Researchers explore various aspects related to art and urban life using terms such as cultural economy, the 'creative class', cultural clustering; and there are many more. Public art is one strategy, employed for any number of broader agendas spanning from economic aims to community identity. This study examines public art at the intersection of cultural planning strategy and community participation. A midsize New England city Pittsfield, Massachusetts, with a significant industrial mill heritage, provides a location from which to study public art within a specific context over a period of time spanning from 1970 to the present. Qualitative methods such as interviews, document review and survey of specific public art initiatives, both temporary and permanent, will help to uncover motivations and expectations that drive the development of public art projects. More knowledge about these purposes can lead to informative lines of questioning that may help planners and designers better understand the best application of public art in the landscape within a given community