About the GSA Art-in-Architecture Program

Get the Book!

The Place of Art in the World of Architecture
By Donald W. Thalacker, Former Director, Art-in-Architecture Program, GSA
Introduction by Sam Hunter. Chelsea House Publishers, 1980

While no longer in print, copies turn up at some art book dealers.
Search for used copies on amazon.com

From the dust jacket:

“The Place of Art in the World of Architecture is the first and only comprehensive account of the Art-in-Architecture Program of the United States General Services Administration (GSA). This program, which has evoked comparisons with the pharaohs and the Medici in its scope and quality, has been responsible for the placement of hundreds of artworks in federal buildings across the nation.

Donald W. Thalacker, director of the Art-in-Architecture Program, here tells the story behind these works, from artist’s concept to installation. His lively text, lavishly illustrated in color and black-and-white, describes the commissioning of each artist, the fabrication of the works, their critical reception, and the public controversy surrounding many of them.

The Place of Art in the World of Architecture is an authoritative record of one of the most important government-sponsored art programs anywhere in the world and sheds much-needed light on the role of public art in a democracy. A preface by Professor Sam Hunter of Princeton University assesses the program’s achievements in a historical context and discusses its significance for artists and citizens alike.”

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