Throughout the history of civic spaces, public art traditionally has been a commemorative metaphor to memorialize culture and history. Past leaders, events and culture throughout time have been immortalized in bronze and stone and placed on pedestals at the center of civic spaces. Today, as urban designers and Landscape Architects play a part in the renewal of civic spaces, public art has transcended its traditional role and brought a new perspective into shaping the urban landscape.

As the experience of building architecture expands beyond facades and as the landscape architecture image of traditional backgrounds become objectively visible, public art has often transitioned landscape and architecture. The revival of public art is evident in widespread interest of national and local public or private agencies commissioning numerous works for public art. A mainstream of federal, state and local governmental agencies have adopted ordinances to require a small percentage of all capital improvements projects be appropriated for the acquisition of public art.

The modern definition of public art has expanded beyond traditional indoor and outdoor statues, sculpture and paintings. Architectural elements such as doors, windows, railings, columns and outdoor elements such as fountains, paving designs, lighting, benches, walls and landscape are the new palette for artistic interpretation and design. As public funds for art increase, public artists are now in the competition arena to collaborate with architects and Landscape Architects to design and define public space.

Public Art and Landscape Design

Hollis Gardens in Lakeland, Fla. is a 1.4 acre formal garden located within historic Lake Mirror Park designed by Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin Lopez Rinehart. Public art was used throughout the design as focal elements within each garden and transitional area. The art displays included sculptural pots, decorative swans, interactive fountains and intricate wrought iron gate detailing.

As a designer of landscape spaces and public art, I've always felt that the creation of space has always been more than locating objects within an urban or rural fabric. It has always been more than "treeing" or "shrubbing" up a park, street or building. For me, public art means much more than just "filling up" large voids and dropping statues, monuments, and fountains in the middle of spaces.

Landscape architecture is about generating social and cultural harmony and excitement through the creation of meaningful places. Harmony of sounds, forms, color, light, textures, aromas and aura arranged in a manner that creates an overall sense of beauty, feeling or experience. The art of landscape design is the arrangement of space that creates emotion or feeling. By instilling passion and meaning into what and why we design space can provide newfound social interpretation of how we work, play and live.

Public art has brought new exciting opportunities for Landscape Architects and architecture. In most instances, where engineering values effect landscape budgets, public art can improve and restore original design experiences. From sculptural pots, benches, tree grates and retaining walls to arbors, railings, and screen walls, public art agencies have provided monetary sources to design and build civic elements for public spaces. Although at times issues of territory and ownership boundaries can occur between public artist and Landscape Architects, eventually an exciting collaborative relationship can result that will ultimately benefit the site.

Integrating Art Into Landscape Design

There are many examples illustrating how public art and landscape architecture has come together. In addition to appropriated funds or grants through public agencies, donations from private institutions or individuals have become increasingly prevalent. Besides state and local governmental agencies, numerous grant opportunities can be found through the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington D.C. These new opportunities drive us to re-evaluate how art can be incorporated into design.

Architects and user-groups are often mandated by local agencies to incorporate non-contextual art pieces in the design at the end of the project. In certain cases, this is appropriate, such as in gardens where formal spaces are constructed to exhibit touring artistic pieces. However, the arts community can contribute to the design of places in much more diverse ways. By including commissioned artists early in the process, they can provide insight on the design and may find integral art opportunities within the context of the project. Rather than ‘dropping in’ a piece of non-contextual art piece, the use of fountains, fences, benches or other items can actually become part of the artist’s piece. This approach will provide unforeseen design opportunities to the overall emotion and experience of the space. In the course of the design process, the critical aspect early on is to identify possible locations for public art and how it could either enhance or elaborate the overall conceptual idea. The art element of a project should be introduced early on in the design process in order to elevate the possibilities between the various user groups and design professionals.

Commissioned Public Art

Public art can add invaluable visual appeal to any location by drawing attention to the site. The successful integration of art and landscape design can create a unique and identifying landmark, such as the Hawaii State Hospital's Healing Hand by Sean K.L. Browne and the sun dial at the Palm Desert Park in California.

Working as part of an urban design or landscape architectural team, public art has come in various forms of integration and media within our projects. The following three projects illustrate how commissioned public art was integrated into the overall site design:

1) Orlando Downtown Library - Orlando, Fla.

2) Hollis Gardens - Lakeland, Fla.

Gate City in Osaki, located near Tokyo, is a mixed-use development that includes office retail and residential space. Thomas Balsley Associates designed the main entry plaza, the public garden and the cafe area.

Hollis Gardens is a 1.4 acre formal garden located within historic Lake Mirror Park. The concept is "The Domestication of Florida." Through the use of a series of garden rooms, the Garden chronicles the history of Florida from the untamed native wilderness through the Agrarian period, to a level of refinement and maturity. This transition is shown through three primary garden elements: Flora, Architecture, and Water.

In the Wilderness zone, the flora includes native plantings and a butterfly garden. The architectural materials are native Florida limestone and granite. The water represents a Florida natural spring. Representing the Agrarian period, the Garden rooms showcase tropical fruits, citrus, herb gardens, vegetables, and planted pines. The architecture is classic Mediterranean and the water is channeled through bowls and runnels expressing man's attempt to control water for his sustenance.

