Public art brings you home: Using public art to build a strong sense of place

Using Fritz Steele's conception of “The Sense of Place” as the interaction between a setting and its spirit, this article argues that public art can amplify both and bridge the gap between the two. Both Steele and Kevin Lynch propose certain criteria that must be in place before a sense of place can be achieved. I will present case studies of three permanent public art installations in Seattle, Washington, and will use Steele's and Lynch's criteria to draw the connections between setting and spirit. I will propose my own set of criteria that I believe public art must possess in order for it to successfully participate in place-making as both setting and spirit.