Roeland Park Public Art Master Plan
Roeland Park, Kansas
WHY
Roeland Park’s Public Art Master Plan is a guide to assist the City in expanding and implementing a thriving public art program. The City sought a sound policy framework to best steward its existing and future collection, in addition to specific project recommendations that met the unique needs of the community.
HOW
The plan was shaped by Roeland Park community members and stakeholders through individual conversations, focus groups and community workshops. Its objectives and ideas were informed by their biggest and boldest aspirations for public art, as well as Designing Local’s lens of national best practices. As Roeland Park seeks to build a collection that is as reflective of its community as possible, the planning process provided an opportunity to assess the context and condition of the current collection as it related to the goals outlined in the plan.
WHAT
The Public Art Master Plan will serve Roeland Park as a living document that aims to achieve a number of goals pertaining to placemaking, belonging, and connectivity through public art. Functioning as both a reference and a roadmap for Roeland Park’s future public art, the Public Art Master Plan provides unique recommendations for projects that will enliven the city and reveal its character. These recommendations address the foundational needs for public art in Roeland Park, and detail comprehensive policies for public art. The Plan also outlines clear workflows for the collection and its implementation, creative strategies for maximizing space and leveraging unconventional canvases for public art, as well as addressing community desires for dynamic future public art.
South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership Arts Plan
Elkhart, Marshall, and St. Joseph counties
WHY
Our planning team developed a suite of recommendations that will take the South Bend - Elkhart region’s current arts and culture landscape forward, from great to exceptional. Any region, county, or city can provide well-designed public spaces, or purposeful facilities, but a region that is seeking uncompromising, world-class experiences must also consider how these spaces will elevate its ways of thinking, working, and engaging in order to enrich the larger community’s cultural fabric. The region has all of the right ingredients to sustain its current arts and culture landscape, but this plan will enable the region to thrive.
With so many resources and so much functioning smoothly in the region, funders might overlook the South Bend - Elkhart region and instead distribute support to regions whose arts and culture landscape is not as well-stewarded. But with the region at the precipice of greatness, after decades of rebuilding and reconnecting with its heart and soul, this place is steps away from fully realizing its journey to become a thriving destination to live, work, play and grow.
HOW
The South Bend - Elkhart region is made up of Elkhart, Marshall, and St. Joseph counties, all of which have similar land areas, though their populations vary significantly. While much of the rural landscape is agricultural, many downtown areas provide hubs of arts and culture for residents in and around those areas. This plan was shaped by many communities and reveals a collective vision for regional growth through arts and culture experiences and economic activity. In order to fully execute the vision and goals of this plan, many organizations will need to work together across the region in various capacities. This plan provides a comprehensive guide to how regional, county, and local agencies and organizations will support the full potential of the South Bend - Elkhart regional arts and culture plan.
WHAT
The South Bend - Elkhart Regional Arts and Culture Plan goes beyond the surface to showcase the region’s capacity to be a national leader in the arts and culture landscape. This plan provides ample information about the region’s prime geographic location, its world-class arts and culture organizations, and its remarkable physical assets and facilities; beyond that, many individual organizations can provide ample data about its respective economic impact, outreach, visitor ship, engagement, and beyond.
While this plan primarily reflects a unique set of technical recommendations and strategies for the region to act upon, it does so with a tailored understanding of the region’s tenacious character, commitment to excellence every day, and attitude that nothing is impossible when the community comes together.
Wabash River Region Arts & Culture Plan
Clay, Parks, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo Counties, Indiana
WHY
The Wabash River region is made up of five counties in western Indiana on its Illinois border: Clay, Parks, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo. The Wabash River cuts through the region from north to the south, providing dynamic and thriving waterfronts across both rural and urban areas, with many opportunities for investment and expansion. While much of the rural landscape is agricultural and forested, many downtown areas provide hubs of arts and culture for residents in and around those areas. The region is home to an exciting and deeply collaborative arts community. Together, they will cultivate compelling destinations for public art and diverse cultural experiences, making the region a vibrant and engaging hub for arts and culture. The main goals of this plan are beautification and placemaking, community pride, health and wellness, and local investment. Targeted goals of the Regional Arts & Culture Plan include beautification and placemaking, boosting community pride, encouraging health and wellness, and investing in the community by preserving historic assets and supporting local organizations, facilities and programs.
