Kennesaw Commission Tasked to Oversee Public Art Projects

A commission comprised of seven local residents has been appointed by the Mayor and Council to review and oversee public art exhibits and encourage and support art and cultural exchange within the community.

Members include a practicing architect, an art educator, an art foundation member, a business owner, a member of the Kennesaw Development Authority, and two residents. They will be tasked with determining what qualities the city wants to express with its future art and will have approval authority over projects.

The commission was formed in response to an ordinance recently passed by the Kennesaw Mayor and Council.  According to the ordinance, the benefits of public art include improved aesthetics, avenues for original artistic expression, public access to works of art, and community building through the presence of art of cultural, historic, or social significance. The ordinance establishes a commission whose members provide expertise and artistic objectivity to a formal review process.

“We hope the commission will find and place art that portrays the city’s history, vision, and spirit,” said Zoning Administrator and commission advisor Darryl Simmons. “We’d like to promote local artists as much as possible and give them an outlet for their display.”