We posted a brief introduction last week to the SDOT Art Plan, jointly developed in 2005 with the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and written by Daniel Mihalyo. Since 2005, portions of the plan have been implemented and we’re excited to post pictures over the next few weeks of some of the art Seattle has gained in its public spaces. But before we do, we wanted to dive into a little bit more detail on the plan itself, starting with Book 1: The Diagnosis.
Book 1 lays out an introduction to the remarkable history of public art in Seattle, including art in the right-of-way. It also gives general recommendations for SDOT to incorporate more art and design in the following: roadway structures, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and streets and sidewalks. And, last but not least, it reviews the nuts and bolts of how public art is financed in Seattle and at SDOT.
The plan makes for interesting reading (we promise!) for anyone curious about art in Seattle’s public right-of-way. Check in next week for great photos of places where planning for art is turning into real projects.