Murals fade, buildings fall, artworks are relocated. Without foresight, too much is lost. The rescue and reinvention of Heidi Lippman’s From Dawn to Dusk mosaic shows how legacy planning, conservation, and collaboration can ensure public art continues to inspire long after its original site is gone.
Public art is often celebrated for its ability to transform a place, spark dialogue, and become part of daily life. But unlike works safeguarded in museums, public art lives in environments that change constantly. Murals fade or are painted over. Sculptures are relocated or demolished with the buildings that once held them. Too often, legacy is left to chance and addressed only when a crisis strikes. For the field to mature, conversations about preservation, conservation, and even deaccessioning must be built into every commission from the start.The story of Heidi Lippman’s Dawn to Dusk Resurgent—2023 CODAaward winner—demonstrates both the risks of neglect and the potential of foresight. Installed in 1998 on a Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) garage, the mosaic became a beloved landmark. Two decades later, the garage was scheduled for demolition, and the artwork’s future was suddenly at risk.
What followed was a remarkable collaboration between WMATA’s Art in Transit program, the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, Urban Atlantic, and Lippman herself. Conservation specialists devised a way to cut and salvage sections of the mosaic—120 fragments in total—that were transported to the artist’s studio. Instead of reconstructing the work exactly as it was, Lippman embraced the irregularities of removal, recomposing the fragments into From Dawn to Dusk Resurgent. Now installed in a public plaza, the piece preserves the spirit of the original while carrying forward the story of its rebirth.
This project underscores a truth the field must face: public art is not static. Its lifespan is tied to shifting buildings, infrastructure, and communities. Planning for that reality means embedding conservation and legacy into commissioning frameworks from the outset, including documentation, material choices, and strategies for potential relocation.
It also shows that preservation is never the work of one entity alone. Saving Dawn to Dusk required the alignment of public agencies, local arts councils, developers, state funders, conservation professionals, and the artist. Without that collective effort, the mosaic would likely have been lost.
Legacy Planning Checklist
- Contracts: Include clear terms for maintenance, conservation, and possible relocation
- Materials: Choose with longevity and future care in mind.
- Documentation: Archive drawings, digital files, and fabrication notes.
- Partnerships: Engage conservators, fabricators, and stakeholders early.
- Funding: Budget for conservation and potential reinstallation from the start.
As new projects are commissioned, we must ask: What will this artwork’s life be twenty years from now? Who will care for it? Can it be relocated or reinterpreted if needed? Only by planning for those questions today can we ensure that public art continues to live, evolve, and inspire for generations to come.
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