Propose a Community-initiated Public Art Project

The Boston Art Commission works under the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture to integrate public art into the City. The Art Commission advises and supports artists, communities, City departments, and others. It commissions, approves, and conserves the City of Boston's public art collection.

• Temporary public art is considered less than 18 months.
• The City of Boston also accepts proposals for permanent or semi-permanent public art. These can be public art interventions, installations, or memorials on City-owned property.
• If you are looking to do a public projection, there are additional guidelines to consider.

All proposals must be presented to the Boston Art Commission. The commission meets on the second Tuesday of every month (subject to change). The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture works with the commission to help facilitate this process.

We have helpful information for finding funding online. You can also apply for the City of Boston's Opportunity Fund.

Work with community stakeholders and neighbors to identify the site for your project. Consider reaching out to:

• the Boston Art Commission at bac@boston.gov
• art foundations and local businesses
• nonprofits, and 
• anyone with a stake in the project.

You can research property ownership on the City's website. Certain locations might also need approval by the Parks Department or the Landmarks Commission, or both. We can help you research these requirements. There's a map of landmarked locations, and a list of City of Boston parks.

Community-driven proposals must partner with an artist or artist team for the:

• design
• fabrication
• installation, an
• de-installation of the artwork.

A portfolio of the artist or team's past work and artist resumes must be included in the application.

Finalize your budget, location, and any insurance and permitting requirements.

Submit your Public Art and Design application to BAC staff. All materials must be submitted three weeks in before a Boston Art Commission public meeting, and six weeks in before installation.

• a project description
• drawings or designs of the proposed artwork
• the address or map link of the proposed site
• letters of support from project partners, if applicable
• an artist or team portfolio of past works and artist resumes
• a plan for the design, fabrication, installation, and de-installation of the work
• a preliminary schedule for implementation, and
• a plan for community engagement and obtaining feedback (when appropriate).

The Boston Art Commission will review your proposal at its monthly meeting. Your proposal will either be approved, approved with contingency, or denied. If denied, we may invite you to re-submit within a specified timeframe after incorporating the commission's feedback.

Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture staff will review your application and follow up with any questions or concerns before the Boston Art Commission review. Once we confirm the application is ready for review, the proposal will be presented and voted on at the next scheduled public meeting.

The Boston Art Commission works under the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture to integrate public art into the City. The Art Commission advises and supports artists, communities, City departments, and others. It commissions, approves, and conserves the City of Boston's public art collection.

• The City of Boston also accepts proposals for semi-permanent or temporary public art. These can be public art interventions, installations, or memorials on City-owned property.

All proposals must be presented to the Boston Art Commission. The commission meets on the second Tuesday of every month (subject to change). The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture works with the commission to help facilitate this process.

We have helpful information for finding funding online. You can also apply for the City of Boston's Opportunity Fund.

Work with community stakeholders and neighbors to identify the site for your project. Consider reaching out to:

• the Boston Art Commission at bac@boston.gov
• art foundations and local businesses
• nonprofits, and 
• anyone with a stake in the project.

You can research property ownership on the City's website. Certain locations might also need approval by the Parks Department or the Landmarks Commission, or both. We can help you research these requirements. There's a map of landmarked locations, and a list of City of Boston parks.

You must select an artist or artist team through an open public call to artists, to be approved by the Boston Art Commission.

The approved artist will be responsible for design, fabrication, and installation. When applying you will need to include information on your artist selection process, artist portfolios and resumes. 

Applicants can submit their proposal through the Public Art and Design application. 

• a project theme description
• the address or map link for the proposed site
• letters of support from project partners, if applicable
• an outline or plan for the artist selection process
• a preliminary budget including at least 10 percent of the total budget for future maintenance costs
• a plan for funding the design, fabrication, and installation of the work, and
• artist or artist team resumes.

After submitting, a member of the Boston Art Commission staff will review your proposal and follow up with any questions. They will help you with any questions as you prepare your application for presentation before the commission.

If you are selected to present to the Boston Art Commission, you will be notified of the presentation date.

Depending on the scope of the proposal, your project may require various approvals at certain milestones, including:

• preliminary design
• final design, and
• (for permanent work) final acceptance into the City’s art collection.

