by Georgia Lange

When public workspaces operate as “part-time galleries” by exhibiting artwork on a rotating basis, it can become a controversial public arts issue. Most public workspaces (hospitals, hotels, city halls, banks and offices) typically buy or rent the artwork that is chosen to be put on display. It is often not local or original art, but “decorator” art that is deliberately chosen to fit the design and colors of the interior of the building in question. Because this is typically the case, many artists are fundamentally against the idea of allowing public workspaces to display their work for  “exhibitions” without providing advance compensation.  It is a rare exception for a public workspace to consistently exhibit artwork on a rotating basis, but it does happen. When it does, the issue of displaying prices on the works being shown becomes more complicated than one might assume. Continue reading →