There is a new paradigm for public art curators, and this moment demands that we claim it. Often time, the curator’s role in public art has been understood through the narrow lens of selection, interpretation, and placement. Yet behind every meaningful work in the public realm is often a curator navigating artists, communities, government, developers, engineers, fabricators, budgets, politics, history, and place. We are cultural strategists and translators. Our work is multifaceted, and our voice is essential. Today, this voice has become more urgent.
My curatorial practice is academically grounded, but purpose filled. Climate change has sharpened my belief that public art must do more than beautify our environments. It must challenge complacency, herald possibility, and make visible what humanity can no longer afford to ignore.
Wildlife Wonder Boat, 2026, Gillie and Marc, National Harbor, MD
My direct curatorial engagement with artists and transformative projects has allowed me to advance this conviction through public art: Alonzo Davis’ mixed-media work Navigating Climate Change; Heidi Lippman’s Dawn and Dusk Resurgent, a recomposed tile mosaic demonstrating renewal through conservation; Anaitté Vaccaro’s The Perennials for the Blue Line Corridor, solar-powered recycled-plastic light sculptures born from the devastation and resilience of Hurricane Maria; and Gillie and Marc’s Wildlife Wonderboat at National Harbor, realized with Peterson Companies, using a monumental bronze sculpture to confront the fragility of endangered species. These are not simply artworks or placemaking installations. They are messengers.
Dawn and Dusk Resurgent, 2022, Heidi Lippman, CODAawards Merit Winner, WMATA Metro Building, New Carrollton, MD
My next professional chapter is about amplifying that message, advancing public art through my consultancy, building ArtsFusion Foundation, and continuing to be a conduit for established and emerging artists pursuing monumental work with environmental and social consequence. I want to engage globally with curators, artists, developers, and civic leaders who understand that public art can shape not only place, but consciousness.
To my fellow public art curators, may we recognize the power of our collective voice, curate with courage, and use the public realm to awaken consciousness, inspire action, and connect humanity.
Vision Up. Purpose Forward.
Rhonda Dallas, MFA, LEED AP
2026 CODAworx Creative Revolutionary
Founding Principal, LeDae Contemporary