In a paper by its Public Art Network Advisory Council, the non-profit organization Americans for the Arts eloquently describes the power of art in public spaces: “Public art humanizes the built environment.... [It] activates the imagination through visual art and storytelling to emphasize the shared humanity of civic spaces—allowing the individual to better understand strangers and neighbors alike.”
These benefits can elevate institutional environments such as schools as well by cultivating a sense of belonging and pride in the space. As a unit operated under the New York City School Construction Authority, Public Art for Public Schools (PAPS) has overseen the development of original art installations at NYC school construction projects since 1989.
Interested artists can apply to create artworks across a range of mediums which are displayed as a permanent part of new public school buildings. Commissioned in partnership with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, designs are considered for durability, safety, and educational value, and are conceived in collaboration with project architects, community members, and local arts and culture representatives.
School Construction Authority president and CEO Nina Kubota said, “The SCA sees these art commissions as part of the very fabric of the school building. They send a message to the communities who use them that they deserve a state-of-the-art facility for learning.”
Among its 21 extraordinary new art commissions, PAPS recently announced an immersive glass mural created by artist duo Ghost of a Dream for the Pacific Park Campus of IS 653 in Brooklyn. Artists Lauren Was and Adam Eckstrom devised a geometric pattern composed of brilliant color bands featuring the text “Remember When Tomorrow Came” in 170 languages spoken by residents of New York City.
Los Angeles-based decorative glass specialist Pulp Studio employed a photographic process called PGI to ensure that the lively hues and text would pop on the graphic interlayer sandwiched between the tempered, laminated glass.
Spanning 18 feet in the middle school’s entry corridor, the mural was designed to celebrate the diversity and multiculturalism of the city’s residents, while interlocking shapes invoke a sense of community and cohesiveness. Together with the repeated text, the artwork presents a hopeful and inspiring message to students during the transition from elementary to high school years.
The latest school installations join a distinguished collection of nearly 2,000 artworks managed and preserved by PAPS for the NYC Department of Education. To learn more about PAPS’ artwork commissions, visit www.nycsca.org.
