Art in Public Places
Established in 1988, Dublin, Ohio’s Art in Public Places program is a partnership between the City of Dublin and Dublin Arts Council. Its mission is simple: enrich public spaces and strengthen community connection through art.
The program began with Leatherlips (1990), a limestone sculpture honoring a Wyandot leader with deep ties to the region. In 1994, DAC commissioned the now-iconic Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees) — featuring 109 concrete ears of corn, as a tribute to Dublin’s agricultural heritage.
Dublin adopted its first Public Art Master Plan in 2021, marking a new chapter of strategic growth and vision.
Today, the collection includes more than 60 permanent, temporary, and interactive works by nationally and internationally recognized artists. Projects range in scale from monumental landmarks to intimate experiences like Riverboxes™ — artist-created vessels inspired by geocaching and the region’s waterways, reflecting Dublin Arts Council's commitment to accessibility, education, and creative engagement.
Together, these efforts have earned Dublin Arts Council national recognition as a leading model for suburban public art.
Art in Public Places
Leatherlips
Grounds of Remembrance
Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees)
The Simulation of George M. Karrer's Workshop
PERMANENT COLLECTION
Narrow #5
Shawn Morin
Coffman Park
5200 Emerald Pkwy, Dublin, Ohio
Ascension
Brian Russell
Coffman Park
5200 Emerald Pkwy, Dublin, Ohio
Out of Bounds
Lloyd Harmon
Avery Park
7401 Avery Rd., Dublin, Ohio
Dancing Hares
Sophie Ryder
Ballantrae Community Park
Dublin, Ohio
Art is vital in our public places; it connects, inspires, and transforms communities.
Learn more about the process behind the Art In Public Places collection.
Land Acknowledgment:
Dublin Arts Council acknowledges that it was founded upon exclusions and erasures of many Indigenous peoples, including those on whose land its institution is located. Its programming takes place on the unceded land of the Hopewell, Adena, Miami, Delaware, Shawnee, and Wyandot peoples. Dublin Arts Council asks community members to join the organization in acknowledging and honoring these Native communities, their Elders both past and present and all future generations. This acknowledgement demonstrates a commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.
FAQs
What is Dublin Arts Council’s (DAC) role in the public art process?
DAC serves as facilitator in commissioning large-scale public artworks as part of DAC’s Dublin Art in Public Places program. One of DAC’s primary goals is to advocate for and support the artist(s) in the process.
How does the site selection process work?
In collaboration with the City of Dublin, criteria are established for the site and the project’s overall impact. Selection criteria for the site include visibility, educational opportunity, historical significance, city-owned property, discovery, sense of place, and the aesthetic cohesiveness of the Dublin Art in Public Places collection.
Does the Dublin community have a voice in the site selection?
DAC and the City of Dublin contact the public via numerous outlets to solicit feedback regarding the site. After visits, evaluation of recommended sites and community feedback, the proposed site is presented to City Council for approval.
Does the Dublin community have a voice in the site selection?
DAC and the City of Dublin contact the public via numerous outlets to solicit feedback regarding the site. After visits, evaluation of recommended sites and community feedback, the proposed site is presented to City Council for approval.
How do you find artists to create the public artwork(s)?
DAC produces a “National Call for Artists,” distributed through various media outlets, artist registries and artist lists. Proposals include artist qualifications, examples of the artists’ work and a letter of interest in the project.
What do you do when your receive the RFQ and letter of interest from aritsts?
Once all of the Artists’ proposals are received and DAC staff eliminates those applications that do not meet the criteria (documenting those eliminated), DAC chooses and assembles a selection committee of voting and non-voting members who represent a variety of viewpoints, experience and expertise. Artists’ proposals are shared with the selection committee and DAC facilitates discussion to reach a manageable number of three to five artist finalists.
Once the finalists are determined, what do you do next?
DAC, in cooperation with the City, welcomes the artist finalists, providing a comprehensive visit to the site and the community. The finalists each then return to their studio to create a site-specific proposal.
What do the artists do after they create a proposal?
After a set period for the artists to create a vision for a project, finalists return to Dublin to present their site-specific proposal to the selection committee and the community. During the presentation, questions are fielded and community feedback is solicited.
Who decides the winner of the commission?
The Selection Committee convenes to discuss finalists, considering community feedback as part of the selection process. An Artist and an alternate are selected. DAC staff checks artist references and speaks to arts administrators with whom the artist has worked. The artist chosen for the commission is presented to City Council.
Why is the artwork commissioned after the site is selected?
The artwork is created to respond to a specific site. Through interpretation of the artwork, the site should take on a deeper meaning and the artwork should take on deeper meaning with an understanding of the site. When further activated by the artwork, the site will create a sense of place.
Why don’t you make public art projects available only to Ohio artists?
Great cities attract great talent from throughout the world. This is especially true of creative economies at the heart of our increasingly global reach. That’s why leading corporations, professional sports teams, and ballets, symphonies and theater companies hire the best brains, athletes and artists they can. Keeping Dublin’s cultural doors open to the entire nation and the world brings Dublin the best return on its cultural investment. It also helps to assure that other cities will continue to welcome and hire Ohio artists, enabling our artists to build careers nation- and worldwide.
Who pays for Dublin’s public art?
Dublin’s permanent public artwork is funded with hotel/motel tax dollars, which are collected from visitor and corporate employee travel. For every overnight stay in one of Dublin’s hotels, a 6 percent tax is collected and invested back into the community through designated projects and events that enhance Dublin visitor and resident experiences. The Dublin Art in Public Places program is one of those designated projects.
How long does the overall process take?
From site selection to installation, the process takes at least two years.