Decorative Concrete
Art in Public Spaces

Images in Concrete does a lot of work for individual customers, both in creating original floor murals and in basic staining. But we also work with businesses and schools via grants to produce public art. Many states have “Percent for Art” or “Art in Public Places” programs where 1⁄2 percent to 1 percent of building costs for publicly funded buildings must be set aside for art.

I would encourage concrete contractors to seek out the artists in their communities. These may be people who are graphic designers, painters, or — like me — an art professor. If you find compatibility and team up, the design skills of the artist can elevate your decorative concrete to a whole other level. Public art can be so much more than hanging a painting on a wall. In my opinion, the most successful examples are when art is integrated with architecture, so what better foundation could you have for success than concrete floors? The only difference in working with individual clients and community art leagues is that public art requires many more people, more meetings, more research, more patience, and a lot more time.

Time consuming? Absolutely, and your fee for this type of service must reflect the time you spend doing research and planning as well as the square footage you will install. Gerald and I discovered that the deciding factor isn’t always the money. This is as true for our clients as it is for us. It is whether they appreciate the uniqueness of seeing their own ideas manifested beneath their feet and how art can express values and engage people in dialogue. If the design works well, the funds will follow.

For some contractors, having clients actively involved may sound like your worst nightmare. Some may think we are crazy for inviting our clients to work alongside us. For us, the closer we work with the client, the easier it is to make changes during the process. What! Who would do such a thing? Me. No matter how many hours or days it took for the ideas to evolve into a good design, there is always that opportunity to make it better. It may be after a good night’s sleep or during the process of laying out the image: New ideas can and will occur.