Los Angeles Percent for Art

Los Angeles Percent for Art is a municipal art ordinance that requires allocation of public funds for permanent public artworks in Los Angeles, California. The program connects civic development projects with artists and cultural institutions across the city, engaging neighborhoods such as Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Venice, and South Los Angeles. It has influenced public commissions alongside agencies like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Getty Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the California Arts Council.

History

The origins trace to mid-20th century municipal initiatives that paralleled programs in New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago and were shaped by civic leadership including Los Angeles mayors and City Council members active during the 1950s and 1960s. Early implementation involved collaboration with planning entities such as the Department of City Planning, the Cultural Affairs Department, and the Redevelopment Agency, and intersected with statewide policies alongside the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Over decades the ordinance evolved through amendments influenced by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Clean Air Act, and major events like the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Los Angeles riots, prompting shifts in priorities for commissions tied to urban renewal projects spearheaded by the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Los Angeles World Airports.

Program Overview

The Percent for Art policy stipulates that a percentage of capital construction budgets for public buildings, parks, libraries, and transit stations be reserved for artwork, aligning project workflows with procurement rules from the City Attorney, the Office of Finance, and the Mayor’s Office. Eligible projects range from civic centers and courthouses to Metro Rail stations, airport terminals at Los Angeles International Airport, and facilities managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks, with art types including sculpture, murals, integrated architectural commissions, and site-specific installations. Artist selection processes involve panels including representatives from the Cultural Affairs Department, the Department of Public Works, the Los Angeles Public Library, and professional bodies such as the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Artists’ Organizations, often coordinated with arts organizations like the J. Paul Getty Trust, the Annenberg Foundation, and the Broad Contemporary Art Museum.

Administration and Funding

Administration is principally handled by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs in coordination with the City Council, the Office of the Mayor, the City Controller, and municipal departments including Building and Safety and Public Works. Funding mechanisms direct a fixed percentage of eligible project budgets—commonly 1%—to an art fund, supplemented by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, private philanthropy from entities such as the Getty Foundation and the Annenberg Foundation, and partnerships with institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Contracts and artist agreements are subject to procurement oversight by the City Clerk, auditing by the Office of the Inspector General, and legal review by the City Attorney, while implementation often engages contractors, conservators affiliated with the Getty Conservation Institute, and curators linked to UCLA Hammer Museum and CalArts.

Notable Projects and Works

Significant commissions include high-profile installations associated with major sites and institutions such as artworks at Los Angeles International Airport, public sculptures in Pershing Square, mural programs in Boyle Heights, and integrated works at Union Station and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Artists and works tied to the program feature collaborations with figures and entities like Frank Gehry, Janet Echelman, Eduardo Chillida, Chris Burden, and public commissions that relate to the Broad Museum, the Hammer Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and LACMA collections. Transit-related commissions appear at Metro stations designed by firms and designers connected to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Foster + Partners, while site-specific projects link to civic landmarks such as City Hall, Grand Park, Griffith Observatory, and Exposition Park.

Impact and Controversies

The program has shaped urban aesthetics and cultural access across neighborhoods served by institutions including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Natural History Museum, contributing to public engagement strategies used by the Getty Center and the Broad. Controversies have arisen around artist selection, maintenance responsibility disputes involving the Department of Public Works and the Department of Cultural Affairs, debates over site-appropriate content highlighted in cases connected to street art in Venice and murals in Boyle Heights, and tensions between preservation advocates at the Getty Conservation Institute and developers represented by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Legal challenges and public debates have engaged stakeholders such as the City Attorney, community organizations, labor unions including the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, and advocacy groups tied to the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council.

Category:Arts in Los Angeles Category:Public art in California