Albuquerque Public Art Process

Project budgets vary depending on the size, medium, and scope, typically covering artist fees, materials, installation, and maintenance. There are more than 1,600 works of art in the Public Art Collection and every project follows a similar process. Public Art staff facilitate the process and are available for help and to answer questions!

How Works Enter the Collection Arts Board Meeting Minutes Public Art Database

Here is an overview of the ways works of art can come into the Public Art Collection:

1) Public Art Staff Receives Great Ideas from Anyone!

Artists, members of the public, community, organizations, other City departments, and neighborhoods can propose new Public Art projects to Public Art staff. Folks can also propose that an existing work of art become part of the collection. Public Art staff help to develop the scope or project idea for new projects and they help get proposals for existing art ready for the Arts Board to review. 

 

2) Introduce Project to the Arts Board

New Public Art projects are introduced to the Arts Board at their monthly public meetings by Public Art staff. The monthly Arts Board meetings are always open to the public and the meeting agendas are posted on the Public Art webpage. People can join in-person or virtually on Zoom. Proposals for existing art are also introduced to the Arts Board at a meeting.

3) Art Selection Committee is Formed

A new Art Selection Committee is formed to develop the Call for Artists with the help of Public Art staff. Committees often includes members of the Arts Board, a City Council District representative, neighborhood members, arts professionals, and Department representatives for the project site. The Arts Board has standing committees who review proposals for existing works of art. 

4) Call for Artists Goes Live!

The Arts Board review the Calls for Artists that the Art Selection Committee develops and recommends it to the City leadership for approval. When it is approved, the call goes live on the Public Art webpage!

 

5) Application Review

After the Call for Artists closes, the Art Selection Committee carefully reviews all of the applications. This often includes multiple rounds of review and lengthy discussions in order to select a finalist artist or artists (depending on the project).

6) Finalist Artists Design Proposals

If the project includes the selection of finalist artists, the finalists are paid to develop a proposal. The finalists present their design proposals to the Art Selection Committee and the committee selects an artist to recommend to the Arts Board for the project. 

7) Arts Board Recommends the Artist(s) and the Project Begins!

The Arts Board approves the committee’s recommended artist(s) for the project, that then goes to the City leadership for final approval. Once approved, the artist(s) will be contracted to create an art work or sell an existing work for the Public Art Collection. The Arts Board may approve a proposal for an existing work of art, which also receive final approval by the City leadership before any payments are made.