Fulton County Celebrates Women's Herstory Month
March 2019
For the month of March, the Fulton County Public Art Program showcased women artists in our permanent art collection. In total, 16 women were profiled along with their artwork.
Why Focus on Women Artists?
Globally, women artists are under represented in museums and galleries. The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report released in March 2019, highlighted this gender disparity; 10% of the 3,050 galleries surveyed have no women on their rosters, while only 8% represent more women than men and almost half (48%) represent 25% or fewer women.
The Public Art Program, an initiative of the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture is proud of their conscious effort to ensure that the artwork they commission and purchase is as diverse as the people they serve. Coinciding with Women’s History Month they saw an opportunity to highlight their talented artists and give them the platform to inspire and educate a future generation of creative women.
Impact
The interviews were posted via Facebook and Instagram daily and saw high levels of engagement through likes, shares and comments, featured artists were then re-posting our content to a broader audience. The success of this initiative along with the broader programming of the Public Art Program, led to the County recognizing the Program with a F.O.C.U.S. Award for ‘All People Are Culturally & Recreationally Enriched’.
About Fulton County Arts & Culture
In 1979, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners established the Fulton County Arts Council to enhance the quality of life of Fulton County Residents. The Fulton County Arts Council and the Fulton County Department of Arts & Culture serves as Fulton County’s funding agency to support cultural programs and the agency which provides services to Fulton County based nonprofit arts organizations and Fulton County residents.
We believe the arts are essential to the quality of life of our citizens and to the economic and social health of our communities. The mission of the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture is to insure all citizens’ access to the arts.
For more than 40 years Fulton County Arts & Culture has vigorously pursued quality arts programming through support and development of artists, arts organizations, arts institutions and cultural programming for residents.
We believe the arts are essential to the quality of life of our citizens and to the economic and social health of our communities. The mission of the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture is to insure all citizens’ access to the arts.
For more than 40 years Fulton County Arts & Culture has vigorously pursued quality arts programming through support and development of artists, arts organizations, arts institutions and cultural programming for residents.
The Fulton County Public Art Program was initiated in 1993 when the Fulton County Board of Commissioners adopted the Art in Public Places Resolution which stipulates that one percent of the cost of acquisition, renovation or construction of any Fulton County building or facility must be set aside for the fabrication, installation and ongoing maintenance of public artwork.
A Public Art Master Plan, completed in 1995 with the assistance of over 200 citizens, provides further guidance for the implementation of the Public Art Program in Fulton County. Since the approval of the Public Art Master Plan, 59 artists have been awarded commissions to create artwork at 52 Fulton County facilities including senior centers, libraries, parks, arts centers, and court buildings. The selected artists have created unique pieces of art that enhance public spaces, making government buildings better places to conduct business and serving to promote community pride.
Additionally, through the Fine Art Acquisition Program, we have purchased art from over 130 Georgia-based artists, representing an investment of $324,000 in the Georgia arts community.
We also offer a range of professional development opportunities for artists, direct purchases of art outside of funding cycles and partnerships on temporary art projects.
