by Catherine Darragh
 

A few years ago I served on a yacht club committee to choose a Public Art project to complement a building renovation and satisfy a requirement for renewing a lease with the San Diego Port District. It was a great learning experience. Choosing art for the public is very different than choosing art for one’s self or even a private group. Not everyone will be pleased with the choice and there may be grousing about the 1% of total cost required for Public Art in the project, but the benefits outweigh the cost—even if you don’t like what you see! (What a conversation-grabber!)

The Port District introduced an Urban Trees project in 2004 and is now on its 7th year. Different artists compete every year to display their tree sculptures along Harbor Drive and the bay. It is an added attraction for tourists and San Diegans meandering along the waterfront to stop and chat and comment on the “strange” or “beautiful” designs.

To View all the Urban Trees, go to
http://www.portofsandiego.org/public-art-archive/learn-about-the-urban-trees-project/1966-urban-trees-7.html

San Diego is a treasure of museums and galleries but the pleasure of discovering art, open and free to the public, is something we take for granted. We will see more Public Art in the future because of the enforced requirements on building owners and lessees. When we get to the point where owners and developers add art and beautiful design elements to their buildings because they “want to” enrich the community, then we will turn a corner to a truly beautiful San Diego.

Public art is a great identifier for a city,” explained Daniel Douglas, who is with the Raleigh Urban Design Center. ”In many ways, it defines a lot of cities' identity."

To view public art throughout the city, go to
http://www.portofsandiego.org/public-art.html