Project management skills are highlighted in public art projects. The artist needs to follow set schedules and understand the entire process from an idea to the finalized artwork. The saying “a job well planned is a job half done” also applies to public art, but the process still often involves unexpected surprises.
Plan your work from start to finish! A good project plan is a document that defines how a project is going to be carried out. When done well, a project plan is an important and useful tool – it also supports the implementation, follow-up and evaluation of the project.
A project plan for a public work of art usually includes a description of project background, objectives and results, budget and project schedule.
The background section explains the reasons for starting the project. You should also describe the purpose of the project: why, or for what purpose, the project is created and why the project must be implemented.
The objectives must be clear and realistic as they describe what kind of change the project aims to achieve. In the context of public art, the goals can be for example increasing the pleasantness of the built environment or increasing the interaction within the community. It is important to discuss the goals of the project with the commissioner. The objectives written down in the project plan should correspond to those of the commissioner.
This section explains as concretely as possible what will be the result from the project. In public art projects, the result is usually a permanent or temporary artwork.
In a project plan, it is important to describe the idea and the implementation (materials, technique, production methods etc.) of your artwork. Describe also the installation process and what kind of resources (e.g. workforce, equipment…) are needed for the mounting. You can also use reference pictures and drafts to explain these things.
It is good to write down also the estimated life cycle of the artwork as well as what kind of maintenance the piece demands.
The budget includes the resources required for the implementation of the project.
Make sure that the project budget is realistic. If a large budget has been set for the project at the beginning, it may suspect the project client of carrying out the project. On the other hand, the budget shouldn’t be estimated to be too small. A good tip is that if you need to use a specific material or subcontractor in the implementation of your work of art, request a bid for the materials and services needed.
When budgeting, remember at least these elements:
It’s always a good idea to leave an estimate of maintenance costs of the artwork after the ownership is transferred.
The schedule of a public art project is often related to construction processes. As construction processes are often tight, it has an impact on the artistic work. The artist must know what the construction process is like, as it often determines the starting points or schedules for the art itself.
The project schedule should be simple and realistic. It should cover the entire project from start to finish. A proper project schedule keeps yourself as well other parties in the project aware of projects progress and possible delays.
You should also prepare to change the schedule during the process if needed. It is a good idea to set dates for follow-up so that you will be able to react and change the plans in time.
In order to do that it’s a good idea to create a project scope. Project scope is a document where you have written down all the tasks that are needed to complete the project. Project scope should include details about your project such as budget, project deliverables, features etc. Recommended length for a project scope is about one or two paragraphs, so stay on point!
Project deliverables, available resources, inclusions and exclusions, project constraints
Major tasks and milestones, project phases
All projects are different and so are all the project scopes. This is the part where you can add information that you want to specifically bring up about this artwork.
Remember that project scope should be clear and easy to read. Deep detailed specifications are better to include in a project plan, than in project scope.
Few questions to think when finalizing project scope:
Sources:
How to Write a Project Scope. Workfront, an Adobe company.
What Is a Project Schedule. PROJECTMANAGER.
Comissioning Guidelines. Public Art Online.