What is a Public Art Plan?

The Public Art Plan outlines the City's vision for public art, identifies a curatorial framework for the creation of public artworks, establishes guidelines for selecting and commissioning artwork and continues to enhance the City's vibrant cultural landscape. The plan contains objectives and strategies that can be applied to future programming into the future.

Background

Starting in fall 2024, the City hired planning consultants called Designing Local to help gather ideas from the community about the future of the public art program. Staff and consultants used many different ways to hear from people. Community members were asked to share ideas about:

• Where future artwork should be placed
• What types of artwork fit best in Tempe
• What they think about the current art collection

The team also worked with City staff and community partners to find areas where the program needs new ideas and better strategies. The goal is to create a public art collection that is diverse and easy for people across Tempe to enjoy.

In spring 2025, the results from this community outreach were shared with the public as part of the Public Art Framework. Using this feedback, Designing Local identified the main themes and created a plan. The plan includes:

• A clear system for choosing and prioritizing projects
• Strategies to improve the current program 
• Policies to guide the public art program over the next 10 years

The final Public Art Plan explains the City’s vision for public art. It highlights possible locations for future projects, offers ideas to make the collection more diverse and welcoming to more people and sets clear guidelines for how the program will operate moving forward.

For more information:

 Click here to contact Rebecca Rothman, Manager of Public Art