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Survey: Fargoans want more murals, accessible public art

092619.N.FF.SODBUSTER
The iconic "Sodbuster" sculpture was secured to its new home outside the Fargo Public Library and Fargo Civic Plaza on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Crews were working on the plaza redesign at the base of the sculpture and in the background. Kim Hyatt / The Forum

FARGO — Picasso, Michelangelo, and van Gogh in Fargo? Well, not really, but that doesn’t mean the area doesn’t have public art — and locals want to see even more of it, according to results of a recent survey.

The Fargo Arts and Culture Commission (ACC) released a survey of Fargo-Moorhead residents and, as it turns out, residents seemingly love local art. From the survey, which had 465 respondents, murals, interactive pieces and public space art all rank highly in enjoyment. Squint-your-eyes-and-tilt-your-head art didn’t even get a response.

Respondents in the area reported they would like to see more murals in the downtown area, in parks throughout Fargo and on their daily commutes. Many, over 60 percent, expressed that any new public art needs to be accessible to all and should be iconic for the region.

The survey also asked respondents about the most appealing themes, with the most, more than 50 percent, saying they'd like to see cultural diversity represented. Other highly rated themes included "Growing City" and the Red River (about 40 percent each) and embracing winter (about 35 percent).

The ACC’s survey also highlighted that Fargo-Moorhead values green spaces, parks and playgrounds, which may give a hint as to where new art may be created in the area.

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When asked where respondents would like to see more public art, downtown Fargo topped the list at about 60 percent, followed by central Fargo (55 percent), southeast Fargo (30 percent) and southwest Fargo (30 percent). The survey showed most respondents (about 25 percent) already go downtown to find public art now, while central Fargo was a close second.

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