Fostering belonging in city parks: Exploring the impact of public art

The Signs of Belonging, a public art initiative in Ramsey County parks to increase welcome for underrepresented visitors, involved BIPOC artists reimagining signage based on the prompt, “What would make you feel welcome and a sense of belonging in the park?” The new signage was installed at park entrances. An analysis examining the impact of public art on visitor perceptions found that respondents reported an overall positive impact on sense of belonging from the public art. However, a MANOVA revealed significant differences between BIPOC and White respondents regarding the art’s impact. Multiple linear regression demonstrated that racial identification is a significant predictor of the art’s perceived positive impact when controlling for visit frequency and general sentiment. Findings suggest a “curb-cut effect”: while the art enhanced the experience for all, it provided a statistically greater sense of welcome for historically underrepresented groups.