I think the purpose of public art oftentimes is a source of some kind of propaganda. In Mexico, Porfirio Diaz and other Mexican leaders would commission artists like Los Tres Grandes to paint in public places in order to evoke a certain reaction from the people of Mexico. Oftentimes, this reaction was intended to be a sentiment of nationalism.
The Hovey murals share commonalities and differences with the Mexican murals. They are common in that the artist’s intention was to make the viewer feel a certain way, and in both cases a sense of pride. In Mexico’s case, it was a pride for their country, and in Walter Beach Humphrey’s case it was pride for Dartmouth College. However, the differences lie in the overall effectiveness of the murals. First, the fact that the Hovey murals are no longer accessible to the public prevents it from creating a totally widespread sentiment. In addition, the overall effectiveness of Walter Beach Humphrey’s murals prevent it from having a positive difference in the community. While the intention may have been to create a sense of pride in Dartmouth as a whole, the narrow audience that it appealed to caused it to fall drastically short. I think the major idea behind public art is that it should appeal to and make a positive difference for the greatest amount of people. While it is impossible to please everyone and their will always be negative critics, the overarching goal of public art should be to appeal to the people as a whole, and not just a small demographic.