Permanent Public Art in Madison

Abstract

Where is the public art in Madison and who is served by it? We catalogued, photographed, and geotagged 81 permanent, publicly owned, outdoor artworks in Madison, creating a GIS layer from their locations and other attributes. We compared the distribution of art to socioeconomic data and analyzed how far different parts of Madison are from the art. We interviewed an art professor/public artist, and did an artwork visual analysis, coding for site setting and theme. 86% of the art is located in and near the isthmus. The majority was art + utility themed, and the smallest amount was art + social justice themed. The Madison public is served as viewers, artsy-branded neighborhoods, students’ art education, cultural tourism’s economic benefits, and communities whose issues are addressed. Many artworks and their locations were determined by donors, and one artwork was removed because it functioned as a gathering place for the homeless.