Eye on Design

Eye on Design is a public art education program for third-graders that encourages civic involvement, critical thinking and creative problem-solving through a customized residency program. Eye on Design guides students through the same process a public artist follows to develop a public art concept and seek an art commission. The program educates students about their community which fosters a greater appreciation for art in the public sphere. Eye on Design’s interdisciplinary approach incorporates language arts, history/social science and the visual and performing arts. Students apply their learning to solve “real-life” problems and must actively utilize art theory, reading, writing, speaking and math skills through the work they do. Eye on Design is a substantive and intricate program that empowers students to create positive change in their own community.

Although facilitated by the Arts Council for Long Beach, the program’s success is grounded in the collective expertise and commitment of a host of hand-selected community partners who work collaboratively with the Arts Council to present a balanced program built on each partners’ strengths. The initial concept for Eye on Design was originally conceived through the Arts Council’s unique affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution and, in particular, through its involvement with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution. In the summer of 2005, Arts Council staff members and Long Beach partners participated in the Cooper-Hewitt’s training program, City of Neighborhoods: Civic Engagement Through Design. This training provided the seed of thought for the creation of Eye on Design, a formalized public art education program that was tailored specifically for Long Beach and which centers on direct instruction for children. Eye on Design has a three-year process.

Phase I dedicates itself to the research, planning and development of a site-specific program that is tailored to the community being served. This phase identifies the neighborhood, school, artist and community partners, bringing them together under the guidance of the Arts Council. Phase I also involves creating student and teacher materials for the selected school and primary partner.

Phase II is the artist in residence year. Students are taught about neighborhood history, public art and the design process through enrichment activities, field trips and learning opportunities provided by the resident artist and community partners. Student work includes construction of three-dimensional models of site-specific public art concepts that are proposed to a panel of arts professionals and displayed in a community exhibition.

Phase III aspires to transform students’ ideas into reality. A public artist continues the design process by seeking further community input before designing, fabricating and installing a permanent site-specific public art installation based on the students’ conceptual models. The public artist will periodically visit the school to update students on the progress of the public artwork.

Eye on Design provides a unique opportunity for community members and partners to forge lasting impressions that facilitate student learning and civic responsibility. To learn more about Eye on Design’s schools, partners, sponsors and participants click here on Eye on Design Sites, to watch Eye on Design in action click here on the Eye on Design Video.

Eye On Design is made possible through the generous support of The Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes “A Great Nation Deserves Great Art”; the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; The MetLife Partners in Arts Education Program, which is funded by MetLife Foundation and administered by the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts; the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency; and the California Arts Council. (credit line as of August 23, 2007)