Terry Kurgan has been nominated for the INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC ART (IAPA).

The first International Award for Excellence in Public Art is an educational partnership between Public Art Review (published by Forecast Public Art / USA) and Public Art China magazine (published by the University of Shanghai / China). It was launched in 2011, and is steered by a Research Committee.

The Award recognises the highest achievement in public art in any country, and focuses in the first year on placemaking. Its goal is developmental and educational: to stimulate debate about quality in public space among artists and allied professionals, as well as decision-makers in urban planning and design.

The public online archive will become available at a date to be announced by mid May 2012. The archive will provide open access to the first 100+ projects that have been researched, and highlight top-rated projects selected by an international panel.

The Award ceremony will take place at a conference on placemaking in public art to take place in Shanghai in October, and special issues of Public Art Review (US) and Public Art (China) will promote a selection of projects, including the Award winning project.

Chairman of the Research Committee, Lewis Biggs said: “We greatly appreciate help from our colleagues and professionals in the field with this international collaboration. There are excellent projects being realized in many countries, but due to the site-specific nature of the practice, information does not travel easily from one region to another.

The Award is the most ambitious attempt yet undertaken to pool knowledge across the world and tell the success stories for the benefit of the field as a whole. In addition to a valuable archive accessible to all, the process will create a new and more diverse network for the support of people with a professional interest in public art.”