Public art enhances the feel of a city and enriches the lives of residents. It offers entertainment and enjoyment for residents and visitors, which in turn can help attract businesses and enhance the reputation of Waukee. With this in mind, the City of Waukee established the Waukee Public Art Advisory Commission as an advisory body for the Mayor and City Council in 2022.
About the Commission
The Waukee Public Art Advisory Commission will help develop and implement a unified public art strategy for the Waukee community. As a master plan is put in place, the commission will advise the Mayor and City Council on proposals, guidelines and matters related to public art.
The role of the Waukee Public Arts Advisory Commission is:
- To develop a unified public art strategy for the City of Waukee;
- To advise the Mayor, City Council and other community groups and agencies that are initiating a public art project on the proposed site, selection of a professional artist and commissioning of a public artwork;
- To guide and monitor design development process through reviews at various stages to ensure artistic and design quality, integration with the site and relevance to the community.
This seven-member commission:
- Has staggered 3-year terms, February-January.
- Meets quarterly for 1-2 hours plus additional meetings as necessary to establish the master plan or review art proposals; dates and times to be determined after board members are appointed.
Definition of Public Art
For this commission, public art encompasses art that is visually and physically accessible to the public and installed in public indoor and outdoor spaces. Public art may include, but is not limited to, murals, sculpture, memorials, integrated architectural or landscape architectural work. For public art, artists and organizations may work in conjunction with architects, fabricators/construction workers, community residents and leaders, designers, funding organizations and others to define, review, fund and install the art. Examples include:
- Stand-alone pieces, such as sculptures, statues or structures
- Integrated into the built environment (e.g., façades, pavements or landscapes), such as bas reliefs, mosaics or digital lighting
- Applied art (to a surface), such as murals or building-mounted sculptures
- Direct hands-on interaction pieces, such as interactive musical, light, video or water components