HOW
Engagement for this process was conducted to help identify and assess existing resources and gaps and provide a foundation for transformative projects. Engagement was promoted through RDA social media and through stakeholder networks. Engagement took the form of community surveys, stakeholder conversations, and public engagement such as a focus group held at Arts Illiana with members of the 41|40 Arts & Cultural District Advisory Group, as well as two public meetings. The primary concerns gleaned from public engagement included lack of funding for arts organizations, limited performance space and opportunities to experience local cultures in community settings.
WHAT
The Wabash River Regional Arts & Culture Plan provides a flexible, proactive framework that creates opportunities for decision-makers to pursue diverse funding sources and pivot implementation priorities to take advantage of changes and growth in the local cultural ecosystem. It also allows the community to continue to dream big, yet places emphasis on actionable, momentum-building steps for growing local arts and culture assets and tackle them as additional funding and capacity becomes available. The plan details the three priority regional objectives as well as actionable steps to reach them. These objectives include strengthening the Wabash River Region arts and culture community, promote regional arts development and tourism with a focus on the 41|40 Arts & Cultural District, and increasing the visibility of arts and culture in community spaces and downtowns.
Reimagining Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
WHY
In the turbulent summer of 2020, when protests erupted over police brutality against people of color and controversial statues were being toppled and defaced nationwide, the City of Columbus preemptively removed its Christopher Columbus statue from the steps of City Hall. With the statue in storage, the City of Columbus partnered with Designing Local in 2023 to seek funding from the Mellon Foundation for “Reimagining Columbus,” a 2-year research, community engagement, and design process to reckon with the statue and imagine a future in which truths about its subject are more accurately conveyed. The proposal was awarded $2 million and Designing Local was tasked with managing the project.
HOW
Designing Local managed a multi-disciplinary team to undertake the following:
RESEARCH & LEARNING. In order to confidently recommend a course of action regarding the City of Columbus’ Christopher Columbus statue, the Reimagining Columbus project team felt it was important to be grounded in truths about the explorer and his legacies, particularly those within Columbus, Ohio. Learnings from subject matter experts, museums and site tours, original research, community conversations, and arts and culture colleagues nationwide were used to educate the public and inform project deliverables.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. In recognition that conversations about the Columbus statue would challenge participants — particularly those from the city’s Indigenous, Italian-American, and Black communities — the Reimagining Columbus engagement team planned a process that would accommodate their emotions about it but also forge a collective path forward. The team’s approach to this conversation utilized a customized, emotional safety–oriented methodology centered on Sankofa, the Ghanan idea that progress requires applying lessons from the past, to encourage more courageous sharing and evoke personal histories that could be influencing present-day perceptions. Large group and affinity group conversations, community events, and written feedback were employed in various ways throughout the process.
DESIGN. The project’s design team worked to translate the learnings from research and community engagement into a design concept for a possible new Christopher Columbus statue placement. The team relied on Indigenous design principles to guide their vision for an immersive experience of nature and community togetherness at which visitors could experience the statue (or not), but also learn, play, restore themselves, and heal.
WHAT
Designing Local delivered the following Reimagining Columbus project outcomes:
A website and StoryMap timeline, 2 research papers, 35 videos with more than 20 hours of educational content, and several in-person community learning exchanges provided context regarding Christopher Columbus, the statue of his likeness and public perceptions of it, and the city’s relationship with its namesake.
More than 20 community events and affinity group conversations elicited rich, layered feedback to help inform the design process.
Conceptual designs of a new space in which to display and contextualize the statue, based on Indigenous design principles, translated research and community feedback into physical elements that could tell the story of Columbus — the city and the man — and help all visitors experience emotional safety in the space. So expansive did this vision become that the city, the Reimagining Columbus project team, and community members were inspired to embrace it as a generational vision for an altogether new type of public space in the city.
An art plan for City Hall campus suggested how new art could refresh and enliven this uninspiring civic space and ensure that it celebrates all city residents.
