Public Art Reston

Public Art Reston is what makes Reston such a unique and amazing place to live in. I joined the STEAM team last year, a club at South Lakes high school that teams ups with Public Art Reston to create public sculptures. This organization allows students in our community to get real world experiences that prepares them for careers in design, architecture, engineering, public relations, marketing, and more. STEAM has been a critical part in my high school life, and I can't imagine this community without the beautiful art projects that Public Art Reston provides!

I became aware of Public Art Reston when they partnered with our local high school STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) team to beautify the drab lake spillway platform with public art. Public Art Reston (PAR) mentors the SLHS students to gain real-world experience by following the same public art process required of professional artists including presentations for initial selection and final approval to PAR’s Public Art Committee and RA’s Design Review Board. The impact of PAR on our community is far reaching and so impactful!

Public Art Reston has a new Executive Director and even stronger focus on grassroots involvement in creating and enjoying public art.

Hello, I am a partner with the Kensington Reston. We wanted to create a public art piece for the community in conjunction with our new build in Reston. We worked closely with Public Art Reston to locate, design, and coordinate a piece that would add to the streetscape, our specific assisted living community, and the Reston community as a whole. Phoebe Avery and her entire team were a joy to work with. They clearly understood our constraints, from budget, to location, and our envisioned theme. Public Art Reston's involvement and guidance resulted in the best outcome for the community - we are happy to work with them and look forward to continuing to work with them.

PAR does an excellent job integrating art and art related events into the community. It makes Reston a better place to live.

I have lived in Reston since 1968, and have always loved the nature and trails and community that make Reston special. Thanks to PAR, art is now another aspect that really makes Reston special. PAR does an amazing job bringing art into our community spaces and into our schools. They are champions and visionaries and partners.

Public Art Reston brings people together and provides opportunities for discovery and expression. The Public Art Explorer program is a great example of what this organization offers our community. The program invites individuals and families to explore Reston and engage with its works of public art. This is an educational endeavor that inspires creativity and promotes connections, between artist and viewer, person and place.

The thoughtful consideration of public space and the promotion of the creative arts as conduits for shared experiences foster connections between people, build community, and create a sense of place. I appreciate Public Art Reston's contributions to a place called Reston. In particular, I enjoyed witnessing the development and installation of Ben Volta's mural in the pedestrian tunnel under Colt's Neck Road near the Hunters Woods Shopping Center. The collaborative artwork, which featured the scanned drawings of hundreds of school children, represented the ingenuity of a single professional artist as well as the great creativity and enthusiasm of its many participants. It was a piece of public art that in its execution reflected the values of the place it was made. And it was fun to look at, too.

Public Art Reston, through its roles as shepherd of the Reston Public Art Master Plan and its ability to provide guidance and leadership to community stakeholders interested in pursuing public art projects, helps give life to one of Bob Simon's founding principles for Reston, that art is a necessity of the good life. The projects that Public Art Reston has supported in Reston Town Center alone powerfully testify to the importance of the organization's role in our community (and their projects extend well beyond Town Center, of course) -- e.g., the annual ChalkFest, Reston Rondo by Mary Ann Mears, Patrick Dougherty's A Bird in the Hand, and now the monumental sculpture, Buoyant Force, by Sue Wrbican and the Greater Reston Arts Center (photo attached) -- have unquestionably elevated the live-work-play-visit aspiration that is such a central part of Reston life. Thank you, Public Art Reston, for your leadership in making Reston better and helping fulfill its ideals.

Robert Goudie, Executive Director, Reston Town Center Association

This organization works hard to share great public art and promote it in our built environment. They are continually providing inspiring and enlightening guidance, and challenge us all to make our world beautiful.

I got involved with PAR several years ago because of my belief that public art improves day-to-day lives in our concrete jungles. I continue to be inspired by this group's dedication to their mission and their selfless contribution of time and resources, as well as the beautiful and creative public art works installed in Reston through their efforts. I'm proud to remain a supporter of this great organization.

This organization is a cornerstone of beauty, inclusivity, enrichment and joy generously shared by our community, with our community. Public Art Reston is a facilitator of arts projects, a curator of works, an archiver of artwork, an educational tools provider, and advocate and advertiser of the arts and artists and an overall arts resource.

