At a time when some American cities are cutting back on public art, “Menlo Park (Cal.) now requires that public art adorn new commercial buildings and major remodeling. Early next year, Menlo Park residents will see the fruits of this new law when art is installed at the 7-Eleven, a cafe, and a Chevron gas station. To some, it’s a smart way to further beautify this bedroom community without using city money. To others, making business owners spend 1 percent of a project’s cost on art is an expensive annoyance.”