Boise, ID to be Represented on National Public Art Network Council

Boise, ID to be Represented on National Public Art Network Council by Boise City Public Art Manager

Boise- Karen Bubb, Boise's public arts manager, is a newly elected member of the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network (PAN) Council, an elected advisory body to Americans for the Arts and assists in developing policies, programs, and resources to promote knowledge and understanding of the broad field of public art. She begins her three-year term of service on this national organization in 2012 as one of fifteen members. Bubb, a Boise native, has worked for the City of Boise since 1998, overseeing the development of a Percent-for-Art program and over eighty works of public art. Bubb also manages public art programs for Capital City Development Corporation, Boise's redevelopment agency, which has been funding public art since the 1980s as part of its economic development strategy. Bubb has a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Oregon and Master of Public Administration from Boise State University.

Americans for the Arts, founded in 1960 and based in Washington, DC, is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. Americans for the Arts PAN develops professional services for the broad array of individuals and organizations engaged in the diverse field of public art. PAN is the only professional network in the United States dedicated to advancing public art programs and projects through advocacy, policy and information resources to further art and design in our built environment.

The Council works with Americans for the Arts staff to develop PAN programs, increase and improve resources and tools for the field, and promote public art best practices. Members of the PAN Council provide visible leadership across PAN Council projects and activities, including conferences, meetings, listserv dialogue, and project committees. 

The composition of the PAN Council is interdisciplinary and strives to represent a professionally diverse range of approaches to public art as well as reflect the composition of the nation's communities with regard to ethnicity, gender, age and geography. There are 15 members of the PAN Council who are nominated and elected by the membership of the Americans for the Arts. Other PAN Council Members represent organizations in Philadelphia PA, New York City NY, Cambridge MA, Portland OR, Washington DC, Phoenix AZ, Fort Worth TX, San Francisco CA, Detroit MI, and San Diego CA.

Bubb will attend her first PAN meeting in Washington DC in January and contribute to planning the 2012 Americans for the Arts Public Art Pre-conference, which will take place in San Antonio, TX in June 2012.