Volunteering for the organization has broadened my horizons and enriched my life. Five stars for Public Art Reston!

Public Art Reston is a mighty little organization that does a fantastic job of using its resources to create high quality, accessible public art to serve a diverse community. It has been a real joy to participate in the work of this organization and see the community commitment to creating beautiful and thoughtful spaces and experiences in Reston. I'm also very happy to see how much impact can be had with such a modest budget.

As a resident of Reston, I truly appreciate all the wonderful public art the community has to offer. Public Art Reston has played a huge role in helping bring new artwork to the area and fun family-friendly activities, like Chalkfest and Public Art Explorer activities.

They've been a great collaborative partner with the Reston Association, a homeowners association wit much open space, public space, that is used daily by the community. The ability to work with them to commission and fundraise over the last 10 + years has been fantastic. The breadth and depth of the Reston community volunteers in thier skills, connections, vision is phenomenal for the output and impact of Public Art Reston.

Public Art Reston
Thanks to Public Art Reston, colorful and engaging projects are filling our community. Diverse groups from elementary age through high schoolers and senior citizens have helped create/implement their own and commissioned artists’ visions in formerly nondescript settings.
Recently a dark pathway underpass was brought to life with a collaborative mural project.
In an annual effort, South Lakes HS students working with engineers and local government groups such as the Design Review board and Reston Association, create a sculpture on the spillway of a local dam.
Commercial real estate is warmed with colorful tilework. Even larger efforts are reviewed by Public Art Reston for comment and guidance.

Public Art Reston is a fantastic organization that creates beauty and uplifting expression in the Reston, VA community. I have found it to be open and welcoming of ideas and community involvement. The organization works hard to ensure that public art here represents all residents and includes all neighborhoods.

I live in Reston and reap the artistic benefits of Public Art Reston on a regular basis. Public Art Reston is an important component to making Reston the wonderful place that it is. I fully support this wonderful organization. I have been involved with Public Art Reston in one way or another since it's inception in 2007 - donor, volunteer, collaborator, and now board member. It is well-run organization. As a former art educator, I appreciate all the educational outreach they do for students and families, often fueling a lifelong interest and appreciation of the arts. It is so wonderful to see the excitement of the community that has participated in a Public Art Reston project.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Virtual Art Tour of Lake Anne. In all the years I have lived here (48 years) in Reston this is the first time I have had the occasion to have someone explain all the architectural objects in and around Lake Anne Center. Most enlightening and especially since the architectural staff of Reston had so much influence on the sculptures and their placement around the Center. I hope you all will keep working on the project and others like it as Reston has so much to share in the Public Art arena.

Becoming a member of Public Art Reston's Public Art Committee, being able to bring new, innovative and site-specific artwork to the Reston community has been a wonderful experience. It has afforded me the opportunity to meet and engage with Reston students, local officials and our senior citizen population. Through this Committee, I have gained a better understanding of the process to produce a work of art for public display and how a work of art can enlighten, entertain and engage the entire community. Robin Greenstreet

Public Art Reston is an invaluable local nonprofit that brings public art to the Reston community. What’s more, it provides tangible and educational opportunities for youth and community members to learn about and connect with public art, and participate in guided creative experiences of their own. Fantastic organization!

Public Art Reston has been instrumental in creating a new generation of artworks in Reston, VA. This organization engages with the community and tries to get multi-generational involvement. I've personally benefited from the family-friendly activities, our favorite is Chalk Fest, which they turned into a virtual event this year. I'm glad to be able to support the organization as a Board Member too.

Public Art Reston is a wonderful organization that brings the community together through public art. Thanks to Public Art Reston's mission and vision, Reston is a welcoming place where both locals and visitors can delight in beautiful works of art displayed around the community. From murals, to sculptures, and underpasses, Reston has become a place where art is present everywhere you go. Additionally, Public Art Reston has involved residents and visitors in the creation of artworks, including kids from the local schools as well as families and professional and amateurs artists at its ChalkFest. Working with Public Art Reston has been rewarding at both personal and professional level and I'm proud of being a part of one of the committees.

