Public art and performances present a challenging question: which “publics” are they for? A sculpture in the middle of a bustling downtown area is available for everyone to look at, sure, but is the gleaming, bronze statue immediately outside of a major financial center for the working class? They are certainly a possible audience, but such an example seems to be less egalitarian in spirit than some may have you think.

Violinist Vijay Gupta’s street symphonies leave no doubt as to which public he is addressing. Gupta organizes performances by world-class musicians in prisons and homeless encampments throughout Los Angeles and also pairs these classical musicians with homeless individuals for lessons and critical conversations. Gupta’s project does not rest on the fact that anyone could encounter or experience these performances; instead, he seeks out the publics who he feels have been excluded from a tradition of metropolitan classical music.