1. What is Public Art?
It can be a mural on the side of a building like this one at Reston Town Center
Public art encompasses any work of art purchased with public funds or donated by someone for public display
It is not one type of art, but includes sculpture, murals, monuments, and even temporary art events
It is art that is outside and accessible to everyone at all times
All of these were made by artists whose names we don’t often know because their work is not in a museum but in our daily spaces
Daniel Chester French sculpted the portrait of Lincoln in 1920
Reston resident Dana Scheurer created Midtown Community Mural in 20
And the Baltimore artist Valerie Theberge worked with kids at Hunters Woods Elementary School to create Emerge a mosaic piece for the Glade Drive underpass in 2010
What kind of public art would you like to see around Reston?
It can be a statue of an
important person like the one of Lincoln at his memorial
It can be part of places that we use everyday like this mosaic on one of the underpasses in Reston that connects the paths

2. Public art can be temporary
This work by Patrick Dougherty (seen here through the sculpture) was INSTALLED (put there) by the artist at the site with the help of volunteers
It was made in 2 weeks and was on view from
It is called a SITE-SPECIFIC work because it was only meant for that spot
The drawing on the right of the screen was done by the artist when he got to the site & started thinking of ideas
He let the materials – saplings and branches – help guide his ideas for a design
The sculpture was only meant for to be up for a short time since the materials do not last
What type of Public Art have you seen?
A Bird in the Hand
Patrick Dougherty
Reston Town Square Park
Public Art

3. Public Art can be designed to be permanent and to be a part of a specific space.
Reston is a great place to see public art
Art was part of the original design of Reston at Lake Anne Village Center (built in the early 1960s)
Do you recognize any of these public sculptures?
The Underpass, The Pyramid, The Sun Boat & the Fountain create a sculptural environment
The sculptures are made out of the same material used for the buildings
Art becomes such a seamless part of the space that some people don’t even notice it or realize it was designed by artists for that space
These works were designed to be looked at and played on
The artist Gonzalo Fonseca wanted to peak the curiosity of people walking by his Sun Boat and through The Underpass
He liked the idea that he had created a kind of imaginary world
The architect James Rossant designed The Pyramid and the Washington Plaza fountain for visual delight and play
Do you think it makes a difference to have art in public spaces? Why or why not?

4. Zachary Oxman Untold Stories, 2004
Artist: Zachary Oxman
Title: Untold Stories
Date: 2004
Medium: Bronze
Location: Washington Plaza, Lake Anne Village Center
This sculpture depicts the founder of Reston
It is affectionately called "Bronze Bob.”
It shows the man sitting calmly on a bench with his arm out, waiting for people to sit next to him
It was made by a sculptor born and raised in Reston
It was COMMISSIONED (specially ordered by someone) to celebrate Mr. Simon’s 90th birthday
It was UNVEILED (seen for the first time) on the first Founder’s Day at Lake Anne Village Center in 1994 when Reston celebrated its 40th anniversary
How is this public art sculpture different than the one we saw previously?
Zachary Oxman Untold Stories, 2004

5. These are both memorials and both public sculptures
What do you think the artists were trying to tell us about these individuals through the way they sculpted them?

6. Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate, Stainless Steel
, Chicago, IL
Public Art can give people a sense of place and pride in their town or city
Cloud Gate is known as “The Bean” and is loved by residents and visitors
It has become a LANDMARK and something associated with the city
It is in a public park where you can walk around it and under it
People can see themselves reflected in the surface thus becoming a part of the work
Do you know of any other public art that immediately reminds you of a particular place?

7. The suns in the hallway were made
TODAY YOU ARE GOING TO PAINT A ROCK TO BECOME PART OF A PUBLIC WORK OF ART FOR SUNRISE VALLEY!
The suns in the hallway were made
for an anniversary just like this rock garden
will be made to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sunrise Valley.
It will also be something for everyone
to enjoy as a piece of public art for years to come.
Here are some examples of rock art inspired by
nature.
How can nature inspire you to create
your own unique rock that will be added
to this public artwork?
Explain the project. The rocks will dry in the classroom and be collected by the Grace Art coordinators. Please leave them with the teacher in a safe place.
The rock garden will
be installed right around here.