What Art Should Be Publicly Displayed? Elgin Hosts Art Plan Forum
What kind of art should be publicly displayed? What constitutes free speech and expression, and what images are too offensive for public viewing?
These are some of the important questions being asked by the city of Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, and the public is invited to take part in that dialogue.
The Art Commission’s second Public Art Plan Community forum is open to everyone and scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in the Heritage Ballroom of the Centre of Elgin, located at 100 Symphony Way.
The Cultural Arts Commission will review the Public Art Plan and provide updates since the September forum. The community’s input will help determine the future of public art in Elgin, including sites and other decisions outlined in the plan.
Creating a Public Art Plan was first considered by the Cultural Arts Commission in April 2016 as part of an initiative to inventory current public art and to commission new public art. A September public forum took place in the wake of community dialogue about a controversial outdoor mural, titled American Nocturne, that was displayed and later removed from a downtown Elgin location near a park. The mural is an artist’s reproduction of a famous 1930 photo that shows a crowd’s reaction to an Indiana lynching.
American Nocturne
The creation of a Public Art Plan requires collaboration from the Cultural Arts Commission, city staff, and the community. The Public Art Plan will be submitted to City Council for consideration at a future date.
Interested in the Public Art Plan? Visit cityofelgin.org/publicart, a new page on the city website dedicated to the Public Art Plan.
For more information, please contact Amanda Harris, staff liaison to the Cultural Arts Commission, at harris_a@cityofelgin.org or 847-931-6019.
The mission of the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission is to enhance the quality of life in our community by creating and supporting diverse, innovative, and accessible visual, performing, and cultural arts programming.
SOURCE: Elgin Cultural Arts Commission news release
