About The Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program (OCA/PAP) is charged with administering the development and management of public art projects for Atlanta City Government. OCA/PAP also provides programs and services that support our arts community while improving the quality of life for all citizens and visitors. The Public Art Program is the sole caretaker of the Public Art Collection for the City of Atlanta; this includes oversight, maintenance, and exhibition of 127 public sculptures and monuments, which are valued at over $22 million. In addition, the PAP Public Art Program oversees the curation and exhibition of 226 artworks including paintings, photography and sculpture within the “Portable Collection.”
Mission
The Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program operates on the premise that art enhances the quality of life for our citizens by encouraging a heightened sense of place, increasing our community’s prestige and enlivening the visual quality of Atlanta’s built environment. The program promotes a public initiative of outreach and education while working to preserve the city’s cultural heritage.
The OCA/PAP is committed to creating community through public art and builds upon community support to conserve, preserve and make available public art to citizens and visitors in Atlanta.
History
In 1977, Atlanta, in stride with many other major metropolitan cities, adopted its first public art ordinance which set aside a percent of capital improvement funds for the development of public art.
See most recent Atlanta’s Percent for Art Ordinance here.
In addition to the Percent for Art Ordinance, in 1994 the then Bureau of Cultural Affairs (BCA), along with concerned citizens, initiated a planning process for the development of a Public Art Master Plan. Working with it’s advisors, the BCA developed an initial plan that guided Atlanta through the 1996 Olympic Games and the installation of a number of new projects. In 1999, a task force was convened to review and update the Public Art Master Plan (PAMP) and a revised PAMP was adopted by the City in 2001.