In my travels around my city, my state, and other states, I keep my eyes open for interesting “public art”.  These days, you find public art in some of the strangest places!  Like the transformer boxes you find outside buildings, apartment complexes, and along roads.  New painted boxes are popping up daily, it seems.  And it sure beats the dull gray or green they used to be painted.

This one is in Leavenworth, Washington near our hotel.

In 2006, after my orchestra got finished playing at Carnegie Hall, my husband and I rented a car and drove to Upstate New York to do some sightseeing.  We had a wonderful time there, and spent a few days in the Saratoga area.  Now, Saratoga is well-known as a center for horse-racing, and all through the town, you see copious public art sculptures of horses.  Being horse-crazy myself, I tried to photograph all the ones I saw.

In Colorado Springs last April, we stopped at a shopping mall to pick up some road food, and we noticed some prominent public art along the side of the street.  It seems that the mall owners had given a commission to local artists to come up with some fanciful sculptures.  They certainly did!

Closer to home, mural-painting is very popular for cities to commission public art, and for businesses to just paint their buildings.

These are in the town of North Bend, which is where the TV series Twin Peaks was shot.  The town took their part very seriously!

When I toured Austria with my orchestra in 1996, we encountered, in Vienna, a shopping mall that was in itself public art.

The steps down to the underground shopping area were lined with glass tiles.  And the ladies restroom was giddy-making!

Of course, Washington DC is full of public art.  Statues of famous Americans are everywhere.

Finally, my very favorite piece of public art is found in the Midwest home of more than one manufacturer of brass musical instruments. That would be Elkhart, Indiana.

Forward, March!

Here’s the Link to John’s Original Post.     And Tina’s Too!