Public Art Stewards
Wilmington, DE
in partnership with
What Are We Doing?
Eight Wilmington community members comprise the pilot cohort of the Public Art Stewards Program. These members are local artists, activists, leaders, and community builders. Over the course of 6-months, the cohort has learned documentation and conservation fundamentals in order to execute a large-scale conservation survey of artworks around Wilmington and recommend preservation options for their care.
With the support of Pearl Preservation, the inaugural group is shattering stereotypes by showcasing the abilities of diverse Wilmington locals to learn and act as caretakers for the city’s public art. The cohort brought together lived experiences and proficiencies to set the foundation of a progressive conservation curriculum, while navigating the inherent complexities of developing something new.
By working together to understand aspects of technology, fabrication, composition, degradation, and conservation of public art objects at the chemical level, the cohort completed a comprehensive conservation survey. Participants gained academic and hands-on skills including condition reporting, photographic and written documentation, data management, and basic maintenance of outdoor artworks.
Meet the Team
PAS participants completed a conservation survey of artwork around Wilmington. They took photographs, measurements, and wrote detailed reports describing manufacture and condition of each object. All of the content is available in the database below!