A+ Art Blog 2025
PATRICIA FRISCHER, the coordinator of the San Diego Visual Arts Network, writes these occasional notes. These blogs are now available at this link where you can comment back.To leave a comment about this blog or see other comments, please go to the A+ Art Blog Spot Link. and/or add commnents on our Picked RAW Peeled blog site.

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Improving the Process for Public Art for the County of San Diego.

Image: Anne Mudge
Improving the Process for Public Art for the County of San Diego.
A recent survey was done with art professionals and artists who have been involved with public art projects for the county of San Diego by our County Commission for Arts and Culture. The result of that survey were made public as is in keeping with all work of the commission. What follows is my brief summary of that document.

The survey ended with the goal of a public art program. But I am choosing to put that first:

• Celebrate community and local artists by putting art in public spaces within the community which expands access to the arts. Public Art inspires, educates, and creates an interesting, beautiful experience for people
• To welcome visitors to the project sites to show what makes us a world class city.
• Centralize administration of a public art program under the Arts and Culture Program and standardize the implementation of the ordinance to meet national best practices i.e. a facilitation between government and art
• To tell the story of San Diego County and to show the diversity of artists in both rural and city sites.

Let then go to what works well with the County of San Diego’s public art process:

The reinstatement of the County Art Commission is viewed as a great development with the engagement of the Commission’s Public Art Committee now involved with each project. When qualified professional public art project management collaborate with the County facilities director and contractors/inspectors who have experience with art installations, the projects go more smoothly.

Now, what doesn’t work well with the County public art process?

• The 0.5% allocation for public art is seen as low and has not increased over time, making it challenging to have the desired impact.
• The County's artist agreement is problematic for artists, as it takes away their copyrights and ownership, and the language needs to be revised to better support both the artists and the County.
• There is a need for clear and transparent guidelines and SOP applicable to all projects.
• Consistent community input in the selection and discussion process does not always happen.

Finally, what are the recommendations and challenges to improve the County public art process to make it more efficient, inclusive, or impactful for artists, communities, and other stakeholders?

• The 0.5% allocation for public art should be increased to 1%.
• The feedback suggests that providing mentorship or consulting support for artists who have not created public sculpture before would be beneficial. Allowing data on why work was rejected will help to improve future submissions.
• Updating the current county public art ordinance to reflect national standards by adopting policies and guidelines for various aspects of the public art program. For example: simplifying the language in RFPs to be more artist-friendly and building insurance needs into the budget to support artists.
• Increasing the involvement and reporting to the County Art Commission, with the qualified public art consultants working as partners;
• Allowing artists to retain copywrite of their own and be able promote that artwork
• Publishing an art inventory and a comprehensive art policy booklet outlining best practices and clarity would benefit all parties.
• Centralizing the implementation and administration of the ordinance with a qualified public art professional as an employer of the department
• Standardizing the system for public input and making sure it is presented in multiple languages.

The recommendations emphasize the need for a more inclusive approach to public art installations. Many of the above recommendation would move to a more equitable systems for less experienced artists as well.

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Archived A+ Art Blog

2024 past A+Art Blogs including:
How the Arts in California could be affected by the recent election
And the Pendulum Swings: How the election results of 2024 will affect the arts
Carol Rogers: How the Arts helped me find community
The First City of San Diego Cultural Plan
Arts Prescriptions
What is your vision? What is your passion?
Patricia Frischer State of the Arts Advocacy, LIFE Lecture
State Funding Proposed Cut for the Arts
Public Art: A cry from the heart.
Affordable Housing for Artists in your Cultural Districts and Patricia Frischer, Woman of Impact 2024
Silent Conversations
Why weren’t we asked?
2024 State of the Arts

2023 past A+ Art Blogs including:
Legacy
Advocacy Issues for the region of San Diego , Illustrations by Keith Haring (Broad Museum)
Our Hats are Off to our Volunteers and Supporters
Diary of a Clearance Fiend, London, 2023
SDVAN/Synergy 20th Anniversary Celebration HATS ON!Black Women Artists in the Marketplace
California Creative Corp in San Diego
State of the Arts 2023- DEI, Money for the Arts and Women Arts Leaders

2022 past A+ Art Blogs including:
Partying with No Purpose
ArtsVote - Make Your Vote Count
Ayad Akhtar gives the Nancy Hanks Lecture and SD Design Week Collectors
What the NFT?
Uninformed and Not Stupid?
Summary of the New Ordinance for an office of Arts and Culture at the county level.
Support for the Arts at the County Level
How are the arts doing: Americans for the Arts Survey?
Arts and Culture Center for Encinitas
Gator Aid : An upcycle rescue story
State of the Arts 2022: Hurry up and Slow Down

2018 past A+ Art Blogs including
Politics and Art: Don't forget the we are human seeking connections
VOTE Like your life depended on it
Ten Reason to Support the Arts
North County Arts Events: Lux Art Couture and SD Botanic Gardens
Look at #Me,Too
Men on Boats at new Village Arts, Carlsbad until April 22
State of the Arts 2018
Outside Mullingar from the Oceanside Theater Co. at Brooks Historic Thea

2017 past A+ Art Blogs including:
End of Year NCAN Arts and Economic Summit Take Aways
SDVAN Giving Tuesday
Patricia Frischer: London Post Script 2017
Patricia Frischer: London Letter, Part 1, 2017
Patricia Frischer: London Letter, Part 2, 2017
Patricia Frischer: London Letter, Part 3, 2017
Patricia Frischer: London Letter, Part 4, 2017
Flash Forward at Oceanside Museum of Art
I matter
Desert X: a close by way to see large scale art
Off with the new, on with the old
Passing on a legacy
Empowering Advocacy
Walker Art Center, Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis and The Broad in LA
State of the Arts/State of the Website 2017
I matter
Off with the new, on with the old
Empowering Advocacy

