Patricia Walsh | Founder + CEO | PAW Arts, LLC
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Primary Contact: pwalsh@pawalsharts.com
(650) 862 - 6776
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PAW Arts, 3 Hook Road, 71C, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Artistic Practice
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About
Patricia Walsh is an artist and public art consultant who is passionate about helping people engage with their surroundings. She has been involved in the arts since her youth and always aspired to be an artist. While studying for her Bachelor's degree and exploring the Santa Fe area in her early 20s, Patricia became curious about the opaque processes governing how sculptures and murals appear in public spaces. This curiosity drove her to move to Boston and enroll in a Master's degree program in arts administration at Boston University.
In Boston, Patricia focused on learning about public art through coursework, volunteering with the Somerville Arts Council, and exploring the city's built environment. She also gained administrative experience working at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. After completing her degree, Patricia moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she became the arts coordinator for the public art program in San José, California. During her tenure, she managed the city's 250+ art collection, archived materials, coordinated temporary installations, and organized community engagement events. Additionally, she held board positions with the local emerging leaders network and the city of Palo Alto Public Arts Commission.
Patricia's career then led her to Las Vegas, where she served as the program specialist for the city's Office of Cultural Affairs, coordinating the update to their public art master plan. During her time in southern Nevada, she enjoyed exploring the desert area and experimenting with her artistic voice.
From there, she relocated to Washington, D.C., where she spent nine years managing the public art and community development programs at the national arts advocacy non-profit Americans for the Arts. In this role, she designed educational opportunities, provided advice, conducted research, and advocated for the importance and inclusion of the arts in public spaces. She managed one of the only annual public art conferences that attracted hundreds of public art professionals, artists, and allied field representatives to engage in discussions on current trends and best practices. Patricia has presented on the value the arts bring to communities and has written about various aspects of implementing public art projects, including artist selection, cultural equity, and community engagement. She built partnerships with the American Planning Association and Smart Growth America, which led to local trainings and an evaluation project to cultivate the use of the arts in addressing community needs. Throughout her time with the organization, Patricia was a key resource for the media, providing information and on-the-record commentary to numerous national and regional publications and news outlets, including ARTnews, Nonprofit Quarterly, NPR, WBEZ Chicago, Associated Press, Apartment Therapy, and the Chicago Tribune.
In 2023, Patricia decided to venture out on her own and founded PAW Arts, LLC, a public art consulting practice named after her birth initials, Patricia Ann Walsh. Through PAW Arts, she collaborates with government agencies, nonprofits, and foundations to address community needs through the arts. Her services include policy and program development, research and evaluation, and education on the role and care of public artworks. With clients across the United States, Patricia aims to expand her practice internationally to further develop best practices in this growing field.As an experienced speaker, Patricia has presented to audiences across the United States and internationally on the role of the arts in addressing community needs and supporting artists as part of a healthy cultural ecosystem. She welcomes speaking opportunities to engage with local leaders on how the arts can help their communities thrive.
Alongside her consulting work, Patricia continues to nurture her artistic practice, finding inspiration in the natural world. She expresses herself through painting, drawing, and collage, seeking to understand nature as it evolves through both natural and man-made processes. As a plein air and studio artist, her work reflects her deep respect for and wonderment of the flora and fauna that surround us.
Patricia is an active member of the arts community, serving as an advisor for the Arts & Planning Division of the American Planning Association and holding memberships in the Public Art Exchange, Arts Mid-Hudson, and Association of Registrars and Collection Specialists.
Patricia holds a Master of Science in Arts Administration from Boston University, a Bachelor of Arts in painting from State University of New York at Plattsburgh, and an Associate in Applied Science in Commercial Art from Dutchess Community College.
Based in Poughkeepsie, New York, Patricia lives and works in the Mid-Hudson Valley region, which is the past, present, and future lands of the Munsee Lenape and Mohican people. The area holds special significance for Patricia, as it is where she was raised and remains close to her family.