After preliminary approval, you will work with any community stakeholders and commission staff on technical and curatorial items. Then you will submit for final approval.

The Boston Art Commission works under the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture to integrate public art into the City. The Art Commission advises and supports artists, communities, City departments, and others. It commissions, approves, and conserves the City of Boston's public art collection.

• The City of Boston also accepts proposals for permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary public art. These can be public art interventions, installations, or memorials on City-owned property.

All proposals must be presented to the Boston Art Commission. The commission meets on the second Tuesday of every month (subject to change). The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture works with the commission to help facilitate this process.

Memorial subjects must have a direct and significant connection to the City of Boston. 

Proposed permanent memorials should retain significance and relevance in the future and be meaningful to future generations. To be considered, the Boston Art Commission requires at least five years to have taken place between an event or the passing of an individual and the permanent commemoration. However, the commission recommends a minimum of 10 years. These requirements can be waived at the discretion of the commission for extraordinary purposes. For more recent events, applicants are urged to consider alternatives. 

• The memorial should not honor living individuals or duplicate any present memorials. The commission inventories all public memorials and recommends applicants review this list prior to submission.
• Preference is given to proposals that memorialize subjects not currently represented, or subjects that are under-represented.
• Applicants should consider the long-term impact of a permanent memorial and its ability to withstand conditions. These conditions include weather, vandalism, vagaries of time, and changing attitudes of its importance.

We have helpful information for finding funding online. You can also apply for the City of Boston's Opportunity Fund.

Work with community stakeholders and neighbors to identify the site for your project. Consider reaching out to:

• the Boston Art Commission at bac@boston.gov
• art foundations and local businesses
• nonprofits, and 
• anyone with a stake in the project.

You can research property ownership on the City's website. Certain locations might also need approval by the Parks Department or the Landmarks Commission, or both. We can help you research these requirements. There's a map of landmarked locations, and a list of City of Boston parks.

Projects placed on public land must both honor the subject and be considerate of the broader community’s interests and needs. The memorial should have a historical or thematic relationship with any proposed location. Preference is given to proposals in locations where memorials do not already exist. The memorial should not encroach on any pre-existing public artwork.

You must select an artist or artist team through an open public call to artists, to be approved by the Boston Art Commission. The approved artist will be responsible for design, fabrication, and installation. When applying you will need to include information on your artist selection process, artist portfolios, and resumes.

Applicants can submit their proposal through the Public Art and Design application. 

• identification of the person, group, or event to be memorialized
• a brief narrative explaining the importance of the person, group or event, and its direct relationship to the City
• a brief explanation of the visitor experience of the proposed memorial, and a rationale for the proposed memorial location
• the address or map link for the proposed site
• letters of support from project partners, if applicable
• an outline or plan for the artist selection process
• a preliminary budget including at least 10 percent of the total budget for future maintenance costs
• a plan for funding the design, fabrication, and installation of the work, and
• artist or artist team resumes.

After submitting, a member of the Boston Art Commission staff will review your proposal and follow up with any questions. They will help you with any questions as you prepare your application for presentation before the commission.

After submitting, a member of the Boston Art Commission staff will review your proposal. They may contact you and schedule a consultation. At this time, we may invite representatives from other City departments or offices relevant to the proposed memorial. These include, but are not limited to:

• the Office of Neighborhood Services
• Veteran's Affairs
• the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, and
• the Parks and Recreation Department.

If the commission approves the proposal, the project proceeds as any other commissioned work for City of Boston property. For more information on next steps, see the temporary and permanent tabs on this page. If the commission does not approve the proposal, you may consider other forms of memorialization, such as:

Memorial concerts may be organized as either a one-time or annual means of commemoration. Please consult the Mayor's Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment in advance. The special events application can be found online.

Memorials range from temporary sculpture installations to one-day lighting displays. Short-term memorial proposals follow the same guidelines as artist-driven or community-driven temporary public art proposals.

Some memorial subjects may have alternate permanent memorialization options available through other sources. For example, the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Services offers Hero Squares to honor service members killed in action.