Downtown Futures Series: The Transformative Power of Public Art

Post-disaster cities have shared a common thread — the use of public art to heal communities.

Cities in the United States have dealt with enormous disasters over the past 20 years. From natural disasters like hurricanes to the economic recession in 2008, cities have had to be resilient and flexible in order to survive. Through all this, post-disaster cities have shared a common thread — the use of public art to heal communities.

Now, in the face of COVID-19 and community response to police violence against Black Americans, art is once again used as a way to move toward recovery and prosperity. In this Downtown Futures Series event, a national expert and a Chicago artist will explore the importance of public art in a city's path forward from hardship.

Moderator: David Broz, Principal, Gensler

Panelists: Patricia Walsh, Public Art & Civic Design Senior Program Manager, Americans for the Arts; Barrett Keithley, Chicago artist & co-founder of Paint the City

FREE

This event has passed. Read a summary and view a full recording of the session here.