Alexandria Public Art Implementation Plan
For more than a decade, Alexandria’s Public Art Implementation Plan, led by Bressi and Via Partnership has guided one of the most robust public art programs in the Washington, D.C., region. It emphasizes three thematic tracks – “time and place,” “natural and urban systems,” and “gathering places” – that create room for the wide variety of public art projects people in the city would like to see. Since the plan was completed, Bressi has assisted Alexandria with its annual public art planning process, which allows the program to respond to ongoing opportunities and priorities while managing towards a long-term vision.
Date | 2013
Client | City of Alexandria, Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs
Collaborators | Via Partnership
In 2013, Bressi and collaborator Via Partnership helped the City of Alexandria create its Public Art Implementation Plan, which included a robust set of processes by which the City establishes its public art priorities and manages its portfolio of projects.
Alexandria’s public art program is unique in that the City allocates a lump sum of funding to the program each year. Therefore, one of the key tools the Implementation Plan introduced is a process for creating an Annual Public Art Work Plan – which identifies priorities and projects going forward.
For the past ten years, Bressi has continued consulting with Alexandria to help its public art staff and its Commission for the Arts develop the annual plan. Each plan identifies priority projects for the coming year, and also includes a two-year look ahead so that the staff and commission can ensure there is a diversity of projects in regard to geography, theme, scale, and temporality. In addition, the look-ahead allows the program to do forward planning for future projects.
The Work Plan is developed in collaboration with a Task Force that meets four times to assess opportunities, visit potential sites, develop recommendations, and review the draft of a plan. As part of the process, Bressi leads the staff in interviews with capital project managers and planners from various City departments, and reviews of city planning and private development initiatives. Over the years, the program has assembled a comprehensive mapping of infrastructure, facilities, and public art projects, providing easy spatial analysis.
Explore the full plan here.- link needs to be edited
