Public Art Dialogue: The Journal

Public Art Dialogue, founded in 2011, is the first peer-reviewed journal focused on public art. It serves as a forum for original research engaging with public art practices from across the globe, both historical and contemporary. It views its role as enhancing and developing understanding and knowledge of an aspect of art production that is increasingly recognised as central to the ways in which countries, cities, communities and groups shape identities and values as well as ideas about agency and senses of belonging, or exclusion.     

The boundaries of the term “public art” are malleable, and this is reflected in the topics of scholarship published in the journal. Welcoming of submissions on outdoor sculpture or murals as well as memorials that are architectural in form, the journal also considers public art to be inclusive of, for example, landscape design projects and web-based works, temporal works involving performances or social interventions, as well as the display of works intended for the public sphere but exhibited in gallery spaces. Pertaining to art that is often commissioned, “public art” nonetheless includes unauthorised interventions such as graffiti and other unofficial reworkings of environments or guerilla projects. Relatedly, the journal recognises that, while public art most often refers to art in urban settings, projects in rural and remote environments also fall within its ambit.  The journal thus accommodates investigations of art initiatives that are found in city squares and streets as well as those in heritage sites or, for instance, the grounds and reception areas of corporations or institutions of any type (public or private)  - whether these be schools, universities, transport hubs, meeting halls and shopping centres, amongst others.

Authors publishing in the journal are usually academics and professionals in art history, art practice and cultural theory, but the journal also welcomes those working in cognate disciplines and fields in the arts and social sciences. The journal accepts work deploying a variety of methods and approaches to interpretation, including cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. It accepts only previously unpublished texts. Welcoming submissions by both established and emerging researchers, it favours work that emanates from primary research and where authors reveal originality either in terms of the artworks or topic they explore or the interpretations they offer.

Public Art Dialogue is overseen by co-editors assisted by an international editorial board, and is affiliated with the professional society of the same name. The journal is published twice a year in print and electronic formats. All content is in English. A contribution appears in online form shortly after its final acceptance and prior to its journal placement. The journal includes “open issues” (that is, on any topics within the scope of the journal) as well as specially themed ones – normally one of each type per annum. There are opportunities for authors to opt for their work to be published in open-access form.

Public Art Dialogue is a scholarly journal, and rigorous peer-review processes are thus followed. All research articles published in the journal – whether in open issues or specially themed ones  – have undergone double-blind peer review after their initial editorial screening. 

Scholars who have ideas for special issues they envisage guest-editing are invited to contact the co-editors.  Please provide a written proposal suggesting the scholarly value of the topic and how you envisage attracting submissions.

We are currently seeking papers and artists' projects. See our Call for Papers and Artists’ Projects for more information.

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