2016 Past A+Art Blogs including
State of the Arts 2016
What is the What of What
London Journal March 2016
Today San Diego, Tomorrow the World
1000 Words! Where is a picture when you need it?
Five trends in Social Innovation
August Challenges
Art of Science Learning Proof of Impact..The Facts, just the facts
Old Fashion or Out of Fashion
Annual San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) Workshop
Can Falling Behind, Put You Ahead

2015 Past A+ Art Blog including
North County arts Network meeting at CCAE in Escondido
True Collaboration Means Sharing Credit
Why San Diego needs an County Arts Council
Hobby Store Heaven
State of the Arts: Are these the Questions for 2015?
Scaling Up and Out: The changing audience for the arts
Spoiled for Choice equals a Guilt Free Art Life
Changes to the SD Art Prize
Naimeh Tahna Woodard: Queen of  Parties and Art Supporter par Excellence
In Praise of Saying Thank You
Maker’s Spaces
Art Makes things Strange : Looking at and Talking About Art
Thankful for STEM into STEAM
Your Donations Make a Difference

2012 Past A+Art Blog including
Art of Science, Science of Art
Holistic Education
San Diego Steps It Up
Art Spaces for Art Places
Curated Exhibitons/OMA New Director
TED Speak: Introducing SDVAN View Art Now App
Augmented Realty
Big Art Big Bucks
Three Things You Can Do to Help the Art World
United Councils of San Diego?
Thank you to Dennis Paul Batt
New Horizons in SD Art

2011 Past A+Art Blog including
Is La Jolla coming back as a center for the visual arts in San Diego?, Dec 2011
Audience Engagement, Nov 2011
London Part Two, Oct 2011
London Part One, Sept 2011
Drink, Mate, Art, Aug 2011
Too Brave to Fail, July 2011
Out and About In June, 2011
Putting our Tax dollars to Work
The Birthing of Art Meets Fashion
DNA of Creativity
Los Angeles Contemporary Art Fair 2011 in under 2 minutes!

2010 Past A+Art Blog including
Best Tidbits for the Twelve MOnths of 2010
Katherine Sweetman has a home at SDVAN
Filling a Need
Collectors Take Note
Birthing Process
...And Three to Go
Willing to Fail
Life, Luck and Survival
Arting: are we consuming the right art?
Cliffnotes: One Month Condensed into One Week
Allison Renshaw Discovered
Dreams and Visions: MOvers and Shakers 2
State of the Arts 2010 - the Future of Art Publications

2009 Past A+ Art Blogs including
London and the Venice Biennial, 2009
Meet the Press
Beyond the Borders International Art (BTBIAF)
Interpersonal Theory of Art: Little & Large community phenomenon and the museum exhibition, Calder Jewelry at SDMA
Little and Large Launch
Little & Large Introduciton
The Recycling Buzz
Economic Realities for the arts in May 2009
Seven volunteer Inspried Visual Arts Projects
Snapshot – One women’s personal views on Changing Perspectives in the San Diego Art Scene: Notes from the panel discussion
The Economy and Affordable Live/Work Spaces
State of the Arts 2009

2008 Past A+ Art Blogs including
State of the Arts 2008
Hungry for Chinese Art?
Eat Your Art Out plus John Baldessari conversation with Hugh Davies
London Burning: A Damien Hirst Update
SD Flash Forward; Movers and Shakers Speak Out
Museum Trends: NY Times Cliff Notes
London Newsletter 2008
Art Collecting Clubs Part II
Artcentric Interiors
Poopielickles for All: attending Art Fairs in LA
Reading the Zines for Good Ideas, Feb 2008
Changing Power Base: State of the Arts 2008

2007 Past A+ Art Blogs including
Burnished by Fire: Stories of Firestorm, November 2007
The What and the How and the Wow, October, 2007
Careerist Artist, September, 2007
Non-Profit is not a Free Ride, July 2007
Crowd Control at Museums, June, 2007
May and It'sDarling Buds - May, 2007
Cruelty Free Art Zone - April, 2007
Critical Issues Facing the Arts, March, 2007 – The James Irvine Foundation, September 2006 summary
Letter from London Dec 2006 - Feb 2007
State of the Arts Jan 2007

2006 Past A+ Art Blogs
Crossover: How Artists Build Careers
Art and Wine Tour of Northern CA- October, 2006
Web Heaven- August, 2006 Advice on Websites for Artists
Vacation Art-July, 2006
Art Critic Revealed: Robert Pincus - June, 2006
Artistic Freedoms- May 2006
Art and Science, Progress and Mystery - April, 2006
Building Market Share - March, 2006
Glass to Go - February, 2006
Collectors on Show - January, 2006

PATRICIA FRISCHER, author of "The Artist and the Art of Marketing" has lectured extensively on marketing for artists. She is a trainer of artists’ agents, art dealers, consultant and collectors. Frischer has taken on the roles of gallerist, curator, writer, teacher, website coordinator and artist. Her many metamorphoses make her difficult to fit into any of the usual art world categories. She is a founding member and coordinator of the San Diego Visual Arts Network, (www.SDVAN.net ) which funds the SD Art Prize, directory and events calendar and SmART Collector features. Her own artwork  (www.DrawsCrowd.com ) has been shown internationally and her most recent one person show was at Oxford University.

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