Art for Everyone
The Art in Public Places Program Celebrates the Culture and Beauty of Our City
A significant part of what makes Coral Gables beautiful is our commitment to enhancing the outdoor experience — from preserving the lush canopy that makes it pleasurable to stroll in the otherwise punishing South Florida heat to the strict adherence to architectural guidelines that differentiate our homes and public buildings. The city’s Art in Public Places Program seeks to build on that idea, elevating the pedestrian experience through the commissioning, acquiring, and exhibiting of a variety of artworks throughout the Gables.
The program was first proposed as an ordinance in 2007 (and went into effect in 2010) in part to comply with Miami-Dade’s art in public places requirements for municipalities. The county requires 1.5 percent of municipal construction projects to be allocated towards public art. Coral Gables took it a step further by requiring the allocation of one percent of private development projects valued at or over $1 million. By having its own program, the city has more participation and control over what art goes where. According to the city’s Arts and Culture Specialist Catherine Cathers, this provides added flexibility that allows Coral Gables to focus on museum-quality artists and artwork.
The overarching goal is to display public art that not only preserves the city’s artistic heritage, but also enhances its character and identity. The carefully curated roster of high-level art adds beauty and interest to our outdoor spaces, increasing public opportunities to experience the arts. Between works owned by the city (on public property) and those owned by developers participating in the program (on private property), over 30 artworks are scattered throughout various neighborhoods in Coral Gables.
Cathers sees public art as a way to enhance community spaces with a range of styles, sizes, and materials, creating opportunities for interaction, education, and discourse. “Public art is, by definition, of the public realm, therefore it’s artwork for everyone,” Cathers says. “The same piece is often perceived in different ways…. For me, it’s one of the most interesting and engaging things about it and what it brings to the community.”
Because art is subjective, determining its beauty is up to the observer. Cathers says the city’s public art pieces usually engender zealous resident feedback. “There are as many experiences and opinions, and loves and not loves, as there are people,” she says. “What I love is the passion people show for certain artworks and hearing about what their favorite — and not so favorite ones — are. That kind of passion demonstrates that a work is really a success. In the art world, there’s nothing worse than a piece that has no response, that people walk by and don’t notice.”
A prime example of one of the city’s more controversial pieces is “Passion/Passiflora Incarnation,” the larger of two metallic flower installations located on the roundabouts on Segovia Street just west of City Hall. “This is a piece that people either really love or they don’t,” Cathers says. “I seldom, if ever, hear somebody go, ‘Eh.’ It’s definitely a piece that’s embraced strongly on both sides of the spectrum.”
Watch on Instagram: Public Art Bike Tour
Like everything else in the Gables, potential featured artists and their works go through extensive screening processes. A piece can be acquired in several ways: through open competition, where artists apply for consideration after meeting qualifications and submitting proposals; through limited competition, where a shortlist of artists are asked to submit proposals; or through direct selection by a city committee. These proposals are first vetted by the city’s Arts Advisory Panel; those which are recommended go to the Cultural Development Board. Both are volunteer boards made up of local artists, residents, and art experts, appointed by the city commission and city manager. The proposals are ultimately presented for a final decision to the city commission.
“Memoirs” (2020, Blessing Hancock) is composed of two stainless steel companion sculptures that explore the patterns of language and collective memories of the residents in the Golden Gate and MacFarlane neighborhoods. Blessing Hancock is known for her large-scale, illuminated, and site-specific sculptures that she creates by working with the local community. The open design is made up of phrases — the memories and histories of the residents across the street. “You can spend a lot of time walking around it and reading it,” says Cathers. “It not only informs people about the community and about Coral Gables in general, but it’s also very personal.”
The artwork was commissioned by real estate investment and development company Nolan Reynolds International through the Art in Public Places program. The developer was originally going to donate one of the two pieces to the city, positioning it on the section of The Underline next to the Lifetime building, with the companion piece on the property’s plaza. However, due to The Underline’s delays, both pieces were placed in the plaza.
Cathers has a hand throughout the whole process, being the staff liaison for both panels and the city’s go-to art expert. She’s worked 15 years for the city, 12 of which have been as the administrator of the Art in Public Places Program. The scope of her job covers the acquisition of art from start to finish, from reviewing and approving major construction projects and building permits for program compliance, to drafting legislative material and presenting it to the city commission, to project management and communication with artists.
