in which it is placed in, often becoming part of building or structure itself. On Maui, we include the performing arts - which is rare nationally. 
  • It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach or replicable model, and that public art is planned for and implemented uniquely in different communities. 
  • Universal benefits: 1) Cultural Value and Community Identity; 2) Social Value and Placemaking; 3) Collaboration; 4) Economic Value and Regeneration

Project Timeline

  • Feb 22, 2021: Submit NEA application: Creating Countywide Criteria for Public Art on Maui
  • Nov 9, 2021: NEA awards grant with Jan 1, 2022 > Dec 31, 2023 period of performance 
  • Jan 21, 2022: "Where should public art go in Maui County? Survey seeks community input" (Maui Now)
  • Jan 25, 2022: "Future plans for more culturally rooted art to be painted on Maui" (KHON2)
  • Apr 2022: Launch pilot programming at 3 new sites: Kahoʻolawe, Kahului and Lānaʻi City
  • May 2022: "Painting the Town: Wailuku" (Maui No Ka Oi Magazine)
  • Sept 7, 2022: "Our Town Grant Spotlight: SMALL TOWN * BIG ART" (NEA Blog)
  • April 21, 2023: "Survey asks: What do you want public art to look like in your Maui County district?" (Maui Now)
  • Apr 2023: Public Art Community Survey (4/11 & 4/28 newsletters)
  • Apr + May 2023: National case study site visits
  • Jun 5, 2023: Wailuku Arts District presentation/ update at Wailuku Community Association public meeting @ Empanada Lady (Maui Now)
  • Jun 30, 2023: Deliver draft plan to County of Maui
  • Jul 3, 2023: Public Art Survey Feedback (newsletter)
  • Jul 20, 2023: Present to Mayor Bissen 
  • Aug 3, 2023: County review of Public Art Fund proposal
  • Sept 30, 2023: Revisions deadline
  • Dec 31, 2023: NEA grant term ends
  • Apr 29, 2024: Final NEA report deadline
Why Public Art Matters (LINK)