The visual arts are important in Madison, not only in the academic sphere, but in our galleries and theaters as well. With the Overture Center under construction and the recent temporary closing of the galleries at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (formerly Madison Art Center), the residents of Madison need another outlet for creativity. There are other exhibition spaces around town, but MMoCA was most accessible to downtown residents, students, and the Madison community as a whole. Where do we look now that this space is unavailable to us?
The answer lies in public art, which will be addressed March 5th and 6th in a 2-day symposium called \The Madison Project: Challenging the Public Art Paradigm."" We've all seen the statue of Abraham Lincoln on Bascom Hill, as well as the oversized Union terrace chairs at various locations around campus, but few of us think of these objects as more than environmental decoration. Public art represents our identity as a community; what we choose to display speaks volumes about our values, lifestyles, morals, and personalities.
Hosted by UW Arts Institute Artist in Residence Garrison Roots, ""The Madison Project"" aims to address these and other issues with panel discussions at MMoCA (211 State Street) led by leading local, regional, and national public artists, critics, and curators. Kicking off the symposium at 6 pm on Friday evening is a keynote address by nationally known critic Patricia Phillips entitled ""Why Public Art Matters."" Other discussions throughout the symposium will address such issues as public art appreciation, the permanence of public art, and the workings of the public art system.
Laura Ng, coordinator of the symposium, feels that this event is important not only for artists and professors, but for students and residents of Madison as well. ""Public art is everyone's art and it's all around us,"" she says. ""It makes us think about issues and ideasthat affect us in our communities."" For example, the statue of Lincoln on Bascom Hill was dedicated in 1909 in honor of Lincoln's signing the Morrill Act in 1862, which provided federal aid to land-grant colleges and essentially made higher education as we know it a possibility. The oversized Union terrace chairs were erected to celebrate the Wisconsin Union's 75th anniversary, and local artists were invited to make over the chairs as they saw fit.
Both of these works represent important institutions that have shaped Madison and the UW, and they should not be overlooked as simply pretty decorations. So it goes with all public art: it conveys a message that's meant to be seen and considered. As Ng says, ""Preserving public art and making sure that we leave our historical, artistic mark on campus is important. It's part of our tradition. This symposium can address that.\
