In a very real way, a public art program, taken as a whole, becomes a visual record of the community and its artistic development. It can be thought of a virtual museum that, over time, will chronicle the best of the works by local and regional artists. At the same time, this visual record becomes our most poignant way of speaking to future generations. More than history, more than literature, certainly more than science and technology, this record of public art will become our more powerful language for communicating to our grandchildren and to their grandchildren about our aspirations and about the things we valued most highly. Another emerging role for public art programs is the advancement and promotion of the urban design objectives of the city.
Artists are no longer content to make murals or create statues.
Rather, they take on the stuff of the city. The design team projects developed by Santa Cruz artists as part of the public art master plan process are a tribute to this new direction. For their subjects, they developed proposals for Neary Lagoon, the city landfill, the wharf, the entire beach front along the boardwalk, the San Lorenzo River, Mission Street and Branciforte Creek. Given the opportunity, the art program can reinforce the overall urban design goals of the city, creating gateways, delineating districts, improving the infrastructure. As this new, higher level of urban design quality is created, the standard of aesthetics for the community as a whole is raised.