Policing Art: An Investigation of Protest Art, Policy, and Identity in Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA.

Abstract

Integrating meaningful public art into our urban landscapes is an important goal for planners and urban designers, and it aligns with strategies for supporting community identity and placemaking. Though sanctioned art is encouraged and there are numerous policies to support the funding, development, and conservation of sanctioned public art, less focus and attention is given to unsanctioned art that manifests naturally in the built environment. Protest art typically falls into a gray area of illegality and criminality, and this type of art is unfunded and largely unrecognized. Regardless, placemaking and protest movements are related, particularly in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, WA. This thesis illustrates the unique relationship between unsanctioned protest art and community identity in Capitol Hill by examining two seminal case studies of protest art movements and conducting a thorough policy analysis. The anti-gentrification artwork by John Criscitello and the protest art that developed from the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in June 2020 are excellent examples of how protest art reflected community sentiment and served as a means of expression for the entire community. The literature review explores how placemaking, protest art, and arts funding have been studied in the past and connects these three themes together as they relate to urban planning practices. The thesis concludes by determining three recommendations for how protest art can be addressed by city officials in the future and how it can be better utilized to promote a sense of belonging. The recommendations include allocating more legal space for protest artists, diversifying the definition of public art by clarifying what qualifies as nuisance graffiti, and creating a process for legalizing unsanctioned protest art pieces. There is an opportunity for the city to embrace protest art as a legitimate form of public art and community expression, particularly as protest movements themselves evolve past the typical marches and memorials of previous generations.