Thirty years have passed since the inception of the Atlanta public art ordinance. The ordinance was adopted to reserve 1.5 percent of capitol improvement budgets for public art; however enforcement of the ordinance and the collection of funds has been irregular based on findings in the 2006 Baseline Allocation for Public Art Report. Without a sustainable program in place, our public spaces have lost millions of dollars in cultural value, and residents have missed opportunities for public performance and education. Citizens who value public art recognize that now is the time for change.

The collective voice, Atlanta Percent for Art, emerged from mutual interest in public art, and began a campaign to support the percent for art ordinance. The collective includes, but is not limited to, art organizations, artists, architects, and business owners. We are speaking out today because as Atlanta grows, there is opportunity to raise Atlanta’s status as a cultural capitol, and create a model for a progressive public art program. The Atlanta Percent for Art Campaign advocates the need for enforcement and for a collaborative modernization of the public art ordinance.

Atlanta Percent for Art encourages the City of Atlanta to engage in dynamic advocacy and constructive negotiations to reach a mutually acceptable settlement regarding the current percent for art ordinance and its related procedures. As citizens, we believe that the ordinance falls short of its potential from a lack of clarity in definition and an effective process for capturing funds. These shortfalls prevent the Atlanta public art administrators from developing a robust public art program that the public is demanding.

Public art is important because it invites participants to explore the world we live in. Often challenging issues can be brought into the open to expand an individual’s perception of their history, place, society and culture. In other instances, public art is an opportunity for discovery, stimulation and relaxation. Public art has benefits not only to the individual experience but also for the community at large. Research confirms that providing opportunities for experiencing art offers a higher quality of living for residents while enhancing a city economically by attracting new business and promoting tourism.

The goal of Atlanta Percent for Art is to establish a sustainable public art program and to create a strategy for the growth and development of Atlanta’s  cultural landscape through public art.

Atlanta Percent for Art Campaign

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