Community operational research issues and public art practice: The art director system

The key issues of community operational research, outlined in a paper by Ritchie, have relevance to community projects in general and, we argue, a particular relevance to public art. We illustrate this relevance by describing eight case studies in public art, four in Japan and four in the west, and, by considering the projects in a three-way factorial design, make a case for the art director system in the management of public art projects.