Title
Fiscal Year 2026-31 Public Art Plan - Citywide
Description
This report requests that Economic Development and the Arts Subcommittee recommend City Council approval of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-31 Public Art Plan.
THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
Report
Summary
The City's Office of Arts and Culture was established in 1985 to champion and sustain the City's arts and culture community that makes Phoenix a great place to live, work, and visit. The department manages the City's public art program, which is funded through the percent-for-art ordinance that City Council adopted in December 1986. The ordinance requires one percent of Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds to be invested to enhance the design and experience of public infrastructure, buildings, and spaces through public art.
The percent-for-art ordinance requires the department, upon the recommendation of the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission, to submit an annual Five-Year Public Art Plan (Plan) (Attachment A) in advance of each new FY. The Plan is developed by the Office of Arts and Culture in consultation with City departments, City Council offices, and community groups. Public art projects must be sited at or near CIP projects.
The $23,595,823 Plan includes 62 public art projects funded over the next five years (Attachment B). This total includes 59 continuing, and three new projects. The public art projects within the Plan are prioritized based on opportunities to integrate artwork into individual CIP projects and their potential impact on the neighborhood and the broader arts community. Under these parameters, the 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.
Other Information
Of the 62 projects outlined in the Plan, eight address major retrofits or refurbishments, seven support broader Citywide initiatives like heat mitigation, and three are a component of long-ranged planning efforts like Rio Reimagined. These CIP funds can only be used for public art. They cannot be used to hire City workers, such as librarians, police or firefighters, or pay to operate public buildings, like libraries, parks or senior centers.
Additionally, public involvement is critical to the success of public art projects. Neighborhood organizations, village planning committees, schools, and City departments are included as important participants throughout the public art process. The Office of Arts and Culture develops each project with the community in mind and works to provide ample opportunities for feedback and collaboration.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission approved the FY 2026-31 Public Art Plan at its May 4, 2026 meeting.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Frank McCune and the Office of Arts and Culture.