View the Project Outcomes Here
Trumpet Flowers
Amigo & Amigo
2023 | Port St Lucie, FL
“Trumpet Flowers” by Amigo & Amigo, an Australia-based art studio that specializes in interactive public art, was implemented with support and coordination from the Designing Local team. Each flower features a corresponding “trumpet key” that when pushed plays the jazzy sounds of a trumpet, tuba, trombone or drum, transforming the individual sculptures into a towering symphonic and light experience.
Artwork copyright: Vicki Scuri SiteWorks with Alexandr Polzin
The Point Public Art Plan
Salt Lake City, Utah
WHY
Creating a public art master plan is a deeply meaningful opportunity to reveal a place’s unique traits, treasures, and values. The Point, a once-in-a-century, 600-acre development project in Draper, Utah, is well on its way to becoming a place that defines the future for generations of Utahns to come. During the planning process, we continued to be inspired by The Point’s dedication to encouraging strategic growth, high quality of life, and opportunities for all Utahans, and we are honored to uplift the power of public art in creating a sense of place, fostering cultural connections, and igniting wonder and joy in achieving this vision.
HOW
The Designing Local team integrated public feedback into a master public art plan that creates a vibrant community experience throughout the site. The plan includes policies and procedures for the curation, placement, and installation of public art at The Point guided by the feedback and requests of Utahns. The Public Art Plan will bring unique character to The Point, attract and inspire residents and visitors, and advance the goals outlined in the overall development plan for the community.
WHAT
We believe that public art is a catalyst for finding common ground, understanding who Utahns are today, and reflecting on where Utah has been. Through this Public Art Master Plan, we can begin to envision how The Point will reflect the very best of Utah—its natural wonders, its authenticity, its untold stories, and yes, even its quirks (Jello salad, anyone?). Public art at The Point will not only enhance the experience of all The Point has to offer, but more importantly, it will reveal it.
Riviera Beach Art in Public Places Plan
Riviera Beach, Florida
WHY
The Riviera Beach Art in Public Places Master Plan stemmed from a desire to move beyond mere beautification toward a unified civic identity through strategic public art investment. Recognizing that public art is a powerful catalyst, city leaders embraced the plan as a roadmap to express core community values, celebrate the rich culture of its neighborhoods, and invigorate the local experience for both long-term residents and incoming visitors. The underlying goal was to integrate the arts into the "Reimagining Riviera Beach" initiative—a comprehensive push for renewal that seeks to overcome systemic obstacles, strengthen community engagement, and leverage the city’s abundant natural amenities and history for future, equitable economic growth. The Art in Public Places program was created to be an essential element for establishing a distinct cultural presence and enhancing the city’s quality of life.
HOW
Developing the comprehensive recommendations for the Art in Public Places Master Plan relied on robust community input. The planning process was organized around several key milestones, including a formal discovery visit, followed by a community survey, stakeholder interviews, and targeted focus groups. This collaborative approach ensured that the resulting recommendations—which included establishing selection criteria, defining key opportunity sites, proposing updates to the City’s existing percent for art ordinance, and recommending a solid set of public art policies —accurately reflected the needs and aspirations of the diverse population. Furthermore, the plan works within the framework of the established Public Art Advisory Board, which provides ongoing, professional governance by reviewing applications, advising the City Council on maintenance policies, and ensuring that all proposed artwork aligns with the city's broader vision.
WHAT
Ultimately, the successful implementation of the Art in Public Places Master Plan promises to deliver significant social, cultural, and economic outcomes for Riviera Beach. Socially, the resulting artwork is expected to foster a greater sense of attachment and ownership among residents, creating creative gathering spaces and inspiring contemplation. Culturally, the art will reflect local history and unique identity, serving as a platform for open discourse and inclusive community connection. Most critically, the plan is designed to realize tangible economic value by enhancing the city’s brand, attracting cultural tourism, and directly supporting the economic development strategy. The vision is for Riviera Beach’s commitment to art to become a distinguishing feature of the region, ensuring that creativity breathes life into public spaces and contributes to a vibrant, prosperous future for all.
