About this Webinar

One reason public art matters is that it can create a sense of belonging by being reflective of all those who make up a community. Who creates the artworks can be one way to ensure a civic collection is reflective of the community in which it lives. Identifying the demographic makeup of the artists in the collection is the first step to understanding how reflective a public art collection is of the community it serves.
 
In 2020, the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) created a demographic review of Houston's 677-piece public art collection in a concerted effort to work toward and promote the City’s vision and goals stated in its Arts and Cultural Plan —to “foster an environment in which art and culture flourish for the sharing and benefit of all residents and visitors.” As Houston is the single most ethnically diverse major metropolitan area in the country, MOCA assessed the Civic Art collection to determine how closely Houston’s art collection represents the diverse populace of the city. The review presented statistics on the genders, races, and ethnicities represented by the 677 artworks in the Civic Art Collection, with a particular focus on female artists of color. Additionally, the review estimated the City’s financial investment in acquisition costs for new artworks over the lifetime of its collecting activity. This webinar will explore the in’s and out’s of how Houston reviewed their collection and dive into some of their lessons learned during this program.

During this webinar, participants will:

• Learn about the importance of a demographic review of a public art collection and how it can help address a city’s DEI obligations
• Hear from experienced arts administrators on how they developed the review process and what it means for their public art program 
• Learn the basics of implementing a demographic review of a public art collection