Art Trucks, Yonkers, NY. City garbage trucks covered with different artist-designed wraps.

All Together Now by Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt, Denver, CO. Big lego-like bench wall in formerly drab area.

For the Capitol by Jenny Holzer, Washington DC. Text from bipartisan politicians projected over the Potomac River.

I went to the Americans for the Arts Convention in Philadelphia to meet public artist Jack Mackie. He introduced me to a ton of cool people and we watched a presentation of selected best works from last year (the three above were my favorites). I also got to see him present some of his first small-scale projects before becoming a big hot shot in public transportation projects:

He and Buster Simpson initiated some inspiring projects in their own under-served neighborhood in Seattle. Given the opportunity to plant some trees, they staggered them on the sidewalk so that they became more spatial and doubled as the community’s only park. They also selected bright-colored trees to mark the bus stop and serve as a cheerful canopy at the end of winter. Existing building remnants were hauled out and arranged into much-needed outdoor benches. And to counteract the prevalence of public urination, they dug a hole into the sidewalk and set up a portable restroom. Once the ground reached critical mass (hee), they planted a tree and moved on to another space. Creative ways that resourceful thinking and small interventions can make a positive impact on the community!

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