Vacaville Arts & Culture Master Plan
Vacaville, California
WHY
The Vacaville Arts & Culture Master Plan was developed through a comprehensive and highly collaborative process led by Designing Local, structured around four key phases: Discovery, Community Engagement, Synthesis, and Plan creation.
HOW
The success of the plan was the extensive outreach that was completed, which actively involved residents, local creatives, and arts organizations from every corner of the city. A major component of this phase was the “Weaving Our Future” art project, featuring workshops held in each of Vacaville’s districts, where community members shared their aspirations for public art and cultural engagement through words, drawings, and shapes. This hands-on, community-driven approach was critical to building consensus and ensuring the final plan reflected the diverse voices and visions of Vacaville’s population.
WHAT
The final Plan provides a focused, five-year strategic roadmap for the City’s commitment to arts and culture, establishing foundational policies, a clear vision for cultural growth, and a streamlined approach to public art integration. Key tangible outcomes include the comprehensive Arts and Culture Master Plan document, accompanied by a Draft Public Art Program Policy and a Draft Arts Advisory Committee Policy. Together, these deliverables define the infrastructure for the City to enhance quality of life, strengthen local economic development, and cultivate a truly culturally rich and attractive community for both residents and visitors alike.
Downtown Ormond Beach Master Arts Plan
Ormond Beach, Florida
WHY
The Ormond Beach Downtown Master Arts Plan is a comprehensive plan that outlines strategies to integrate public art into key areas in its historic downtown, including parks, sidewalks, gateways, and the iconic Granada Bridge, enhancing the city's identity and elevating its appeal for residents and visitors alike. With input from community members, stakeholders, and experts, the plan emphasizes art that reflects Ormond Beach's coastal beauty, rich history, and small-town charm, while fostering inclusivity and accessibility for all.
HOW
Through detailed recommendations based on extensive community input, the plan introduces innovative public art typologies such as mosaics, sculptures, light installations, and environmental art, alongside functional art like artist-designed benches and planters. It also provides actionable steps for implementation, including funding strategies, artist selection processes, and maintenance guidelines to ensure the longevity of the projects. Special focus is given to the Granada Bridge, with proposals for transformative art installations that symbolize the city's character and connect its downtown and beachside districts. Designing Local collaborated closely with the Florida Department of Transportation to understand opportunities and key regulations surrounding public art implementation on the state-owned Granada Bridge.
WHAT
The Downtown Master Arts Plan is a call to action for Ormond Beach to embrace its cultural assets and create lasting experiences that inspire pride and spark conversation. By leveraging community input, strategic partnerships, and sustainable funding mechanisms, the plan positions Downtown Ormond Beach, a Community Redevelopment Area established in 1984, as a destination for art, culture, and innovation, ensuring its legacy as a vibrant and welcoming city for generations to come.
Milpitas Public Art Plan
Milpitas, California
WHY
The Milpitas Public Art Master Plan outlines a 10 year vision for public art as a dynamic and inclusive force that fosters belonging, reflects the city’s diversity, and enhances residents’ quality of life. Strategic recommendations emphasize community-centric, accessible art that resonates with Milpitas’ diverse population, including bilingual signage, and a Public Art Field Guide. As Milpitas looks to the future, Milpitas is also in a distinct moment in its history. The City’s population has become increasingly diverse with each generation, and will continue to embrace neighbors from around the world. Public art is not only a powerful mechanism for bridging the past and the future, but also it is an essential part of connecting residents with each other across language or cultural divides. Through its beloved parks, civic amenities, and other public spaces, Milpitas’ public art will convey that all are welcome—and belong.
HOW
In addition to Designing Local’s community-oriented approach to gathering public input for the plan, Designing Local hosted two artist-led engagement events. Edi Hsu and Saranya Chandrasekaran each lead community art making projects that yielded productive conversation with the community during the City’s Lantern Festival in September 2024 and the Holi Festival in March 2025. Additionally, Designing Local worked with ACT Art Conservation to develop a collection assessment report on the overall condition of objects in Milpitas’ public art collection. An updated appraisal report, created by Roth Art Group, was included in the scope as well.
