Causes: Arts & Culture, Visual Arts

Mission: Public Art Reston's mission is to be the catalyst for public art that inspires, engages, and connects.

Results: To date the organization, in collaboration with its community partners and other stakeholders, has made an indelible impact on the community. Some of its key accomplishments include: - Adopting the “Public Art Master Plan for Reston” by the Public Art Reston Board of Directors in 2008.Reston is the first unincorporated community in the United States to have adopted such a plan. - Commissioning and installing 16 permanent and 16 temporary public artworks including both civic and developer-led projects and commissions, since 2009.- Documenting the 76+ public artworks commissioned or purchased since 1965 on Public Art Reston’s website and on Public Art Archive. - Creating "Public Art Explorer" online program for families and inspired by the Reston public art collection and the artists who realized the artworks - Creating a map showing the location of the public artworks in the community. The map is updated annually and available in print and on the organization's website. - Producing four short documentary films by Reston resident and Peabody award-recipient, Rebekah Wingert including: "Emerge: The Making of a public art project" (2010); "Fun, Beauty, Fantasy: Reston's Public Art" (2012), "Working with the Community - Ben Volta" (2019), "A Bird in the Hand" (2015); and “The Making of Connie’s Quilt by the South Lakes High School STEAM Team” (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) (2018). - Publishing the “Public Art Tour Series – Lake Anne” and "Public Art Tour Series - Reston Town Center", guides to public art at historical Lake Anne Village Center and Reston Town Center; the “Complete Guide for Developers to Public Art in Reston” and the “Developer’s Checklist: Public Art Project Options” for developers who wish to make a voluntary public art proffer commitment; and an educational portfolio about public art for elementary schools. - Developing and mounting the exhibition “Reston: The Art of Community” (2012, and updated in 2017) in collaboration with Reston Historic Trust & Museum, about the history of Reston’s public art and presented at the Reston Historic Trust & Museum (2012 and 2017), the University of Maryland Kibel Gallery, School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation (2013), and Dulles International Airport (2013-2014). - Producing public art making events including ChalkFest at Reston Town Center, in collaboration with Reston Town Center and Boston Properties (since 2014), and Chalk on the Water at Lake Anne (2015-2018), in collaboration with businesses at Lake Anne Village Center. - Hosting over 10 artist talks and screenings of over 20 documentary films about national and international public art and artists. - Offering guided tours of the public art at Lake Anne Village Center. The collection is posted on Public Art Reston's website http://publicartreston. org/engage/explore/gallery/.

Target demographics: The community, elementary and high school school students, visitors to Reston, etc.

Direct beneficiaries per year: over 400 students participate in community public art projects.

Geographic areas served: Fairfax County, Virginia and the Greater DC Metropolitan Region

Programs: Working with community organizations and developers to commission permanent and temporary public art in Reston; offering the Public Art Explorer online program for families; presenting a documentary public art film and speaker series; and offering public art tours.