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WHAT IS PUBLIC ART?

Public art can take many forms, and different aspects of it are also known by other names – civic art, town art, community art, street art. For this website, we have chosen to record permanently sited pieces of artwork intended for public viewing that are outwith a museum or art gallery. These are mostly outdoors but we have included indoor pieces where the buildings are freely open during normal working hours. Works in buildings like schools and hospitals have only been included here if the public can easily access them or view them from the street. Decorative carving on buildings has been included where there is a significant sculptural or representational element. Gravestones have not been included, however artistic – there are just too many! We have also included temporary works in permanently dedicated sites – for example legal graffiti walls.

Ultimately, however, it is the public who should decide what counts as public art, so if you know of anything we’ve missed (or any mistakes we’ve made), please let us know.