Local conflicts over public art have occurred throughout the United States. In Memphis, controversy erupted over inclusion of the phrase “Workers of the World, Unite!” in a sidewalk designed for the city’s new public library. In Milwaukee, selection of Dennis Oppenheim’s fiber-glass sculpture Blue Shirt for an airport parking garage was perceived as a slur on the city’s working-class roots. In Boston, a public art tribute to Polish patriots created controversy when it was first placed in a remote corner of the city’s Common in 1983, and then generated even more consternation when it was moved into storage in 2006. In Portland, ME, a bronze sculpture of an all-white family heading to a baseball game unleashed accusations of racism. And in Baldwin Park, CA, a public art project that draws attention to the city’s indigenous peoples and histories—and explored in more detail in this Monograph—was attacked by anti-immigration groups.

Member Price: Free

Nonmember Price: $5.00