Types

• Public art projects can take any form and exist in any scope, from large scale to small. Public art may be kinetic or immobile sculptures; it may be functional or decorative. Murals painted inside public buildings or outside in shared public spaces are types of public art. Diego Rivera was a famous muralist who created many public works of art in the first half of the 20th century. His works often dealt with social and political issues. Though famous artists may create some works of public art, public art can be made by anyone.
  
  

Function

• Public art can reflect a city's investment in itself and its future, and can be a source of pride for a community. Artworks can help reflect a community's collective identity, values and history, according to ScottsdalePublicArt. Works of public art can also function as landmarks to help people orient themselves in a city.
  
  

Funding

• Some public art projects are expensive to create and install. Funding for public art projects can come from a variety of sources. Federal, state and local governments may have budgets that allow for the commission of works of public art. Community groups and public institutions, such as museums, churches and schools, often fund public art. Private corporations, foundations and individual citizens also invest in public art projects.
  
  

New Deal

• In 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, created the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) as part of the New Deal, which consisted of federally funded social programs designed to ease the burden of the Great Depression. The PWAP ended in 1934, and in its place the Federal Art Project (FAP) was established. The FAP has been responsible for employing 5,000 artists to create approximately 225,000 works of public art, according to WPAMurals.
  
  

Controversy

• A famous example of controversy surrounding a work of public art involved sculptor Richard Serra's "Tilted Arc." Working on a commission from the U.S. General Services Administration, Serra installed "Tilted Arc" in 1981 in New York City's Federal Plaza. "Tilted Arc" was a curved steel wall that measured 120 feet long and 12 feet high. Some complained that the large wall inhibited use of the Federal Plaza, and in 1989 "Tilted Arc" was cut into pieces and taken to a scrapyard.