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local governments and local public administrators in managing the cross sector collaborative <br /> efforts that create public places defined by public art projects. <br /> This research will examine art initiatives in the small city context. While, large <br /> metropolitan areas have been well studied in this regard, the urban context has some important <br /> differences when compared to a small city. The density of population, the multiplicity of <br /> cultural and ethnic populations, the focus of cultural institutions such as museums, churches and <br /> universities, large corporate patrons, the concentration of an artist community, and large <br /> government bureaucracies, all make the large city context different and attractive to a variety of <br /> public art initiatives. <br /> On the other hand, small cities offer a different context for community art projects. Public <br /> art projects are often undertaken in order to create a sense of community and an identity beyond <br /> the shadow of its large urban neighbor. The questions raised by examining public art in a small <br /> city are important because the process of public art planning and implementation inescapably <br /> involves the entire community. Within this context, the role of local government involvement is <br /> more pronounced. In other words, the process of a public art initiative generally has the focus of <br /> an entire local community, not just the attention of neighborhood residents or an obscure cultural <br /> elite. The communication surrounding public art in the small community is often pervasive and <br /> can capture a broad spectrum of community residents. The study of public art in the small urban <br /> context can identify the underlying motivation and expected outcomes of the players involved in <br /> the public art initiative. <br /> The literature on the subject reveals that the `public' of public art has many varied <br /> definitions that have evolved over time. This research will explore the definition of public art, its <br /> intended purpose, and actual outcomes, as this is central to the understanding of the public art <br /> 15 <br />