Emeryville Public Art Master Plan

Emeryville, California

WHY

Emeryville’s vision to be a city that values art comes from a long legacy of public art champions and a 25-year commitment to investing in the arts at a citywide level. Today the city’s Art in Public Places Program (AiPP) has nearly 70 publicly-owned art works and 230 art installations available to the public in private locations. Both collections are growing as the city continues to commission work and private development extends AiPP’s reach. The Public Art Master Plan of 2016 was intended to define AiPP’s current focus and ensure it resonated with all community stakeholders.

HOW

The planning process included meeting with numerous key stakeholders — council members, local business owners, artists, city staff, architects, and educators — who were asked a series of questions about the importance of public art in Emeryville. Emeryville residents were also invited to participate in a series of workshops where they were asked to consider geographic priorities, what new types of art they would like to see, and how they would like to see the Art in Public Places Program grow. All were asked to consider what values and attributes make Emeryville stand out in a region known for artistic excellence and innovation.

WHAT

The Emeryville Public Art Master Plan was adopted in November 2016. It featured six major goals and strategies, nine conceptual projects, and six conceptual programs.