Leonardtown Public Art Master Plan
Leonardtown, in Southern Maryland, sought a plan to identify and prioritize future sites for public art investments. Bressi developed a plan that established three principles — public art should be included in whatever the Town buildings in the future, public art should be woven into everyday placemaking, and projects should build on a variety of town traditions and creative resources.
Date | 2026
Client | Town of Leonardtown
Collaborators | Jo Davis
Leonardtown, Md., is a small, traditional Southern Maryland town with a clear vision of who it is and what it wants to be.
For more than two centuries, it thrived as an agricultural port and civic hub on the sheltered harbor of Breton Bay, off the Potomac River. In recent decades, it has become a popular destination for arts and water-related tourism, while maintaining its essential town character and tight-knit community, and welcoming new residents associated with a nearby military base and regional employers.
Like many communities, Leonardtown is clear-eyed about how public art can support its goals for quality of life, economic development, and community identity. The purpose of this Public Art Master Plan is to describe how public art can be integrated into Leonardtown’s vision for growth, development, and community life, while reflecting its inherent character.
The plan outlines two principles: that the town should include public art in the projects that it builds, and that the town should make public art part of everyday life and experience in Leonardtown. The plan identifies about ten future projects, suggests that public art opportunities be presented, and includes a basic framework for making planning decisions about public art as capital projects are developed. The plan also suggests more than a dozen placemaking projects, ranging in timespan from a few hours to a few months, that could not only ensure there are always fresh experiences in tow but also engage with the local creative community, from fabric artists to machinists.
The plan was adopted unanimously by the Town Commissioners in February, 2026.
Explore the full plan here.
