How the Program Works

Passed in 1975, Oregon's Percent for Art legislation guides the acquisition of the state's public art collection, which includes more than 2,500 works of art.

History

Public art program discussions in Oregon began in 1975 as the State Capitol in Salem underwent a $10 million expansion. Initial legislation, passed in July 1975, applied to public construction budgets for facilities in Marion and Polk counties. In 1977, the program extended to state buildings in all Oregon counties. Oregon Revised Statutes set 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 has placed high quality, accessible to the public, permanent art in public places. The work reflects a commitment to the successful integration of artist, the public, and architects as a working team to plan for the art. The program remains dedicated to the enhancement of public environments and the improvement of the character and quality of state buildings with art in order to create an accessible, publicly-owned collection which is inspiring and available to Oregonians and visitors.

Public Art Selection Process

The artworks commissioned through the Public Art Program are selected and commissioned by Art Selection Committees composed of citizens representing the user agency, building and community members, arts professionals, as well as the project architect. The OAC’s Visual Arts Coordinator facilitates the selection process and serves as a non-voting chair of each committee. Individual committees are formed for each public art project.

Over the course of 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 of both the artists and works of art for the buildings.

Art Acquisition Process

Artwork for the public art collection can be 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. Competitions may be
• Limited: where specific 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 artworks around the state.

There are now over 2,500 artworks 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.

Additional Information

Have specific questions about Oregon's Percent for Art program?

Contact the Oregon Arts Commission at 503-986-0084