Public Art Program
The City of Baltimore, named the “Monumental City” over 175 years ago, expands public experience with visual art by creating a public artwork program that encourages the direct commission of artwork for municipally supported projects; and engages the individual and collective imagination of artists who create artwork for public places.
BOPA enforces the One Percent for Art Ordinance, which administers the expenditure of public funds for fine arts additions to public projects.
What is Public Art?
Public Art is more than just an artwork temporarily or permanently placed in a public space. Public art can be a variety of artistic forms and media. Works can be created for inside or outside spaces; be naturalistic or conceptual. Public art can be integrated within architecture, landscape or infrastructure. It can be functional, commemorative, decorative, or interactive. It can employ technology, text, or sound.
Both the form and role of public art varies from community to community.
Public art can contribute to the visual and textural character of a community, create a sense of place or foster a sense of spirit by celebrating history or cultural heritage. Public art seeks to inspire relationships and communication.
% for Art Program
The Baltimore % for Art Program was the second such program in the country. The % for Public Art Program requires that at least 1% of all eligible funds for a construction project shall be allocated for artwork for that specific project or another public art use as determined by the Public Art Ordinance.
Public Art News
CALL TO ARTISTS REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS - The University of Maryland, Baltimore hopes to engage an experienced artist to create a public mural that celebrates the local history of West Baltimore where the campus is located. Between 1997 and 2011 the University acquired three properties located between 114 – 116 N. Greene Street. The buildings were not in good condition and continued … Read More → Call for Artists: Greektown Public Art Project - Request for Proposals: Greektown Public Art Installation Issue Date: October 30th, 2018 Submission Deadline: December 30th, 2018 Request To: Greater Baltimore Sculpture Artists The Greater Greektown Neighborhood Alliance (GGNA), on behalf of Greektown residents, requests proposals from sculpture artists for a public sculpture to be installed at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and South Lehigh … Read More → Call for Artists: Public Art (Havre de Grave, MD) - Open Call for Public Sculpture: Watermen’s Heritage Sculpture Concord Point Park, Havre de Grace, Maryland Project Overview: The City of Havre de Grace, MD, the Public Arts Committee and partners are seeking a sculpture that will reflect the maritime culture of Havre de Grace and raise awareness about the importance of maintaining a healthy Chesapeake … Read More → 2018 Public Art Challenge - Baltimore is one of 14 cities selected for the 2018 Public Art Challenge, part of Mike Bloomberg’s American Cities Initiative. Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the 14 finalists who could receive up to $1 million each as part of the 2018 Public Art Challenge, a program that aims to foster creative collaboration, address civic issues, and support local … Read More → Call for Artists: Public Art (DC) - DowntownDC Public Space Art VIEW MORE INFO APPLY TO THIS CALL Call Type: Public Art Eligibility: National City: Washington State: District of Columbia Fee: $0.00 Entry Deadline: 7/8/18 Downtown BID Call Box Project Request for Proposals The Downtown BID is seeking multi medium visual artists that can include but are not limited to Fine Artists, Street Artists, Graffiti Artists, Metal Workers, … Read More → Call for Artists: Public Art in Penn-North Metro Stop - The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) has partnered with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) to commission a new piece of public artwork for the interior of the Penn-North Metro station. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 6. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/2M8vNfB The addition of new artwork is … Read More → Call for Artists: Fast Track Public Art Project (Hagerstown, MD) - Interactive Sculpture Fast Track Public Art Project Call for Maryland Artists The City of Hagerstown seeks an artist to create permanent outdoor sculpture(s) for an audience of all ages on the new Hagerstown Cultural Trail. Works should be completed or well underway by Fall 2018. The total budget for the work is $10,000. The call … Read More → Call for Artists: Temporary Public Art (Rochester, NY) - Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) seeks proposals for site-specific, temporary public art that will enliven the East Avenue neighborhood. We welcome and encourage proposals for incisive, surprising, and unique sculpture and installation art of all forms, including electronic media-based works that can be presented outside. Of particular interest are projects that connect visitors to the … Read More →
My church is renovating the basement for the daycare and youth initiatives program. How can we get our youth involved, and can our youth be apart of the project?