Public Art Development Records

Series

Identifier: 7408-01

Scope and Contents Note

Records relating to the development of public art projects overseen by the Seattle Arts Commission and the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. Most of the projects were funded by the City's 1% for Art program, in which a portion of the budget for capital projects goes toward public art. Records cover artist selection, project development, coordination with city agencies and contractors, and public outreach. The series includes calls for artists, correspondence, budget information, proposals, artist background information, press releases, and publicity materials. Projects range from permanent artworks in City Hall to installations in City Light substations to art elements in new libraries and community centers. Records also cover artist-in-residence programs and purchases for the City's permanent art collection.

Dates

Creation: 1977-2014
Creation: Majority of material found within 1992-2007

Creator

Seattle (Wash.). Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Records are open to the public.

Historical Note

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In 1971, a city ordinance established the Seattle Arts Commission (SAC) to promote development of and public interest in the arts, as well as to advise the city on cultural and artistic development. The fifteen-member body replaced a predecessor agency, the Municipal Arts Commission, and staff support was originally provided by the Seattle Center. The Commission was given cabinet-level status in the city government in 1976.

In 2002, a reorganization abolished the existing SAC, created a new Seattle Arts Commission made up of volunteers and a new city Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs (OACA), and divided the functions of the old SAC between the two new organizations. The current commission is comprised of 16 citizen volunteers appointed by the Mayor and City Council. OACA was brought into the Executive Department in 2013 and its name was changed to the Office of Arts and Culture.

The department supports arts groups, community festivals, and neighborhood arts councils; funds and promotes public art, and promotes Seattle as a cultural destination. It also oversees the One Percent for Art program (one of the nation’s first), where one percent of Seattle’s capital improvement project funds are reserved for public art. Since the program began in 1973, it has acquired nearly 3,000 artworks.