The Future of Public Space and Art: Social Agency

Join us for the third program in a four-part series on The Future of Public Space and Art. The series challenges us to discover better design strategies for the public realm that welcome all people. How do we re-envision our public spaces and the public art that inhabits them in ways that are more inclusive and enriching to collective and personal experience for social benefit? In this program on Social Agency we’ll explore the following questions:

• What role do public space and public art play in welcoming a diverse population and advancing social equity?
• How can public art transform our well being as individuals?
• What crucial alliances are necessary?

The series expands on the theme Belonging and Beyond, established earlier this year by 2024 AIANY President Gregory Switzer, AIA, NOMA. Belonging and Beyond centers on crucial aspects of human well-being that improve physical and social-emotional health and resilience for individuals and communities. This forum will explore noteworthy solutions that grow out of a robust exchange of interdisciplinary ideas, pointing to the future of public space and public art and their role in social equity.

Speakers:
Karen Alexander, MPA; Director of Outreach and Education, International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Pederson Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Kendal Henry, Assistant Commissioner; Public Art at NYC, Department of Cultural Affairs
Alex Zablocki, Executive Director; Public Housing Community Fund

Series creator/moderator:
Ann Marie Baranowski FAIA LEED AP, Founding Principal, AMBA

More Events in This Series:
May 6, 2024: The Future of Public Space and Art: History and Memory
September 19, 2024: The Future of Public Space and Art: New Perspectives
November, 19, 2024: The Future of Public Space and Art: Trends, Craft, Technology

About the Speakers:

Karen Alexander is Director of Outreach and Education for the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab), Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics in the Pedersen Brain Science Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. This neuroaesthetics research-to-practice initiative brings together brain scientists and practitioners in performing arts, architecture, visual arts, and creative arts therapies to foster collaboration and research. As part of her work, Alexander leads IAM Lab’s Intentional Spaces initiative, a global project to expand the foundation for collaboration between scientific researchers, technologists, social scientists, and design practitioners. The network is co-developing a shared framework that advances the field by amplifying the impact of design on the human experience within the built environment.

Prior to joining the IAM Lab, Alexander served as program director for BrainFutures, a national nonprofit formed to assess and advance the practical application of neuroscience research to improve human outcomes. She has also worked in program management, research, and communications across a wide range of arts and education policy issues at local, state and federal levels. Alexander holds her Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an Honors A.B. from Brown University.

Kendal Henry is an artist and curator who lives in New York City and has specialized in the field of public art for over 30 years. He illustrates that public art can be used as a tool for social engagement, civic pride and economic development through the projects and programs he’s initiated in the US and internationally.

He’s currently the Assistant Commissioner of Public Art at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and oversees the city’s temporary and permanent art commissions through the Percent for Art, Monument Commissions, Public Artist in Residency (PAIR), and City Canvas programs. Henry is an adjunct professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development and guest lecturer at various universities and educational institutions including Rhode Island School of Design Senior Studio; and Pratt Institute’s Arts and Cultural Management Program. He served as the Director of Culture and Economic Development for the City of Newburgh, NY where he created the region’s first Percent for Art Program. Prior to that post he was Manager of Arts Programs at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Art and Design for eleven years. During this time, he has overseen the commissioning, fabrication, and installation of MTA’s permanent art projects, served as a member of the MTA’s in-house design team, and produced temporary exhibitions at Grand Central Terminal.

Henry was also elected to serve two 3-year terms on the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Council

Alex Zablocki is a veteran public servant with nearly two decades of experience working with nonprofit organizations and government agencies at all levels. Zablocki is the Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting over 525,000 public housing residents living in NYCHA communities across the five boroughs. Prior to joining the Fund, Zablocki served for five years as Executive Director of the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. The public-private partnership supports 10,000 acres of City, State, and federal parkland in Brooklyn and Queens. Before leading the Conservancy, Zablocki served as Senior Program Manager at the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery and also previously served as Director of Community Relations for the New York City Department of Homeless Services and has held various roles with the New York State Senate and New York City Council. Alex received a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and investments from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business and earned a Master of Arts degree in community and economic development from SUNY Empire State College.

Ann Marie Baranowski is the Founding Principal of her eponymous NYC-based architecture firm, Ann Marie Baranowski Architects (AMBA). Her practice is founded on the belief that culture as an investment embedded in the built environment is as essential as the physical infrastructure of our buildings and cities. Offering specialized services in Planning, Public Space + Art, and Architecture, Baranowski focuses on the intersection of public space and public art. Working in the public realm, she has partnered on significant buildings that set a national example for enriching urban life. As Consultant the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Oahu, Hawaii, AMBA established the preliminary public art and design guidelines for the renewal of the main terminal. For the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Baranowski coordinated important public art installations for the Fulton Center and the South Ferry Terminal. As the Museum Architect for the Brooklyn Museum of Art, she directed the planning and implementation of the Museum’s $32M Eastern Parkway Entrance to renew the Museum’s identity.