NCLM.ORG 39 “Trying to make those local connections is really important,” Lange said, noting his office takes a “concentric circle” approach in reaching artists for projects, starting locally and working outward. “We do give favoritism to local artists,” he said, adding that about half of the artists his office has worked with have been North Carolina-based or local. There are numerous ways to reach local artists, Bennett indicated, including special listservs. He named the North Carolina Arts Council’s listserv among them. Also, local artists provide their email addresses, which can be stored and used for future calls, when applying for projects. The local arts councils, too, are great Expressions of public art—remember, it’s art—can vary widely. To barely scratch the surface: sculptures in parks or downtown plazas; graphic wraps to improve the looks of utility boxes or other unsightly infrastructure; sidewalks and crosswalks dazzled with painted designs; dynamic, mechanical whirligigs or installations with interactive components; and the classic, popular mural. continued from page 35 resources for connections to area artists and may be particularly great relationships for municipalities with limited staffing and resources. “Now we have a pretty large list of artists, who are on the lookout for our projects,” Bennett said. He and Lange discussed numerous additional facets of public art development, maintenance, and budgeting during the session, which also included a cautionary tale for cities and towns in selecting artists to work with. The full episode of the podcast, “So You Want to Commission a Mural,” is online https://municipalequation. libsyn.com. Public Art
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