Public art task force
This task force aims to encourage the creation of accurate, informative, and up-to-date articles about public art (here's a list of example pages). The definition of public art is often debated, however this task force focuses on art intended for public display. Public art can be sacred or secular and include many types: sculptures, monuments, mosaics, murals, site-specific installations, memorials, among others.
The process of examination, research, and documentation required for the completion of a good Wikipedia article is the first step in caring for an artwork and parallel to the work undertaken by art conservators, curators, and registrars. Working on this project will improve the representation of visual arts in Wikipedia and raise awareness about public art's existence, meaning, and context within their communities.
This project was inspired by an appreciation for public art and a shared concern that many artworks remain invisible within the context of Wikipedia, and in person. As the field of public art continues to grow, there is an urgent need to document what these artworks mean to their communities. This project was conceived as WikiProject Wikipedia Saves Public Art, became WikiProject Public art in 2010, then WikiProject Public Art in 2012, and finally, in 2023, WikiProject Visual arts/Public art task force.
Scope
This project aims to create new articles about public art, place existing articles within the context of art history and raise public awareness about their existence within communities.
Goals
- Increase the quality and quantity of articles about public art in Wikipedia.
- Encourage a new generation of global citizens to care for art.
- Accurately and historically define public art on a community-by-community level.
- Simplify and standardize the process of creating and editing articles about public art through the use of WikiProject Public Art Resources.
- Foster information sharing between Wikipedia and public art programs (sponsored by states, municipalities, or cultural organizations).
- Improve and better define the categorization of artworks within Wikipedia and therefore create collections of artworks.
- In the U.S., integrate into Wikipedia information about artworks contained in the SOS! database, which is housed within the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS).
Join the project
Public art articles listed by quality