One of the best public art programs. Very active with great leadership and strong community involvement . I especially appreciate , attention Public Art Reston staff pay to the needs of the artists and support throughout all stages of a project.

My students at Hunters Woods Elementary had the pleasure to work with Public Art Reston to create a beautiful mural in the Colts Neck underpass. The students were thrilled to see their artwork be a part of the community and thoroughly enjoyed the instruction of Ben Volta. This was my first year participating in the Public Art Reston project and I can't say enough great things about this organization. Anne Delaney was professional in every decision that was made and she went out of her way to make sure the students would be involved in this art project with Ben Volta. Exposure to this organization has helped my students appreciate public art in the community of Reston.

Judy Sohn
Art Specialist
Hunters Woods Elementary for the Arts and Sciences

Public Art Reston has been tireless in its efforts to identify and highlight Reston's proud history of Public Art and they've done an amazing job of adding to the Public Art in Reston.

Public Art Reston has done a great job integrating public art into the daily life of Reston. There is a wide array of public art projects and public art programs that enrich the community. Public Art Reston is very organized and easy to work with and are excellent at communicating and following through with their programming.

Can I name a significant aspect of Reston’s distinctive character, you ask? Just read on, I say.

Beyond being the first open housing community in Virginia and among the early self-contained, planned communities in the US, Public Art Reston graces our community with projects that ooze both elegance and glee

Whether it is the captivating discovery of Pyramid of Light, a mobile sculpture surrounded by the water of Lake Thoreau, the magic music of the Plaza Fountain, the evening charm of Nokomis, a gorgeous lighted glass sculpture, the back-to-school welcome of Cadmiosaur, a welded-steel dinosaur at South Lakes High School, or the We Make Reston photographic portraits greeting me each day, all Public Art Reston activities contribute to Reston’s unique sense of place.

Thank you, Public Art Reston for brightening my day and illuminating my night.

This the 6th Lake Thoreau Art project done by Public Art Reston and South Lakes high school. I love the dedication of the Mr. Rando and his students. They work well into their summer vacation to complete the project.

Thank you to Reston Arts and Reston Association for your 8 years of support. (In Aug 2011, the first email was sent to Public Arts and Reston Association about putting up art on the spillway and it took until Summer of 2014 to get first installation).

All have done a fantastic to bring a common experience to Reston.

Since the inception of Public Art Reston (formerly known as Initiative for Public Art Reston) there has been an increased appreciation generated for Public Art in Reston. Reston is a “Planned Community”, established with seven major goals, one which specified “ That beauty – structural and natural – is a necessity of the good life and should be fostered.” Reston’s founder included public art in every aspect of the initial development. Hidden treasures throughout the community are just fascinating. Public Art Reston continues this legacy. Every new development within Reston must incorporate public art in some fashion. I have seen first hand how excited the children are who participate in the "Chalk Fest" and mosaic design projects. Several recent projects have provided an opportunity for the greater community to be involved from school age students to seniors. I recently participated in a workshop for the Colts Neck Road Underpass and cannot wait to see the final product. I am excited to think that in some small way, I will be part of history. Thank you Public Art Reston.

I have been a resident of Reston, Virginia for 10 years, and from the day I arrived I was impressed with the community commitment to public art-- from the sculpture at Lake Anne Village Center, by James Rossant and Gonzalo Fonseco (described by some as "brutalist" in style, but to me, brutally brilliant in the way it integrates with the surrounding architecture), to the permanent works at Reston Town Center, and the temporary sculpture envisioned, engineered, built and installed by the student STEAM team at South Lakes High School every year-- Reston understands the value of Public Art. Public Art Reston is a non-profit committed to imagining public art throughout Reston that inspires the community and engages the mind and senses. I am proud to be a new volunteer working with this organization.

Public Art Reston has had a huge impact on creating beautiful, welcoming, and interesting spaces in Reston, as well as providing opportunities for the community to participate. I love the annual Chalkfests and how they bring everyone together.

