Public art as new product development

This exploratory study considers issues surrounding the creation of Public Art from a new product development perspective. We examine how stakeholders with differing experiences in the creation of public art organise the field. Our aims are to determine the degree to which perceptions of public art differ as well as to establish a comprehensive expression public art by bringing these perceptions together. Creativity research is applied to the design process to include the social aspects of innovation. Our exploratory findings suggest that municipal administrators and managers charged with responsibilities for public art purchases and placements should consider both the context of the art’s placement, such as the architectural surroundings, environmental features and the area’s daily functions and significance, as well as the broad appeal of the art work itself which tends, in current art professional thinking, towards the modern rather than monumental.