Commemorative Public Art

As public art evolves, it is vital that digital documentation mechanisms and practices evolve as well. The Public Art Archive provides universal access to the complex stories that characterize public art not just as static objects, but as dynamic, interconnected keepers of history, context and meaning.

Since PAA’s inception in 2010, its mission “to make public art more public” has guided continued growth into one of the largest active databases of public art, with almost 19,000 records representing work from over 12,000 artists. Records spanning lived experience, geographic boundary and worktype are united by contributing organizations and artists into a centralized and freely-accessible resource where street artists are presented alongside prolific sculptors, and ephemeral experiences alongside their traditionally monumental counterparts. As practitioners challenge narratives reinforced by monumentality in the physical realm, PAA offers a space to digitally counter, re-contextualize, and archive transformative meanings and significance. This singular and authoritative database offers opportunities to discover and explore public art beyond the constraints of collection-specific websites.

We invite you to explore some of the many examples of artworks that fall under the category of monument, commemorative sculpture, and memorials. Some of these examples remain in public space while others have been removed. If you would like to contribute additional or new information to be added to the records or if you would like to contribute a project to the Public Art Archive, please complete the relevant form below.