The University of Washington | Seattle is proud to announce a new course series in Public Art representing the fusion of Art, Design Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Interdisciplinary coursework includes theoretical investigation, design studio and community design/build projects.

| MISSION |

The mission of the Program on Public Art at the University of Washington is to provide a comprehensive interdisciplinary education in the theoretical, practical, and professional aspects of the creation and understanding of Public Art.

Our purpose is to advance the body of knowledge within the discipline of Public Art. We foster intellectual inquiry into the relationship between artistic and public expression, and the evolving role, history and typologies of Public Art in the life of our communities.

Through interdisciplinary integration and collaboration, and the scholarship of applied and theoretical learning, we seek to educate public artists as critical thinkers able to address the central issues of our time.

| GOALS |

Our goal is to create undergraduate and graduate degree granting programs in Public Art that will attract students and faculty from around the world and will be a leading program with international recognition in teaching, learning, and creative research.

| VALUES AND OBJECTIVES |

Public Artists must understand the physical and social context in which the work will exist. This context represents a complex layering of many considerations and specialized points of view. As listeners, translators, and builders, public artists draw on the expertise and talents of multiple disciplines.

We believe the form and process of Public Art can embody the aspirations and values of a community. We strive to engage and give this community a voice. Public Art is an act as much as it is an object, and has the potential to be a powerful social force.

| RATIONALE |

Maya Lin, trained as an architect, created one of the most progressive, revolutionary, and meaningful memorial sculptures of our time, the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Robert Irwin, trained as a sculptor, created one of the most dramatic examples of landscape architecture in the new Getty Museum Garden in Los Angeles. Closer to home, Martha Schwartz, trained as a landscape architect, created one of the most compelling and controversial examples of environmental sculpture in "Jailhouse Garden" sited outside of the King County Jail in downtown Seattle.

These are just three examples of how, during the past twenty years, the boundaries of the traditional disciplines of art, architecture, design, and landscape architecture have dissolved, allowing professionals in these areas to cross over artificial academic borders and create compelling, unique, and cutting-edge public art that draws from elements in each of these disciplines. Thousands of similar examples abound from around the world in the recent profession of public art and many historical examples can be found throughout the world where the boundaries were routinely crossed in the process of creating innovative and pivotal projects.

A group of dedicated and committed faculty seek the opportunity to create a learning model, one which offers a new way public art is taught in our university, bringing the discipline of public art into the 21st century. We are excited about this unique opportunity to provide a rich and cross-disciplinary investigation of art in the public realm.