Public Art Archive (ICPSR 37022)
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation)
This is an external resource to which ICPSR links as a courtesy. These data are not available from ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners (via Public Art Archive) directly for details on obtaining these resources.
Summary View help for Summary
The Public Art Archive (PAA) is a free, continually growing, online and mobile database of completed public artworks. Its purpose is to:
- Gather documentation about public artworks into one central repository.
- Support the standardization and adoption of best practices in cataloging public art.
- Unite records from public art organizations and artists into one comprehensive resource.
- Raise awareness about the value of public art and advocates for public artists.
- Help make it possible for stakeholders to advance the professionalism of public artists and practitioners in allied fields.
The Archive is free to contribute to and interact with from a desktop, tablet or mobile device. Managed by a team of curators, public art administrators, information specialists, web developers, graphic designers, and arts advocates, PAA is supported by a nonprofit arts service organization, WESTAF. Copyright holders retain their rights to any data and media that the Archive displays. WESTAF retains copyright over the compilation that is the Public Art Archive service. The Archive is built on a standardized and highly rigorous metadata structure and controlled taxonomies to describe artworks in a consistent manner. The main goal of this database is to provide accurate documentation. Integrated with Google Maps, PAA supports mapping features for virtual or on foot exploration. The database is searchable with filters that aid in research and education.