Being introduced to the organization a few years ago, I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the great attributes it provides. Public Art Reston is a unique and rare organization, embedded into the life of the community it serves. At a time when art is less and less of a focus in school curriculums, Public Art Reston works to help keep art in the community forefront, through; assisting the commissioning of new art works and the artist behind them, rejuvenating existing public art, or saving works from certain destruction. Beyond the public art works throughout the community, Public Art Reston is busy hosting artist talks or public chalk festivals, allowing families create their own masterpieces to be enjoyed by thousands. Among many other additional involvements of the organization, Public Art Reston can also be found assisting a local high school STEAM team with bringing their team’s vision to life, while building essential skills for the students.

Active among a wide-ranging demographic of students, teachers, professional artist, residents, corporations and public officials. Public Art Reston puts building the community at its forefront and is an organization the entire community can be proud of.

I grew up in Reston and I remember playing on the sculptures in Lake Anne and these are memories I look on fondly that have shaped my career in architecture. I have been inspired by much of Reston's public art and the way it is incorporated so seamlessly into public spaces and its architecture. It marks place, engages the senses, and conveys the spirit of the community. It is a treasure and makes such an impact on the quality of life for those who live here.

I have lived in Reston for 29 years and since moving here, I have observed and experienced the important role public art plays in our community - from the 1960s artworks at Lake Anne to the STEAM installations on Lake Thoreau, these artworks create a connection to the unique qualities of Reston. It was because of this impact that I chose to serve on one of Public Art Reston's committees and to get involved with this important group.

World class art happening in our community! Youth and educators involved, gaining professional experience. Great leadership with an Executive Director and staff who reach out to developers and civic leaders to ensure great art is happening all over, what more can be said? Public Art Reston is a phenomenal organization, Reston is so fortunate!

Public Art Reston is an essential element of Reston’s arts community! Reston is known for its eclectic style and appreciation for the arts. The presence of art can be found through the community, especially when walking along the many trails where you can find sculptures and murals. This is not an accident. One of Robert Simon Jr’s primary goals for Reston when founded in 1964 was to provide leisure and cultural activities for community members. Simon helped put in place an essential organization – Public Art Reston – to ensure his vision would be fulfilled as the community grew. Its mission to “inspire an ongoing commitment to public art and create a new generation of artworks in Reston” is overseen by a strong board and dedicate executive director. Learn more about Public Art Reston by going to http://publicartreston.org/

Public Art Reston is a wonderful organization that has greatly aided in integrating APERTURE, Reston's newest luxury residences, into the community. PAR not only ensures that art is entangled into the Reston landscape, but also that visitors and residents engage with these works of arts. Through events like ChalkFest and Artist Talks, PAR helps to make public art accessible, exciting, and educational.

Public art enriches all of our lives, and indeed, my life has been enriched by the art projects that have been displayed at the Lake Thoreau spillway over the last few years. I live nearby and frequently walk along that path by the lake. I was especially pleased to learn that students at South Lakes High School have been the creators of these imaginative displays. This is a project that should definitely be continued to benefit the students who participate and to benefit the public that enjoys the fruits of their efforts.

Public Art Reston is a truly unique organization because every one of its events, activities or projects is a partnership with at least one other organization. Public Art Reston truly reaches out to bring the entire Reston community - and in many cases the regional community - together. Here are just a few examples of collaborations:

Emerge (2010) by Valerie Theberge
Collaboration with the Reston Association (underpass/maintenance/selection process); Reston Community Center (funding/selection process/hosted a presentation by Valerie at CenterStage) and Hunters Woods Elementary School involved students in the project and host the mosaic program with Valerie, her husband and the students. Hunters Woods Elementary School PTA helped raise funds for the project.

Inside Out (2015)
Project developed in collaboration with Reston Community Center. We invited people who live or work in Reston to submit photos of people who live or work in Reston. This project was unveiled at the Multicultural Festival. The photos were displayed at Lake Anne Village Center (Jo Ann Rose Gallery and sea wall) , Reston Station (windows of BLVD while under construction), and exterior walls of South Lakes High School).

