Many LAs recently in Minneapolis for the annual ASLA get-together enjoyed viewing the Sculpture Garden there.

In our neighborhood, southern Calif., if you visit Watts, you will see a most unusual series of nine sculptures (Watts Towers) constructed of structural steel and covered with mortar?EUR??,,????'??+representing 33 years of work by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia.

Some cities are fond of murals. Philadelphia, for instance, has more the 2,300 murals, reputedly more than any city in the U.S.

The major cities, of course, have some grandiose artworks: D.C. has the Vietnam War Memorial and Lincoln Memorial; Manhattan has the big, small and whimsical of public art. But what about smaller, unobtrusive cities? Take Atascadero, Calif., for instance, situated along the central coast. On Dec. 1, 2006, Atascadero made known its Arts in Public Places Program and policy on art displayed longer than 30 days in public spaces, i.e., ?EUR??,,????'??procedures and standards ?EUR??,,????'??? to encourage appreciation, acceptance and support by the public of visual arts in public places owned or leased by the city.?EUR??,,????'??

Atascadero does not make displaying public art simple: Plans and placement for proposed artwork must be submitted to the Community Services Department, then Park & Rec will appoint a five-member ad hoc advisory committee from selected members of the Atascadero Public Arts Committee (APAC)?EUR??,,????'??+those ?EUR??,,????'??most knowledgeable about the art form.?EUR??,,????'?? The ad hoc group will be led by a nonvoting member of the Parks & Rec Commission (PRC).

Following public hearing(s), PRC will recommend approval (and perhaps some changes) or reject it. The city council will then review the proposal, together with the recommendations of the APAC and PRC, then approve, reject, or suggest modifications.

The Community Services Department will solicit membership from interested Atascadero citizens to serve on the APAC. The city recommends candidates have backgrounds as artists, art teachers, art historians, art collectors, architects, landscape architects or be board members of nonprofit art groups.