Mural in downtown Burlington, Vermont
Don’t get me wrong, I love browsing a museum or gallery with a glass of wine in hand - the gorgeous lighting, the break from routine, the lovely curated space. But most of us don’t visit galleries or museums on a daily basis. And that’s why I love public art so much.
Seeing art in spaces that we pass through every day - coffee shops, office buildings, playgrounds - can brighten our ordinary days and enrich our lives. It makes art more accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to visit a gallery or museum. It introduces us to artists and types of work we might not otherwise see and can open our eyes to new perspectives. When art is woven into the fabric of our daily lives, it becomes less of a privilege and more of a shared experience. It encourages us to pause, if even for a moment, and take a closer look at the space that we are in or passing through.
Walking down a hospital hallway and seeing local art on the wall can make things a bit less stressful. Sometimes it offers a welcome distraction, other times, it simply makes an ordinary moment feel a little more special. I love watching kids take in a sculpture or stare at a huge mural on the side of a building. The sense of awe and wonder they experience is contagious. Maybe that’s the beauty of public art - it invites us to slow down, see our everyday surroundings a little differently, and find wonder in unexpected places.