The City of Boulder Public Art Program and its supporting policy is to commission a wide variety of artworks representing the most innovative approaches to contemporary practice in the arts, commission works of enduring value and cultivate a diversity of artists and arts experiences within the city of Boulder.

The city will acquire works of art which encourage creativity, contribute to a sense of place, spark conversation, tell our shared stories and capture our moment in time, foster the enjoyment of diverse works of art, and are thoughtfully designed contributions to the urban environment of our vibrant city.

Donation Criteria

Criteria for Proposal of Donations

Works of art are occasionally offered to the City of Boulder. All proposals to donate works of art to the city must be submitted to the Office of Arts and Culture by the party proposing donation (Donor). Any work proposed for exhibition exceeding two years will be considered a donation. The donation request shall contain the following:

  1. Provenance – includes artwork information, conservation history, and transfer of ownership.
  2. Maintenance Recommendations – all pending donations shall be required to include maintenance recommendations that outline how the artwork is to be maintained, and what materials and maintenance procedures are needed to conduct routine maintenance of the artwork (cleaning schedules and minor repairs).
  3. Proposed Site, if any.
  4. Community Feedback – the donor will provide community feedback about the proposed donation. If a site is proposed, the community feedback must represent the views of residents adjacent to the site or other stakeholders to the site. The method of community feedback is identified at the discretion of the Manager, and may include a) a petition, b) notes from a public meeting, c) letters of support, d) online comments to a video or website, or other methods. Depending on the nature of the project, further public engagement may be required according to the specific requirements for permit application or development review.
  5. Selection Process Description, if any.
  6. Images or Renderings, if any.
  7. Budget and Funding Strategy.

Donations will also enter into a contracting process as described above in Section IX.C.8.

Coordination with the Office of Arts and Culture

The donor must maintain communication with the Manager regarding fundraising, design, construction, maintenance planning and full coordination. The Manager will facilitate a project team of staff from across all affected city departments.

Sequence for Donation

Reviewed by Office of Arts and Culture staff for compliance with this policy.

  1. The Manager will consult with the Donor on the refinement of their proposal for a period of no more than three months after receipt of the proposal.
  2. Analysis by the TRC for feasibility and compliance with all regulations.
  3. Submitted to the standing public art panel for review, which will take into account considerations listed above in Section IX.
  4. Review by the Arts Commission for compliance with this policy and recommendation to the City Manager.
  5. Appeal of Arts Commission Recommendations – Appeals for reconsideration will only be accepted from the Donor. Appeals will be made in writing to the Manager within 30 days of the decision of the Arts Commission. Appeals will be forwarded to the Arts Commission for their review and consideration. Additional appeals are not accepted.
  6. Presented to the City Manager for final approval.
  7. Upon approval, the Donor will enter into a contract or other agreement with the city.

City of Boulder Public Art Policy

Acquisition Criteria - The following criteria shall be used when considering acquisition of artwork by purchase, commission or donation, and additional criteria may be established at the discretion of the Office of Arts and Culture to meet the needs of individual projects.

  1. Inherent Artistic Quality – The assessed aesthetic merit of the piece as an artwork, independent of other considerations.
  2. Context – The compatibility of the artwork in scale, material, form and content with its surroundings. Consideration should be given to the architectural, historical, geographical and social/cultural context of the site.
  3. Ability to Install and Maintain - The anticipated ability of the artist to complete the artwork and considerations towards the city’s ability to provide maintenance and conservation to maintain the asset over time. Considerations shall also apply to temporary projects.
  4. Time Horizon of Artwork – The anticipated lifespan of the project and/or its host site.
  5. Diversity – The city is committed to commissioning and acquiring artworks that reflect diverse perspectives and approaches to art. To that end, the city shall seek opportunities accessible to a broad audience. The city shall seek artwork from artists of diverse racial, gender and cultural identities, and strive for diversity of experiences through a variety of styles, scales, narratives, and media. The city shall also encourage both experimental and established art forms.
  6. Uniqueness – To ensure that the artwork will not be duplicated, the city shall require the artist to warrant that the work is unique and limited to an edition of one unless stated to the contrary in a contract.
  7. Collection – The review of how the proposed work fits into the collection as related to the program’s mission (above).