Percent for Art

The term "percent for art" refers to a program, often a city ordinance, where a fee, usually some percentage of the project cost, is placed on large scale development projects in order to fund and install public art. The details of such programs vary from area-to-area. Similar programs, such as "art in public places", attempt to achieve similar goals by requiring that public art be part of a project, yet they often allow developers to pay in-lieu fees to a public art fund as an alternative. The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that has been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. ...

Why have a Percent for Art program?

Percent-for-art programs are used to fund public art where private or specialized funding of public art is unavailable. The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that has been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. ...

Details and Requirements

Requiring Art vs. Funding Art

When does the Percent for Art fee apply? What exceptions should be made?

Examples and success stories

Arguments against Percent for Art Programs

• Stifles development due to increased requirements/fees

City/State/Country Percent for Art Programs

• Philadelphia
• New York
• Chicago
• San Francisco
• Minnesota
• Chapel Hill
• Oregon
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• Western Australia

Publications

• John Wetenhall A Brief History of Percent-for-Art in America (pdf)
• 1962 Time Article
• City Art: New York's Percent For Art Program