Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/09/2025

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Research consisted of local and regional published material (e.g., reports, ordinances, policies, pamphlets, and online material) to gain general knowledge of the community's public art projects, determine the level of collaboration, community engagement, and the relative support or opposition to specific community art projects. Interviews are the primary source of data for this research. Initial one-on-one interview were conducted with several key people in each of the three communities. The city manager, the mayor, and a community art professional involved with public art were interviewed for the case study. Additional interviews were conducted with additional civic stakeholders, who were identified as collaborators on public art projects through interviews or archival research. Interviews covered the following topics: how the community defines public art, the community's history with public art, the community member's perception of public art, the role of public art in community place-making, the justification for public art, the process of decision- making regarding public art, the decision-makers involved in the process, collaboration between decision-makers and organizations, and the role of the public administrator in these relationships. All of the interviewees were initially contacted by telephone or email to explain the study and to solicit and schedule a subsequent interview. Interviews were scheduled for sixty minutes at the person's place of employment or another convenient location for the interviewee. Upon scheduling an interview, a follow-up letter was sent to confirm the appointment, to explain the purpose of the study, the importance of their participation, the value added by their participation, and requesting permission for the interview (Appendix A). Each participant was assured that confidentiality would be strictly observed with respect to the answers provided during the interview. The letter also explained that the interviews would be audio recorded with the permission of the interviewee. I also took field notes during the interview. Post-interview 77