A new advisory body aimed at promoting public art in London has been launched by Arts Council England (ACE) for a two-year pilot period. Art in the Open is said by ACE to be a resource offering advocacy, advice and strategic guidance, supporting major public art schemes and developments across the capital.
The advisory body aims to work with the public and private sectors including local authorities, regeneration agencies, property developers and architects, developing a programme of workshops and events and providing a website offering expert support and examples of best practice to those working in the public realm. Speaking at the launch, ACE London Executive Director, Sarah Weir, said, Art in the Open will help to ensure that the arts become a core element of the major regeneration projects being plotted across our city. By working more strategically with planners and developers, architects and commissioners, artists and curators, we want to show that public art can be so much more than a sculpture on a plinth. The launch also marked the publication of a book, Open Space, which looks at the impact of art in the public realm in London from 1995 to 2005.
Published: 04-06-2007