COLUMBIA, SC.- The Columbia Design League hosts executive director of the Chicago Public Art Group Jon Pounds at the Columbia Museum of Art on Friday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. The lecture is $5 or free for Columbia Design League members.

Since 1971, a group of artists concerned with the relationship of art to society have been helping illuminate the soul of Chicago through their creative approach to public art in their city. Initially formed as the Chicago Mural Group and later renamed the Chicago Public Art Group, their founding mission was to establish creative partnerships between artists and communities in an effort to transform and enhance the lives of residents in urban Chicago neighborhoods. Over three decades, what began as a mural-based cooperative, broadened to include mosaics, sculpture, landscape design, and sponsorship of workshops and symposia.

Pounds presents a history of Chicago Public Art and highlights examples of the group’s public art installations in Chicago. He shares methods to engage the community successfully in producing large-scale public art projects and comments on the funding partnerships that have helped sustain CPAG’s work over the years.

The mission of the Columbia Design League is to encourage and promote passion for design excellence and understanding of design’s broad impact on the community. For more information about the Design League or membership, visit www.columbiadesignleague.org. The Design League is an affiliate group at the Columbia Museum of Art.