We all know that the democratic process isn’t always fast or pretty, but none of us would choose the expediency of authoritarian rule.

The process for developing public art is equally time consuming and sometimes messy, but neither would we favor the efficiency of a single art buyer.

As more and more communities work to reap the cultural and economic benefits of public art, we thought you might like to peak behind the canvas a bit to get an idea of how you get something of the people without looking like it was created by the people.

Grab a caffeinated drink and journey on with us.

The Long and Winding Road

Five years ago, Sonia, then president of the City of Wichita Design Council, met at City Hall’s Idea Center with the council and a team of Wichita visionaries and leaders. Their task: determining the theme and design guidelines for a new terminal at Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport. As you might imagine, much discussion ensued.

We considered many good ideas, but the one that won the day was to fully claim the title the world has so long known us by: Air Capital.

The group said it wanted to both celebrate and educate people about our aviation heritage so that everyone passing through the terminal came away amazed by our past accomplishments and impressed by our current industry leadership. The group expressed interest in modern materials that evoke a future-forward, almost Buck Rogers feeling. And we’re getting there.

The project is now in the construction-documents phase, which should be wrapped up by mid 2009. Scheduled completion for a new, aviation-themed terminal that proclaims our Air Capital heritage: 2011.

Greteman Group in concert with architectural firms GLA and HNTB competed with an array of nationally prominent firms to design the city’s new airport terminal, coordinate the development of a history exhibit, and oversee the integration of public art.

Start With Discovery

Two years ago we began spearheading the public art. Our first task was to meet with the airport staff, design team and a City of Wichita public art representative. Determining their vision of public art. Learning what they wanted to see in the new terminal. Showing best-practice examples from other communities. We conducted a discovery workshop that included a visual-mapping exercise to not only unearth design expectations and preferences, but to help imagine possibilities.

Due to the large nature of the project, City of Wichita Cultural Director John D’Angelo requested we add an experienced public art consultant to help identify potential artists and public art opportunities in the new terminal. Greteman Group, advised by D’Angelo, researched various public art consultants, reviewed resumes and called references. This process led us to Gretchen Freeman in Phoenix, Arizona.

Learn From Those Who’ve Walked the Road Before

Freeman’s background in public arts includes founding the Phoenix Arts Commission’s Public Art Program in 1987 (and acting as director until 1993). She developed public art programs for a variety of cities including El Paso, Texas; Scottsdale, Arizona; and San Jose, California. She also worked with the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on a public art project that included sculpture, paintings and photographic work. Freeman came to Wichita for an immersion visit – exploring our museums, checking out our public art collection, talking to citizens. We brought her to the GG Launch Pad, too, a room we’ve dedicated to the aviation-history displays we’re creating. (More about those in a later post.)

Before Freeman started researching portfolios, the team decided that all the candidates must have experience in large-scale projects, and have a design vocabulary that evokes a feeling of flight and aviation. Everyone was on board, pulling the same direction, looking for something that would be integrated with the architecture and reinforce the Air Capital theme.

Applying Qualitative Measures to a Subjective Search

Freeman recommended the addition of a public art selection panel to assist with recommending and selecting artists. The panel included Patricia McDonnell, director of the Ulrich Museum; Howard Ellington, an architect and director of the Wichita Center for the Arts; and local artist Dan Gegen. And since every community is different when it comes to tastes in art, the panel also briefed Freeman on Wichita’s art scene and local artists so she could include local talent in our finalists.

Using this information, Freeman researched numerous artists (local, regional, national and international) narrowed the selection and presented close to 30 artist portfolios to the design team and artist selection panel. The group then narrowed the list down to five artists and ranked them:

1. Tara Donovan
2. Anne Lindberg
3. Sarah Morris
4. Pae White
5. Ralph Helmick and Stuart Schechter

Keeping our Heads in the Clouds

Freeman presented this short list to the City of Wichita Design Council. Dave Wells made the motion to approve the direction and process to secure Donovan. Stan Sheldon seconded and the motion was unanimously approved. Freeman notified Donovan of the decision and confirmed her interest in the project.

The selection team embraced Donovan’s flight-evoking art and the sublime feeling it gives you. Think of how you felt as a child, laying on the ground, billowy clouds overhead. Or of the times you’ve flown and looked out the cabin window to find yourself breaking through a dense white-cotton ceiling, rising up through the opaque brilliance until you’re free, looking down on the creamy-white mounds. Donovan’s monumentally scaled, interior-lit forms similarly seem to transport you to a dreamlike, always changing world.

Donovan describes herself as “fascinated with creating chaos out of something and then restructuring it and giving it new order.” This is evident in her ability to transform quantities of commonplace manufactured materials into sculptural installations that suggest the wonders of nature. The director of interiors at HNTB Architecture is so entranced by Donovan’s work, he uses an image of one of her creations as his computer screensaver.

During the contracting process, Donovan’s success and notoriety increased even more – a situation that simultaneously thrilled and terrified us. Would she still be interested in our small project?

Our Artist Takes Wing

In September, Donovan received a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation Genius Award, which she can use to continue developing her art. Her first major museum show, a traveling retrospective, opened on October 10 at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art. In conjunction with her solo show, Donovan recently published a book of her work over the past 10 years.

Despite all this national attention, Donovan remains committed to Wichita. She made her first visit here in October to meet the design team and airport staff. She reviewed the terminal plans and started her process of determining an appropriate site to integrate her art into the fabric of the facility. She also met with members from the Wichita City Council and Design Council, and listened to their thoughts and ideas about art integration in the new terminal. We scheduled tours of Spirit AeroSystems and the Kansas Aviation Museum to inspire and educate her on our community’s aviation heritage. Now, it’s back to the drawing board for Donovan as she begins conceptualizing a truly custom, integrated piece for our new terminal.

Moving Forward

We’ll keep you apprised. Meanwhile, learn more about Donovan in a recent full-page article in the New York Times titled “The Genius of Little Things” and be sure to check out her work at Ace Gallery.