WHAT
The plan advocates balancing tradition and innovation to engage a STEM-focused community while maintaining relevance. Sustainable funding mechanisms are recommended, including increasing the developer fee from 0.5% to 1.5% or higher, alongside clear policies for collection care and maintenance. Additionally, the plan encourages community art-making projects, partnerships with public and private entities, and enhanced accessibility through consistent signage and online resources. Public art was strategically recommended to be placed in high-traffic and gathering areas to maximize impact, with collaboration between city departments, developers, artists, and cultural organizations to expand reach. The Plan also included a collection assessment report, which was the City’s first ever comprehensive condition report for objects in its collection, and an appraisal report.
Main Street Medina Tactical Public Art Strategy
Medina, Ohio
WHY
As the southern gateway into the Uptown Historic district, the South Town district in Medina serves as an important crossroads for tourism, economic development, culture, and community pride. The South Town district's history in multiple industries-including grain, freight railways, upholstery, metal smithing, marble, and beyond-contextualizes its placemaking and public art considerations. A cohesive public art strategy has the ability to define a place's borders and invite in residents and visitors.
HOW
Designing Local created a vision for the South Town district of Medina that celebrates its industrial past through innovative public art and lively placemaking, while establishing a natural connection between Medina's Uptown Historic and South Town districts.
WHAT
In order to most effectively implement goals defined in the first phase of this strategic plan, a framework of three approaches was developed. Each dynamic approach supports the goals of public art in South Town: activating shared spaces, revealing South Town's visual identity, and reinforcing the Court Street Corridor. While the recommended interventions are all achievable as stand-alone projects, their implementation will be more successful when aligned with this Plan's strategic approaches.
Acworth Public Art Master Plan
Acworth, Georgia
WHY
Acworth is a unique destination for work, play, and everything in between. With just over 22,000 residents and its proximity to metropolitan Atlanta, it is poised for continued growth in the next decade. As Acworth looks toward its future, the City believes in public art's ability to tell the story of Acworth, enliven public spaces, and reveal what makes this City special.
HOW
From large-scale, multi-year projects that define Acworth's gateways, to temporary, yet meaningful mural opportunities in Acworth's beloved greenspaces, this plan outlines a range of strategies for high-impact public art projects in Acworth.
WHAT
In addition to strategy recommendations, this plan provides guidelines for establishing the public art program in Acworth, administrative next steps and best practices, and strategies for effectively and efficiently implementing public art projects in Acworth.
Butterfly Screen for The Reach
Vicki Scuri SiteWorks with Alexandr Polzin
2022 | Columbus, Ohio
The Reach is a large mixed-use development adjacent to the Olentangy River in Downtown Columbus. The project includes numerous residential apartment and office buildings, several of which house the corporate headquarters of the White Castle Corporation. The plan also includes several public streets, green spaces, and surface parking lots. One of the surface parking lots is directly adjacent to a public green space. This parking area required special screening to maintain the spatial quality of the park. Designing Local was engaged to curate a public art element to provide this screening.
Designing Local served as a liaison between the larger development team and artist Vicki Scuri. The location, size, and other parameters were determined by Designing Local to support the conceptualization, design, and structural engineering of the screen. Designing Local also represented the owner and artist as the applicant for various design reviews and permitting processes. This included a formal presentation to the Columbus Downtown Commission and a submission for a building permit.
Artwork copyright: Vicki Scuri SiteWorks with Alexandr Polzin
Columbus Commons Mural
Lauren Carter Best
2024 | Columbus, Ohio
This temporary bubble- and flower-filled mural celebrates the playfulness and sunshine of the season. Designing Local was pleased to support Downtown Columbus in the procurement and project management of this mural that brought a fun backdrop to summer events in Columbus Commons.
Artwork copyright: Lauren Carter Best
Richmond International Airport Public Art Plan
Richmond, Virginia
WHY
The Art in the Airport program at Richmond International Airport (RIC) strives to complement and promote the dynamic regional culture of the State of Virginia, with an emphasis on the Richmond Metropolitan area, while reinforcing the image of RIC as an inclusive and welcoming gateway to the world. The three main objectives are to enhance the air travel experience of RIC visitors by creating an ambiance in the airport that reflects the sophistication and cultural diversity of the region and supports local artists and institutions by creating and managing rotating exhibitions, fine and performing art series that are customized for RIC.