The Refinement area of the Garden includes the lush "Color Gardens" that lead the eye toward the Lake Mirror promenade and fountain. A recurring element throughout the Garden is the use of swans, which is the City's mascot and logo. They are also featured in the Rosette Fountain, the focal point of the Garden, and in the swansemble balustrading (see page 56) along the promenade.

During the design process and masterplan for the park, locations for public art opportunities were identified. Public art was used throughout the area as focal elements within each of the garden rooms and transitional zones. The design highlighted various public art elements including sculptural pots, decorative swans, interactive fountains and intricate wrought iron gate detailing. Perhaps the most intriguing art piece is a bronze sculpture by Robert J. Wick called "Window" located in the red garden room.

3) Orange County Law Enforcement Memorial - Orlando, Fla.

The World Trade Center Osaka in Japan contains many striking artistic elements, such as sculpted stainless steel cones that emit mist in the summer and fog in the winter. Since the space was divided, one of the goals for Thomas Balsley Associates, the Landscape Architects of the project, was to unify the design. The unique end result reflects the futuristic elements and space technology celebrated by the city of Osaka.

Since 1870, 27 law enforcement officers have been killed in Orange County, Fla. and its incorporated cities while performing their official duties. Appropriately located at the stairs of the Orange County Courthouse, the goal for the Orange County Law Enforcement Memorial was to create a bold, dramatic landscape organized around the concept of "The Thin Blue Line", and to complement the "eternal flame".

With local artist Frank Randolph, the intent of the memorial was not to create a single object for mute admiration, but a complete commemorative site that told a story. With the Eternal Flame and Monument serving as the focal point and heart of the space, the space structurally and functionally is organized around the concept of the "The Thin Blue Line".

"The Thin Blue Line" is a universal world known phrase known to law enforcement. It denotes the final barrier, which stands between lawful and lawless citizens. Although there is a clear understanding of this phrase, there is a lack of understanding of what it means to be part of the line. A circular form best depicts the line and represents unity, strength and state of being whole. Being part of this line has the rewards of providing leadership, guidance, and protection to its community amongst all other professions and the reality is the line will break. And the only time this line is broken or disrupted is when an Officer has fallen or is injured in the course of executing his sworn duty. The space is organized by a series of broken circles with the monument serving as the anchor to hold these circular forms together.

At night and from a distance, a blue fiber optic line reflects off the interior pedestals creating the image of broken blue line. Beyond the seat wall, there is a healing garden composed of radiating broken circles, which symbolize the rippling effect of what happens when an officer has fallen. Within the circles are alternating bands of broken granite cobbles and textured landscape. The broken cobbles and textured landscape reflect on how lives the families and friends of fallen officers are forever changed. The memorial creates an experience for reflection and remembrance, as well as leaving each visitor with an impressive self-interpretive image of the fallen officers. This project in particular is a good example of how to incorporate art and meaning within a landscape design.

The Public Art Debate

The beautiful Hollis Gardens features the use of a series of garden rooms chronicling the history of Florida from the untamed native wilderness through the Agrarian period, to a level of refinement and maturity. This transition is shown through three primary garden elements: Flora, Architecture, and Water. Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin Lopez Rinehart completed the landscape design for the project.

As public art ordinances are adopted nationwide and public art becomes more prevalent in civic spaces today, many critical issues come to the forefront. Commonly, the first critical question is its aesthetic. Is it appropriate? Does it have any contextual relationship? How does it relate to us as a community? How much is it and am I paying for it? Art through time has been about instilling human emotion and reaction. To some artists, controversy and media intrigue is a factor indicating the success of the piece. Another aspect of success is, how it functions and naturally blends within its context.

Modern day public art does not always have to be about extreme forms and bold colors. Nor does it have to include traditional elements such as fountains, benches and retaining walls. Although public opinion will always debate on aesthetics and appropriateness, early discussions between the design team and the concerns of the public will significantly minimize opposing expectations.

A more recent debate has revolved around public art programs. Since the inception of these programs, critics have argued about whether the hidden agenda of public art programs is to divert attention away from more critical governmental urban design and planning issues. Is public art a quick aesthetic fix for vacant civic spaces? Does it create identity and revitalize a city section or does this new image exclude others?

In general, public art programs do not provide complete instructions on how cities should build themselves, but the programs are now a critical part of the debate. The abundant inception of public art in diverse urban places will create new discussion and possibilities. I believe these new opportunities will form energetic mutual relationships amongst public agencies, planners, urban designers, Landscape Architects, architects and public artist. Consequently, professionals will question the boundaries of art, architecture, urban design and landscape and search for the true meaning of public or civic space.

Whether incorporating public art, or instilling art within the landscape, landscape design should attempt to create social, interactive and meaningful experiences. Although public art social validation is not a prerequisite, Landscape Architects have a responsibility to be sensitive to a client's needs and social relationships. Contextual landscape design and integrated public art should be the goal for most projects. A complete understanding of all the associated site issues can turn innovative ideas into reality through the design process.

In retrospect, public art and landscape architecture boundaries will always cross paths. But in the end, artistic interpretation and functional response to past, present and future social issues that will bring true meaning to the landscape.