Annual Temporary public art projects on the Lake Thoreau spillway.
Projects realized by South Lakes High School STEAM Team.
Collaboration with SLHS, Lake Thoreau Entertainment Association (core funding), and Reston Association (install work, RA Design Review Board)
Very successful annual project that now receives donations from individuals and businesses, and Reston Rotary Club (for this year's project)

A Bird in the Hand (2015), Patrick Dougherty
Collaboration with Greater Reston Arts Center, and support from several community organizations (Reston Association, Reston Community Center, Reston Town Center Association), and private sector (Hyatt, Willowsford, MEDA, Storycatcher Production, Red Thinking, etc), and major grants from National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Council of Fairfax County.

Reston Rondo (2012), Mary Ann Mears
Collaboration with Reston Town Center Association, Reston Community Center, and the Hyatt. Hyatt also hosted an event to unveil the model, an artist talk, and u the unveiling.

Because Public Art Reston reaches out to engage our entire community, it deepens the social and artistic bonds that bind the Reston community together.

I thoroughly enjoy my volunteer service to Public Art Reston. This nonprofit is by far one of the best managed community nonprofits that I have ever been involved with. From the Board of Directors down to the Executive Director and committees, this organization appreciates and values the support they receive from their volunteers and donors.

Public Art Reston is involved with virtually every community event and they create some special ones of their own. They collaborate and engage with other community agencies and institutions and they have quickly become a very recognizable and important brand and community asset.

Reston would be just an average place if not for the Public Art Reston's efforts to work with developers and others to infuse art, in its many forms, throughout our beautiful community. We are so fortunate to have Public Art Reston!

Public art is such a visible expression of an area's commitment to promoting arts, cultivating community and creating everyday wonder for everyone to enjoy. Public Art Reston is an organization that reflects the community's passion for art and community. They have a strong web of partners and the group is deeply engrained in the community. Because of these deep community roots, the organization is able to do a whole lot with very limited resources. Public Art Reston is one of the key organizations in Reston that helps make the area so community-centric and inviting.

Wherever I have lived—my native New York City and now Northern Virginia--art of all kinds, visual and otherwise, has been a treasured and given part of my life. My regular middle-class Bronx family didn’t have original works of art covering our walls. We didn’t have sculptural installations in our backyard. But what we had is the rich arts environment of New York City all around us, and we took full advantage of it from my earliest years. So many decades later, when I—now a happy Northern Virginia transplant—retired, it was a no brainer that I would devote some of my precious reclaimed time to an arts-related nonprofit. Public Art Reston, new at the time, swiftly rose high on that list. As the former managing editor of Reston’s hometown newspaper, I brought an insider’s knowledge to that decision--factoring in Public Art Reston’s evident and immediate ability to contribute in important and concrete ways to Reston’s deep-rooted belief that the arts should be an integral part of the community’s cultural life. Ten years after joining its efforts, Public Art Reston has more than confirmed my faith in its mission of creating a new generation of public artworks in Reston—15 since its inception and more planned--that “engage the mind and senses.” Plus, it plays the important role of educating the community about its rich public art history and the value of its previously existing public art inventory. Thank you, Public Art Reston, in addition to your vital community contributions, you have kept this old yet young-at-heart, art-loving former New Yorker thoroughly and meaningfully engaged.

I joined the board of Public Art Reston after seeing an installation of Patrick Dougherty's work in Reston Town Center. I continue to be impressed with how well this organization integrates public art into the fabric of Reston's public spaces, while engaging with students, residents, workers and professional artists. It's rare to see communities dedicate resources to prioritizing public art, and Public Art Reston has made sure that it remains a priority for Restonians and their neighbors.

As a volunteer with IPAR I have seen firsthand the passion and dedication this organization has for the Reston community and local artists. Of particular importance is their commitment to bringing art to the younger generations through their A Bird in the Hand exhibit, ChalkFest, and their work with South Lakes High School. This is a truly worthwhile organization that plays an important role in the Reston community.

Public Art Reston - such a great cause and this organization is filled of wonderful/passionate folks.

I'm new to the area and joined a few months back. They have welcomed me in open armed, encouraged my ideas, and sparked my own creativity. There's lots going on, but new approaches and ideas are strongly supported. Volunteer for a fundraiser, join a committee, attend an event, or simply enjoy & support public art!

