EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine February 2019 | Page 20

VOLUSIA COUNTY:
Public Art is a Public Right
by Brigitte Hoarau
A
n area’s art scene has commonly been tied to its strength and
viability on the global business and culture fronts, and that
perception is especially true of local and public art. In addition
to its measurable economic impacts, research claims that public art raises
perceived quality of life, lowers crime, and strengthens communities.
The research suggests that residents of and visitors to areas where art
is readily observed in everyday business experience the “pause” that
considering art evokes; and because that consideration crosses those
difficult boundaries of socioeconomics, culture, language, and experience,
those surrounded by art in their cities and public places often hold a
higher opinion of the area and a stronger sense of community.
It was recognition of this dynamic in 1990 that provoked officials to
formalize public art’s value to Volusia County by writing the Art in Public
Places (AiPP) Ordinance. Reaching beyond the economic impact of art in
the community, the ordinance claims that “by emphasizing the aesthetic,
informational, educational, cultural, and/or historical aspects of public
buildings and spaces, substantial benefits will be gained by encouraging
works of art to be included in private developments, and by expanding
the historical, cultural, and creative appreciation of its citizens.” The
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| 20 | EVOLVE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE