Abstract: Public art in the United States dates back to period of Roosevelt’s New Deal in the 1930s. The public art in the U.S. has enjoyed a relatively sound system and favorable policies. At the end of the 20th century, “Tilted Arc”, a public art sculpture created by Richard Serra and commissioned by General Service Administration of the Federal Government, was a typical example that witnessed the double turning points of legal system and artistic creation. The study, by drawing a relatively complete picture of the case of “Tilted Arc”, aims at revealing the complexities of the legal system and artistic creation during the transitional period of American public art, so as to revisit the connotation of public interests in public art.

Key words: Key words： city sculpture, public art, public space of cities, public interests