Building the Arts

When Mayor and Council created the Public Arts Commission one of the activities granted this new board was holding predevelopment meetings with applicants seeking plan review from the city for development, to encourage and assist in the creation and funding of public art projects. In November 2020, the Public Arts Commission passed these general guidelines for this activity:

The following guidelines are for private development, redevelopment, and expansions of both residential and commercial projects of scale: 

• The City of Madison views real estate developers as welcome stakeholders in the city's public art initiative, as they have a significant investment in Madison continuing to be a thriving and progressive place to live and work. 
• Developers are strongly encouraged to support the city's public arts program by making a financial contribution towards art installations throughout the city. 
• The funds are securely allocated to the Public Arts Donation Account.
• As part of the formal planning and approval process for any development project within the City of Madison, prospective developers must meet with the Public Arts Commission (PAC) at one of their regularly scheduled meetings. At this meeting, the philosophy and benefits of public art are discussed, and examples of art installations in the city, funded by PAC, are presented.  The city will not issue any permits until this meeting occurs.