“Mean Average” (2013, Tony Cragg) is the landmark piece for The Plaza Coral Gables. The 19-foot abstract bronze sculpture is the work of prominent contemporary sculptor Tony Cragg. Cathers describes it as a welcoming feature with its fluidity in shape creating a sense of familiarity and warmth. It was originally located on Park Avenue in New York City before being moved to Germany, where it was purchased for $1.24 million by Agave Holdings, the owner of The Plaza, and ultimately brought to the Gables.
“I get to work with so many different people on so many different projects; I cannot do what I do alone,” Cathers says. “I’m very grateful for those interactions and relationships and the expertise that the artists, their teams, and city staff provide. I literally work with every department in the city, along with the cultural institutions, residents, business owners, and civic organizations. I love my job.”
In terms of upkeep, the Art in Public Places Program allocates funds for restoration work and extraordinary maintenance, while regular maintenance (like cleaning the pieces) is covered by the city’s Public Works Department. Recently, 14 pieces were restored through a combination of work by professional conservators and a public works team.
Cathers says that as Coral Gables’ collection has grown, the city has had to figure out best practices and guidelines for maintenance. Some pieces may require more specific upkeep than others, such as “Passion/Passiflora Incarnation,” which requires a biannual visit from the fabricator to make sure it’s up to par and that the water misters are working.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2018, R&R Studios) located in Balboa Square, is a prime example of enhancing our outdoor spaces. This large scale, coral rock sculptural bench is approximately 30-feet long and four-feet high; its immensity can be seen if you’ve ever sat on it. Creating the sense of an outdoor living room, the bench is framed by 14-foot-high lamps and complemented by a second piece, “Coral Carpet,” composed of inlaid terrazzo.
Cathers highlights the welcoming aspect of this public art piece and how it encourages picnics and outdoor play in what was once just a plot of grass. An added bonus is the plaza’s Wi-Fi, which can provide a change of scenery for visitors who work from home. This piece was the first donation from a developer under the Art in Public Places Program, gifted by MG Developer to the City of Coral Gables.
Cathers is excited for the program’s further expansion, teasing that multiple projects are in the works but have not yet been made public. One potential acquisition that’s been receiving lots of buzz is a piece by Frank Stella, a major contributor to modernism and abstract expressionism who is considered one of the greatest living American artists. In March, the city commission voted 5-0 to pursue the purchase of a $1.25 million piece, the funds of which will come entirely from the Arts in Public Places Program. Cathers says the program aims to maintain a balance in the types of artworks it acquires, focusing on the variety and quality of the pieces.
“As we build the collection, we are striving for works by significant artists that will build on the identity of the city as a place of world-class art.”
Click here to access the city’s interactive map of its art in public places.
“Cabeza XVII” (2018-2019, Arturo Berned) is located near “Memoirs” and also commissioned and owned by Nolan Reynolds International. Arturo Berned, an architect and sculptor, conceives and develops works based on mathematical laws and the golden ratio associated with the Fibonacci sequence. This piece, which looks like some sort of brain teaser or puzzle, was assembled on-site and then welded together.
The corten steel material changes with time due to outdoor elements, dripping into the ground beneath it. Cathers highlights the extensive thought process that went into deciding how to display this piece. Instead of placing it directly on concrete, which would have caused the piece to stain the ground with rust, they went with an elevated position over plants.
“Ernest and Ruth (Exuberant Pink)” (2018, Hank Willis Thomas) is part of the series “The Truth Is I Welcome You,” consisting of four artwork benches and 22 speech bubble-shaped signs by Hank Willis Thomas. Owned by the city, the four benches are scattered throughout Coral Gables, with this one accompanying the signs on Miracle Mile. Thomas is a conceptual artist who focuses on exploring identity, place, history, and pop culture. His works are collaborative projects that involve the community; case in point being the speech bubbles, which display messages of truth and personal connection in 23 languages spoken throughout the Gables.
Cathers describes the art bench as “sitting in your own thoughts — literally.” The piece encourages viewers to think about what it’s like to inhabit their own speech and beliefs. The bright colors used in all four benches reflect the Gables’ tropical environment, and Thomas includes a personal element by including the names of his extended family as the works’ titles.
Photos by Natalia Clement and Rodolfo Benitez.