By Anne Levin

Members of Princeton Council took part in a work session Monday night about a proposal for a new public art master plan. James Steward, director of the Princeton University Art Museum, and Adam Welch, executive director of the Arts Council of Princeton, who have been working on the plan for several years, delivered the report at the Council meeting.

Steward chaired a public art committee created in 2018 under former Mayor Liz Lempert, but it lacked funding that would have allowed it to work proactively, he said. He and Welch suggested that a newly-formed committee could be funded by levying a 1 percent fee on the cost of commercial and commercial residential capital projects to be paid into a public art fund, with some exceptions including affordable housing, individual residential projects, and nonprofits.

“This is the most prevalent model at play across the country,” said Steward, who cited municipalities in 27 states including Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.; and Ann Arbor, Mich., as having such programs in place. The fee would only be for projects with budgets of $1 million or more.

Steward proposed that a five-to-eight-member committee of local experts and stakeholders be on the committee, which would be appointed by resolution. A municipal staff member would be designated to take part, and the funding stream would be established by ordinance.

Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros commented that the time is ripe for such an initiative. “There are a lot of construction projects happening. It seems like a golden moment, where we have the resources that are there, that hopefully we can leverage at this moment,” she said. “And then there’s the resources of James and Adam and others in the community. We’re so fortunate to have that kind of input. We have incredible heritage, history, and culture in our town. Bringing all this together, and being able to create placemaking and public art at this moment, seems to be a natural.”

Steward added that with the newly revamped art museum opening in 2025, and the strength of the Arts Council, “we can very much expect that the nation’s eyes will be on the visual arts’ energy of this community.”

Among the positive aspects of public art is the access it provides. “It is not confined to galleries and museums,” said Steward. “It brings streetscapes, plazas, and town buildings to life. It’s a great deal for civic engagement.”

Public art also provides opportunities for artists, is an investment in placemaking, and engenders community pride, he said, adding, “It connects citizens to their neighbors and shared history and makes cultural heritage a community asset.”

Council members and Mayor Mark Freda were in favor of further work on the plan, but asked some questions and offered suggestions. Councilman David Cohen asked what the criteria would be for selecting public art. “I think that to some extent, modern artists and architects have lost sight of the idea of accessibility, and have gone in a direction of making art off-putting and intentionally difficult to understand. But doing something that’s just popular leaves out a lot of richness.”

Steward said that bad public art exists in many places, and that’s why a committee would be needed to achieve a standard of excellence. “I’m a believer that good public art can be rewarding, challenging, engaging, and beautiful, but it requires real thought and the selection of just the right makers,” he said.

Councilman Leighton Newlin said that with Welch and Steward in charge, he trusts it would be done right. But he added what he called a precautionary note, “Whoever leads this effort has to be very conscious that the conglomeration of what we put out there is going to tell who we are and what we think; that we understand what story it is that we’re telling.”

Freda asked what kind of staff support would be needed, and expressed concern that the committee would be made up only of local experts. “It can’t be just experts in the field,” he said. He also questioned what the figure of 1 percent is based on. “Have we looked at what an anticipated budget would be per year? I’m in favor of the whole idea, I just want to flesh it out.”

Planning Director Justin Lesko said he thinks the idea is worthwhile, and will look at it further. Municipal Administrator Bernie Hvozdovic said he would need to evaluate how much time a designated staff member of the committee would be able to devote.

Council members agreed to tell Steward and Welch to continue advancing the idea. A full description of the plan is available on the agenda from the meeting on princetonnj.gov.