Public Art

Welcome to the Clackamas County Arts Alliance Public Art Program! Public art may take many forms, encompassing the traditional heroic sculpture in a plaza, to park amenities like artist-designed benches and trash receptacles. Public artworks can be functional, figurative, ornamental or decorative, and can be intended to provoke dialogue or provide a quiet response in a busy place.

The CCAA Public Art Program is composed of two components: Artist Exhibit Program and Art in Public Places. Artist Exhibit Program is a juried rotating exhibit program of 2D and 3D art in publicly accessible buildings throughout the county. The Art in Public Places program includes the facilitation and installation of mostly permanent works of art throughout Clackamas County. 

Public art can turn the mundane into the miraculous. Its benefits, however, are not limited to aesthetic appreciation.  Public art can also contribute to the sustainability of a community: economically, socially, and environmentally. No matter the form that it takes, well-conceived public art can yield specific community-building outcomes: public spaces are enlivened, humanized, and defined; public spaces become welcoming, inviting and engaging; residents and visitors learn the stories, history and heritage of a place; local cultural and geographic diversity is celebrated; community pride is inspired, community identity reinforced; and a legacy is left for future generations.  CCAA Public Art also strives to emphasize the County’s commitment to environmental sustainability in work whenever possible.

For each public art project, the Clackamas County Arts Alliance seeks stakeholders to participate in the planning/selection process as Steering Committee Members. In order to ensure the artwork created reflects the desires of the surrounding cities, community participation is of key importance. Public art should benefit County citizens; a stakeholder process ensures that aesthetic decisions are integrated and consistent with existing cultural values and principles. See our Opportunities pages for our current projects!