With an eye to expanding the impact of public art, improving residents’ access to it, and strengthening DC’s public art ecosystem, Via worked with Todd W. Bressi to develop an update to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ Public Art Master Plan, which we originally authored in 2009.  Much has changed in DC and within CAH since 2009, and the plan addresses the role of CAH’s existing grant programs in the evolving landscape.

To develop the plan, we designed and facilitated five stakeholder-specific focus groups, developed and analyzed online surveys, conducted more than 15 stakeholder interviews, and developed an extensive benchmarking study. We collaborated with the project team to develop a full body of recommendations, focusing specifically on audience engagement and tools for creating public art. We also conducted three virtual open houses at which stakeholders responded to and made suggestions regarding the draft plan update. The final plan provides an exciting blueprint to support a vital and proactive public art organization. It provides six key lenses that elucidate how the program interacts with its key stakeholders and the broader public art ecosystem and how it can impact the entire city. 

Learn more about the plan.