So You Want To Do Public Art

Over the years I have been involved in a number of public art projects such as murals, exhibits, juries and the New York Cowparade. There are at any time several opportunities for artists to compete for capitalized projects and art for special events.

There is a high end and a low end. The low end is usually council-on-the-arts type grants ($2500 and under) that require as much, if not more paperwork and proposals in triplicate forms as do the more highly capitalized projects. These projects are more suited to younger artists who have no track records and need to add to their resumes.

The higher end projects ($25,000 and up) are gotten through agencies such as PERCENT FOR ART, PUBLIC ART FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, and the MTA. These projects budget part of major constructions, renovations and public projects specifically for art.

My recommendations for any artist who wants to compete to do public art is to get in touch with the PERCENT FOR ART slide registry, write the MTA and ask to be put on their mailing lists so you will receive mailings describing such projects.

In my dealings with these agencies I have found them to be run by highly professional administrators. They really try to help artists.

I am reproducing the “call to artists” published by the MTA this year. The present projects are already closed but you can get their address, and see what they are up to.

Two works currently in progress are also shown. Note where space has been laid out but the mosaic not yet inserted.