FY2023-2028 Public Art Plan
The department develops the Public Art Plan annually with input and assistance from the Mayor and City Council, city residents, artists, city departments that provide percent-for-art funding, and the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission. The Plan identifies and budgets public art projects citywide and coincides with the annual Capital Improvement Program budget each fiscal year which begins on July 1. The Plan requires approval by the Arts and Culture Commission and City Council.
Public art projects within the FY 2023-2028 Public Art Plan are prioritized based on opportunities to integrate artwork into individual Capital Improvement Program projects and their potential impact on the neighborhood and the broader arts community. Under these parameters, the FY 2023-2028 Public Art Plan focuses on the equitable distribution of funds, as allowable by the percent-for-art ordinance, and the diversification of the public art collection through broadening the types of project opportunities and continued outreach to new artists and arts organizations.
The Public Art Plan includes the following types of projects:
- Design Teams: artists work with engineers, landscape architects, and architects to develop major construction projects, such as department facilities, freeway bridges, streetscape improvements, and airports.
- Site-Specific Commissions: artists design and fabricate permanent artwork or enhancements to suit specific locations.
- Temporary Commissions: artists of all disciplines can create works or installations to be viewed for a limited time at select public sites.
- Purchase of Existing Artwork: works are purchased for display as part of the city's permanent portable art collection, which began in 1915.
- Master Planning: short-and long-range plans are developed to integrate art into specific public programs and initiatives, such as aviation, public works, and water capital improvement programs.
- Artwork Refurbishment: existing artworks sometimes need significant repairs or retrofit to remain in good condition or adjust to changes to their original site. These modifications go beyond routine artwork maintenance activities.
New Project Highlights in the Current Public Art Plan:
Collaborative Neighborhood Projects – Purchase of Existing Artwork and Site-Specific Commissions
Artists will be selected to work directly with neighborhood and business associations to enhance parks, business corridors, and other community amenities. The first project to utilize funds from this new initiative is a partnership with the Hatcher Urban Businesses in the Sunnyslope neighborhood in north Phoenix.
Rio Reimagined – Design Team, Temporary and Site-Specific Commissions
The Rio Reimagined Project is a vision to revitalize the Rio Salado (Salt River), Aqua Fria, and Gila Rivers and the region by transforming over 45 miles of the river stretching from the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community at the easternmost boundary to the City of Buckeye to the west and encompassing more than 78,000 acres. Artists will be selected at several project phases to engage the community and design permanent and temporary artwork to enhance the visitor experience.
McDowell Road Revitalization Project – Site-Specific Commission
The City is in the early planning stages of a project to revitalize the McDowell Road corridor between 7th Street and State Route 51. The focus of this study is to identify and confirm community-supported safety and aesthetic improvements to achieve four main goals: creating a safer and more inviting area for people walking or riding bicycles to locations along the corridor; improving navigation in and around the retail areas; enhancing access to transit; and fostering a sense of place and identity. An artist will be commissioned to create artwork supporting these goals.
Lookout Mountain Park – Artwork Refurbishment
A contractor will be hired to repair elements of Desert Passages by artists Roger Asay and Rebecca Davis. The project was completed in 1990, one of the program’s earliest, and will be restored to the original design in collaboration with the Parks and Recreation Department and the artists.
