TLWL Final Low-Res Single Pages

A note to
the reader
Jenny Haughton
Public Art Coordinator
This book is written by people interested in public art – artists themselves,
commissioners, communities relating through the arts, and all who wish to
understand the productive process.
I remember being struck by the Agency’s decision to appoint a dedicated
senior Public Art Coordinator to Grangegorman, and how this signaled intent that the
arts would be integral to the redevelopment process that began in 2007 and continues
to this day. From the outset, the Agency invested resources, including a lean
and agile team to ensure a visionary threading of the arts as part of Grangegorman’s
future. Being part of regular staff meetings was an eye-opener for me as an arts
professional, entering into the language of construction and safety with a diversity
of stakeholder and community interests. My work was guided by the independently
appointed and inspired Public Art Working Group.
The work of arts coordination is little written about, but sits between
curation and management, acquiring knowledge from both fields. Art and artists are
at the core of Per Cent for Art initiatives and it is the job of the Coordinator to work,
often invisibly, in ensuring that the productive process, however complex, retains its
artistic integrity and relevance. After five years, the value of the Agency’s dogged
commitment to the arts has been tested and proven and we continue to facilitate the
delivery of art works that will bring distinction to all that Grangegorman is becoming.
I began my work by taking a quixotic route that meandered amongst
artists, communities and agencies, picking up clues, listening, asking, being curious,
ruminating and pausing for thought. Amongst others, Ken McCue helped me get to
grips with the diversities of this part of the city; at night, Jimmy Leonard introduced
me to people sleeping rough in the area; Gráinne Foy raised issues around social inclusion;
Nora Rahill reminded me of good governance and stakeholder representation.
These encounters shook up theory and prior experience and they were vital parts
of the research and discursive process that led to ‘…the lives we live’ Grangegorman
Public Art’s six pathways (2015). By devising the six pathway framework for procurement,
I wanted to provide time for artists to plan. This framework also provided for
an open call process for local communities to partner with artists. My intention was
to reduce bureaucracy and increase accessibility without compromising art practice
and accountability. Working with a bespoke Public Art Working Group has been this
Coordinator’s dream.
The introductory text by Prof. Ciarán Benson, Chair of the Public Art
Working Group, situates the reader in the social and aesthetic context. The Health
Service Executive address the question of what it takes to develop new services on
the historic site for same and new communities. Technological University Dublin
addresses the same question from an educational perspective, what does it take to
build a new technological university in the city in the 21st century? These early sec-