Photo: Ned Oliver, Times-Dispatch
In February, VCUarts Executive Director of Research, Sarah Cunningham took over as the chair of Richmond’s Public Art Commission. In addition to her role at the School of the Arts, Cunningham will now oversee the city’s public art program and has a budget of $2.8 million for new works.
She was recently interviewed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch about her new position and the arts community in Richmond:
QUESTION: What else have you noticed about how art has impacted or shaped Richmond — or at least people’s perceptions of Richmond?
ANSWER: I think, you know, the easy answers are to say that it makes a tremendous economic impact because it creates a sense of vibrancy that attracts people to live here; it attracts people to work here; it attracts tourists. And that’s true with any city, but I think the harder argument but the more important one that people have researched is how it helps you attach to and sort of love your city. Some people call that vibrancy. One study calls it the soul of the city. And Richmond has its own very unique texture that makes it a vibrant place because of the kinds of artists and things like the parades in Oregon Hill at Halloween and these other things that are happening within our region.
You can read the full interview here, on the Richmond Times-Dispatch website.
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