I have volunteered three times for IPAR! Love the activities! My two favorites have been the Chalk Walk at Lake Anne and Reston Towne Center. Both were so well received! It was so nice to see children, families, couples, singles, and artists both professional and aspiring to come out and CREATE a beautiful art piece. ALL were so unique , creative, and original!
We NEED more of these fun experiences in this day and age.

Art, especially public art, has been an important part of Reston from it's very beginning. As an art lover, I am so glad that IPAR continues the public art tradition for Reston in such a positive way. They not only support new public art in Reston, but also seek to educate Reston residents about public art in general. I am fortunate to have been involved with IPAR since it's very beginning, first as an employee of one of the founding member organizations and now as a volunteer. I enjoy sharing the IPAR vision and helping to educate people of all ages about public art in Reston and beyond.

Thanks to iPAR Reston is not only a growing community but a place where art is expressed in many ways and places. Not only we have beautiful works of art around the area, like murals and sculptures but we also have events where the community can participate, like ChalkFest. Organizations like IPAR is what make a difference in a community and Anne and her team has done a wonderful job!

I have lived in Reston since 1980 - and I think about relocating at least once a year...but each time I come back to the fact that in Reston, arts are treasured and incorporated in our daily lives, and experienced through our many senses. This is made possible through the efforts and dedication of IPAR - it is a community engagement, a conscious decision on the parts of so many organizations and their representatives to make "the arts" available and possible for so many residents and visitors of our community. Without IPAR gathering up the individual interests, looking out for opportunities outside of Reston to bring back to us, Reston would be a very blank landscape for the arts. Go IPAR!! Big Bang for the buck!!

Public Art - Reston provides a terrific service to Reston, its businesses and its residents. The organization works to document, catalogue and promote exisiting public art installations throughout our community. Additionally, it works to add to that inventory by supporting property developers, community organizations, schools and others to deliver new elements using best practices. We are fortunate to have this organization in our community.

IPAR does a great job promoting public art by sponsoring Chalkfest at Lake Anne and Reston Town Center. Families and local artists have an opportunity to share their art with the community. IPAR provides excellent support and prizes.

IPAR is also supporting the bicycle community by sponsoring a contest for artistic bike rack designs. This will be another opportunity to showcase local art while providing much-needed functional bike racks.

IPAR has regularly organized and hosted events that are interesting, engaging, and run very well. These events have inspired me to volunteer with the organization as well to help ensure they can continuously provide the quality I've experienced. I always look forward to IPAR events and willing to participate whenever possible.

I have had so much fun volunteering for IPAR and participating in their wonderful events. I was delighted to help share information about the Patrick Dougherty Bird in the Hand sculpture this summer. Being at the park with families who wanted to hear about the sculptor and his work was a wonderfully engaging way to meet and talk with folks about public art.
The Chalk Fest at RTC was also so much fun. My son and granddaughter designed a beautiful rainbow image and had a wonderful time being together creating public art.
Anne Delaney has such passion and vision for ways to engage the community in creating and appreciating public art, and we are all so much better off as a result!

IPAR is a small non-profit in Reston, VA with a huge impact on the quality of life in the region. The organization is instrumental in sponsoring, installing and promoting public art in many different mediums in public and private spots. In addition, they partner with many other organizations in Reston to advocate for public art. My favorite pieces have been those created by high school students and prominently displayed for the general public to enjoy creating a great sense of place and community. Here's a shout out to their community impact on a shoe string budget!

IPAR has been a fantastic partner for Reston Community Center (RCC) since its inception. RCC is proud to have collaborated with this organization to bring the vibrant legacy of public art in our community to the public and to build on that legacy for new generations. Our co-commissions have been successful in large part thanks to the leadership role IPAR plays in its stewardship of Reston's Public Art Master Plan. That Plan - guiding the community in creating new public art - is the first of its kind for an unincorporated community and represents one of IPAR's signal achievements. We are thrilled to be associated with IPAR, its Executive Director Anne Delaney and the exemplary Board of Directors who represent Reston's civic and artistic institutions and bring vision and leadership to this important work.

