Public art is often the subject of controversy. Some view public art as a way for high art to mesh into mainstream society, while others believe art has no place outside museums. It is the mixing of high art and mainstream society that often induces conflict. The public display of art makes art more susceptible to scrutiny and judgement, and in turn, open to controversy. The lack of art comprehension held by mainstream Americans often shifts from art-ignorance into feelings of art-offensiveness. This offensiveness appears to dictate public art censorship. Censoring public art not only censors an artist's artistic expression, but also abridges his or her freedom of speech.

Throughout the years, America has done everything in its power to control the amount of offensiveness that seeps into society, but some argue this infatuation with censorship robs artists of their freedoms and invades the public's right to art. The First Amendment of the Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law… prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press". While freedom of speech is the cornerstone of America, little has been done to uphold this notion when it comes to public art. Two works of art that have been victimized by democracy's cornerstone are Richard Serra's "Tilted Arc" and Maya Lin's "Vietnam Veterans Memorial."