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The Percent for Art legislation, passed in 1975, guides the acquisition of Oregon's State Art Collection which includes more than 2,500 original art works. From Astoria to Agness, Baker City to Milton-Freewater, Bend to Klamath Falls, state buildings and public spaces host permanent reminders of the breadth, variety and aesthetics of our history, environment, people, and changing concerns.

How the Percent for Art Program Developed
Early discussions about a statewide public art program for Oregon began in 1975 when the State Capitol in Salem underwent a $10 million expansion. The initial legislation, passed in July, 1975, applied to public construction budgets in two counties, Marion and Polk. In 1977, the program was extended to all Oregon counties. Oregon Revised Statutes sets aside "not less than 1% of the direct construction funds of new or remodeled state buildings with construction budgets of $100,000 or greater for the acquisition of art work which may be an integral part of the building, attached thereto, or capable of display in other State Buildings".

Since then, the Percent for Art program has maintained

• a commitment to the placement of permanent art of the highest possible quality in public places where it is accessible to the broad public;
• a commitment to the successful integration of bringing artist, the public and architects together as a working team; and
• a commitment to help artists attain public recognition and visibility through Percent for Art opportunities.

The Percent for Art Program remains dedicated to the enhancement of public environments and improvement of the character and quality of State buildings in order to create an accessible, publicly-owned legacy which is uplifting, enduring and available to all.

How Public Artworks are Selected
The artworks commissioned through the Public Art program are selected and commissioned by Art Selection Committees composed of citizens representing agency, building and community members as well as the projects's architect and arts professionals. The Oregon Arts Commission's visual arts coordinator facilitates the overall process and serves as a non-voting chair of each committee. Separate committees are formed for each public art project.

Through a series of meetings, the Art Selection Committee evaluates possible styles, materials, locations and themes in order to select artwork appropriate for each building. Most committees solicit artists' proposals which are reviewed for artistic merit as well as suitability to the facility. Through shared discussion and a thorough review of proposals, the Art Selection Committees make final selections regarding both the artists and works of art for the buildings.

Artwork for the public art collection is acquired in several ways. Existing artwork may be purchased, either from an artist or a gallery. Artists may be asked to respond to a Request for Proposals where the selection process is more competitive. These competitions may be limited, where specific artists or types of artists are invited to submit proposals, or open, where a broad call for proposals is issued and interested artists propose specific ideas for a public space.

The Oregon Arts Commission coordinates Oregon's Percent for Art Program and oversees art selection and installation in collaboration with the Department of Administrative Services and the Oregon State System of Higher Education. A critical part of the coordination process is the education of participating state agencies about public art and the participation of building users in the art selection process.

Impact of the Collection
Since the original 1975 Capital Renovation project, over 160 state construction projects have qualified for Percent for Art funds, and over 1,280 Oregonians have participated on Art Selection Committees. Hundreds of thousands of state workers, citizens and visitors have noticed, admired, debated, questioned, appreciated, and been in contact with art works around the state.

There are now over 2,500 art works in Oregon's state art collection including drawings, paintings, mixed media, photography, original prints, sculpture, ceramics, glass, mosaics, murals, textiles, and both site specific and structurally integrated art installations.

The public art program has been of benefit to Oregon's community of professional artists. Over one thousand artists have been involved with Percent for Art since its inception. Fees and commissions to artists have exceeded $6 million in the 22 years of the program's history. Value of the collection continues to appreciate, both in terms of dollars and in the uniqueness of the works.

Public Art Programs Nationally
Other states soon followed Hawaii's lead. Washington state passed its public art law in 1973, followed by Oregon and Alaska in 1975.

Oregon is one of 27 states with Percent for Art legislation guiding the inclusion of works of art in new public construction. In addition to statewide programs, there are more than 130 active public art programs which are managed by counties, cities, boroughs, transportation authorities, redevelopment authorities and private non-profit agencies.

Additional Information
Please contact the Oregon Arts Commission at 503-986-0084, with specific questions regarding Oregon's Percent for Art program, or if you wish to be added to the listserv to receive notification when new projects are announced via this website. Oregon's Percent for Art program is open to artists nationally.

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Dated for freshness! Page last updated May 02, 2008