Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Journalism

Advisor/Mentor

Starling-Ledbetter, Robyn

Committee Member

Shelton, Gina

Second Committee Member

Stewart, Patrick

Third Committee Member

D'Eugenio, Daniela

Abstract

This paper focuses on the impact of public art in regards to the overall quality of life within a city. The findings are localized to Northwest Arkansas, a region densely populated with public art installations. This thesis is non-traditional and it focuses more so on the coinciding project. The topic was covered in depth by a 26-minute long documentary that uncovers the impact of one local public artist. Through an examination of historical accounts and qualitative assessments, this paper and accompanying project both showcase public art's innate ability to benefit encompassing communities. The study also focuses on how the presence of public spaces can directly correlate to the quality of life. When deliberately employed, public art can improve a resident's emotional connection to their surroundings. Both the paper and documentary acknowledge the potential risks associated with public art. Gentrification becomes a major concern when its implementation is solely driven by marketing objectives. Northwest Arkansas is poised to break population records in the coming years, so these worries have become all the more concerning. Nevertheless, public art's purpose in a vacuum directly works to benefit an area's quality of life.

Keywords

Public art; documentary; Northwest Arkansas; back-to-land movement

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Documentary Link: https://youtu.be/chAqcJYgiXs

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