HOW
Designing Local was selected to bring our unique set of skills, professional experience, and insight in the development of the Art in the Airport program at RIC. Engaging the community, art and artists, and our proven ability to develop a multi-cultural art program has been critical in the development and coordination of this arts program. Designing Local facilitated a series of highly interactive and inclusive public workshops and stakeholder meetings that yielded essential insights to craft a narrative about RIC and articulate the culture and values of the community.
WHAT
The final plan includes a fully developed arts program, including master planning, commission management, and art curation. Potential locations for art placement were identified, while taking into consideration the existing airport design, maintenance, RIC Master Plan, and the Capital Improvement Plan. Designing Local is also curating RIC's first public art piece to be installed in Fall of 2024.
Anaheim Public Art Plan
Anaheim, California
WHY
The Anaheim Public Art Master Plan takes an overarching look at Anaheim’s legacy of public art while setting a vision for the future and defining how public art will shape Anaheim for years to come. The framework of this plan is a strategy for the establishment and operationalization of a formal Public Art Program that proposes ways to ensure public art in Anaheim is transformational, unifying, and is representative of the spirit of Anaheim.
HOW
The Public Art Plan outlines the vision, goals, and core values of the City’s Public Art Program. The Plan also provides essential administrative guidelines for determining how public art is identified, preserved, selected, and placed. Public Art adds enormous value to the cultural, aesthetic, and economic vitality of a community. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, this plan is a result of extensive public engagement. The consultant team, along with City leadership and staff, worked diligently to engage the public throughout an 18-month process (August 2020-December 2021) and provided ample opportunity for a broad cross-section of the community to participate in shaping the vision for public art in Anaheim. The team held over 40 virtual stakeholder engagement opportunities, including 18 individual interviews, 25 focus groups, and six identical community meetings in each of Anaheim’s 6 Council Districts to listen and learn about the community’s vision for public art. Participants included business owners, arts organizations, art educators, realtors, private developers, community groups, and engaged residents. Translation services were available on an as-needed basis. 2,149 people participated in a survey. In all, over 3,000 people were engaged.
WHAT
Throughout the stakeholder meetings, individual and group interviews, and survey comments, several recurring themes emerged. The people of Anaheim want to be known for their creativity. They want public art to become synonymous with their identity, elevating their reputation in southern California, stacking upon the experience of a tourist destination. They want public art to celebrate and showcase the many cultures in Anaheim, and they want to see public art reflecting their values in their local neighborhoods. They want art to be a part of their public spaces, making them more exciting and desirable. They want to share their histories and the history of Anaheim with each other and, ultimately, the world.
Gather & Flow
2023 | Columbus, Ohio
“Gather & Flow” is a two-piece sculpture installed on the southwest and northwest parking garage towers at the intersection of Starling and State streets. It consists of dozens of metallic starlings seemingly flying from one tower to the next, echoing the shape of the Scioto river and the pattern of a murmuration of starling birds. It spans 50 feet in height and the iridescent birds are painted to represent the polychrome of a starlings feathers.
Port St. Lucie Art in Public Places Master Plan
Port St. Lucie, Florida
WHY
The City of Port St. Lucie is dedicated to creating a more livable, beautiful community and looked to public art as a means to accomplishing this. The city created an Art in Public Places program through A Percent for Art in Private Development funding, and created a Public Art Board to review projects. The next step for the city was to create an Art in Public Places Master Plan to guide program implementation.
HOW
It is hard to believe that our first large-scale public engagement event for the plan was the first city event canceled due to COVID-19 back in March 2020! Designing Local was able to transition to digital engagement and, thanks to the public’s enthusiasm for more public art in Port St. Lucie, got feedback from nearly 1,000 residents.
WHAT
The Art in Public Places Master Plan lays out a vision for the future of public art in Port St. Lucie, which is now on track to develop a world-class public art program. Designing Local has continued to provide art implementation for the last 2 years.