Public art is good for every community. It is free and accessible to people all ages, economic status, and physical abilities. IPAR’s public art projects and programs encourage interaction; reduce ethnic, racial and cultural barriers; and nurture a sense of belonging.

How does IPAR work? IPAR builds broad community support through collaboration. IPAR’s partner organizations share a commitment to urban design principles and communal values established by Reston’s visionary founder, Robert E. Simon, more than 50 years ago.

These principles and values are embraced by Reston residents and affirmed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors: “Public art has been a component of the effort to achieve quality urban design in Reston since the community’s inception and is a distinguishing feature that contributes to the overall character of Reston. In order to continue to realize the goal of making Reston a vibrant place to live, work and play, public art should be encouraged in future development of Reston.” [Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan Amendment No. 2013-05]

What a positive addition to the community this organization has been. Whether building on Reston's history of public art or planning projects for Reston's future public spaces, the Initiative for Public Art - Reston has contributed to the visual landscaping. Wondrously, it is evolving into a fascinating horizon of shapes, colors, textures and imagination-tickling works. Even local government buildings are enhanced by wonderful sculpture, which was selected and executed with IPAR's involvement. Finally, IPAR is unique, in the United States, with its 2008 Public Art Master Plan for the unincorporated Reston community.

I am writing this review because IPAR has successfully developed a World Class Public Art program. The initiative is evolving as a model for the future of how and why public art should be an integral aspect of social structure, a real-time record of a community’s cultural legacy that enhances the quality of life.
The How and Why
I am a South Lakes HS photo/art/design teacher who was provided an opportunity to host an after school art club which since 3 years ago is now a public art club. Thanks to IPAR (Anne Delaney) and a community patron James Pan. The public art project was a challenge brought before SLHS students based upon a community concern. The idea was to give students a professional and prestigious learning experience that consisted of all the trials and tribulations a professional would encounter if given a public art commission. The current art club is appropriately named by the students as- STEAM Team, STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Students are learning how to synthesize these disciplines to develop what is to be the 3rd large scale kinetic sculpture for the highly visible location on Lake Thoreau Reston Va.
This is only one of IPAR’s amazing initiatives that we are hoping to grow as an ongoing educational component in multiple schools.
Developing the creative and professional quality of life during formative years of education.

I am an IPAR board member. I am also a resident of Reston and grew up there. IPAR is an incredibly well managed organization that is doing a remarkable job of continuing and reimagining the role of public art in our community. The sprit of our community grows with each new public art project that IPAR implements. From engaging our school students in art projects to bringing world renowned artists to our community, IPAR captivates Restonian's imaginations, brings us together as a community and inspires us to pursue artistic endeavors in our own lives. I have watched my 3 year old daughter experience such joy as she plays in or views IPAR projects. I'm so glad to know she has had these special experiences and that so many other Restonains have had them as well.

IPAR-Reston, headed by the ever-energetic and open-minded Anne Delaney, is a model organization for increasing the quality, quantity and visibility of art in it's neighborhood. As an artist who has participated in all four Chalkfests hosted so far, enjoyed the wonderful installation by Patrick Dougherty, and the more temporary art works done by children from Reston, I can only hope that other towns, counties and regions become motivated about public art in the same way; such a great way to improve everyone's lives, by beautifying, educating and inspiring. Thank you for enriching us all!

I first volunteered for IPAR after meeting the director, Anne Delaney. (It was when Patrick Dougherty was installing his sculpture, Bird in the Hand, on Reston Town Square.) I learned that her soft-spoken style masked her big ambitions for the level of art projects and their relationship / impact on the Reston community. I knew that I wanted to volunteer for an organization that was led by her. Leadership makes such a huge difference in a nonprofit. She is top drawer!

I interned here in the summer of 2015. I expected menial tasks of, perhaps, entering data or repetitive physical labor, but was met with wonderful opportunities. I got to repair an installation near the gallery with the assistant of the artist as well as participate in the creation of a new public art piece on the spillway of a local lake. Furthermore, I learned about the history of the town of Reston through transcriptions of interviews and the makings of presentations on the public art of the town. I now pride myself on my ability to identify any public art piece I see by name, title, and sometimes, year. In addition to this, attending meetings meant for planning events in the area brought me new zeal for participation in local festivals. The most menial task I did throughout the internship was probably gluing some faulty boxes back together, and that was for less than an hour. Otherwise, when I see a chalk festival or some kids running around the installations near Reston Town Center, I feel I have made some sort of positive change in my community. This is what I think every internship should be like. I look forward to any and all public art works to come in Reston, and I hope to create some of my own someday, thanks to this organization!

