The Public Art Collective supports our community as stewards of publicly owned art in Big Rapids, Michigan.

Community

The Public Art Collective centers people and place, supporting community participation, partnerships, and broad access to creative experiences.

Culture

The Public Art Collective celebrates artistic significance and uplifts diverse voices, perspectives,  and creative expressions.

Wellbeing

The Public Art Collective nurtures the health of mind, body, and spirit through meaningful   artistic engagement while creating a welcoming environment for all.

Stewardship

The Public Art Collective views the art in its collection as cultural heritage held in trust with a duty of care, ethics, and long-term preservation.

The Public Art Collective supports and recognizes the profound importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the arts. We acknowledge that our current art collection may not fully reflect the rich tapestry of voices and perspectives that comprise our society. Therefore, we are committed to taking proactive steps to address this imbalance and ensure that our collection represents a diverse array of artists, cultures, and narratives. 

As stewards of culture and creativity, we pledge to cultivate a collection that celebrates the multifaceted beauty of the human experience. We seek to collect artwork by historically underrepresented peoples, including and not limited to Black artists, Indigenous artists, artists of color, LGBTQIA+ artists, women artists, and artists with disabilities. We strive to amplify marginalized voices through our acquisitions. 

The Public Art Collective embraces diversity and inclusion as core values. We aim to enrich our art collection and foster a more equitable, accessible, and representative cultural landscape for present and future generations.

The Public Art Collective is a specially selected collection of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of art that have been installed in our community. With the intention of being the best stewards of this collection, a committee has established clearly defined criteria for works that will be maintained. 

The work in The Public Art Collective is considered permanent and supports community-based projects, pride in public ownership, collaboration, and cultural enrichment. It is our goal to continue growing this collection with intention.

Works selected for inclusion are

• of high artistic merit

• site-specific

• jury or competition selected

• accessible to the public