Urban Surprises: A Guide to Public Art in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the home of the largest public art program in the country. The City’s commitment to the arts was affirmed in 1989 by landmark ordinances that defined the meaning of public art and created a mechanism to foster the creation of art throughout the community that is unparalleled in its scope and quality. Urban Surprises invites its readers to explore the hundreds of public works of art in Los Angeles: some awe-inspiring, some poignant, and some controversial. Enhanced with neighborhood maps and beautifully-reproduced color images by photographer Dennis Keeley, the book also contains a list of program sponsors and an index to the artists themselves.