I recently discovered IPAR and the work they are doing to both promote public art and commission new outdoor artworks in Reston. Moving from Chevy Chase to Reston four years ago I was worried I would miss the greater proximity to art offerings in downtown DC; and be lost in a cultural waistland. Organizations like IPAR and The Greater Reston Art Center have proven to me that the arts are alive and thriving in the suburbs. Now as I become more involved with IPAR as a volunteer I have received a fascinating education in the history of public art in Reston and its importance to the founding principles of the town. I have even had the chance to put my art historical training into practice by doing some research for IPAR on the first works commissioned for Lake Anne Village Center and preparing a public tour of these landmark works. I also had an opportunity to volunteer on the Patrick Dougherty installation this past spring. This was a true community effort requiring hands-on assistance to the artist and IPAR made it happen through a willing band of volunteers. I was so impressed with the capacity of IPAR to garner the support from both local organizations and the NEA to commission this important work from a major artist. IPAR is active in the community offering myriad programs to educate and enliven the discussion on public art from film screenings to art installations to collaborations with local public schools. I look forward to becoming more involved with IPAR in the years to come and to support their visionary Executive Director, Anne Delaney.

I have been working as an artist with public art programs since 1975. The programs have included state, local, institutional and in some cases specific state and local government agencies such as education and transportation departments. IPAR is entirely professional, incredibly effective in enabling the highest quality art to be created, and exceeds all others in the quality of its public engagement.

From the selection process at the beginning and throughout the entire process of the commission, I was very impressed with the way that the executive director of IPAR facilitated the public private partnership that was formed in support of my specific project. I believe that the guidance and support of IPAR throughout enabled me to create one of the most successful works of public art of my career and the most enthusiastically welcomed of all.

In addition to logistical support, IPAR was amazing in connecting me to the Reston community at all stages. I was truly inspired through the understanding that I gained of Reston's history and culture and the sculpture reflects that inspiration. My relationship with the Reston community has continued in quite wonderful ways. I had a great conversation with students from South Lake High School in the midst of their process of creating their sculpture "Nothing Twice" recently unveiled at the Lake Thoreau Spillway. Also, IPAR facilitated my participation when the Reston Community Center commissioned two dance companies to choreograph and perform dances inspired by my sculpture, "Reston Rondo" as part of the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. I conceived of the sculpture to be interactive; the dancers' performances were magical and embodied a wonderful intersection of the arts as forms of human expression.

Beyond my association as an artist with IPAR, I have some depth of experience with arts non-profits as a former member of the Maryland State Arts Council, a trustee of Maryland Citizens for the Arts (MCA), the founder and a trustee of Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) Alliance and Co-Chair of the Governor's Task Force on Arts Education in Maryland Schools which engaged many non-profit arts institutions in its work. Based on this experience as well, I strongly recommend IPAR as an exemplary non-profit organization.

With the stream of engaging and interactive public art works and information that IPAR brings to our community, all of us, of every age are all the more fortunate. Our lives are enriched with the awareness of art and creativity in our midst. As IPAR has a seemingly never-ending supply of new initiatives, we are excited to know 'what's next' as we enjoy what's here! We're very proud of our unique community, and it's gratifying to hear locals and visitors express their delight when they see our public art, and learn. And, we have all the more reason to invite visitors to enjoy and explore - the quality of the works adds to this area's appeal as a destination in the Washington DC region.

I grew up in Reston and I didn't realize just how much public art there was everywhere! As I learn about it through events like IPAR's grand opening of "A Bird in the Hand," I am impressed more and more about how much there is and how much it takes to keep it all going. This public art is so much of what makes Reston, Reston and is so essential to us as a community. Organizations like IPAR make this important work possible!