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Propose Public Art In Boston

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Want to propose a new public art project in your neighborhood? This page provides a high-level overview of the public art process in Boston. You can read more details in the City's Public Art Policy.

 

Step
1

Submit a Public Art & Design Proposal

ROLLING APPLICATION 6+ WEEKS BEFORE BAC MEETING

First, you will need to submit a Public Art & Design Proposal. Public Art staff from MOAC will review your proposal for completeness and may need to follow up with you for additional information before scheduling you for a presentation at the BAC. We want to work with you to make sure your proposal can be approved by the Commission and will flag any issues or missing details to create the best opportunity for project approval. 

This means that submission of a Public Art & Design Proposal does not guarantee your project’s inclusion on the agenda of the next meeting of the BAC. In order to allow enough time for any back and forth with Public Art staff, we highly encourage you to submit your proposal at least six weeks before your target BAC review date. Once we have all the information the BAC will need to review, you will be invited to submit a presentation to a meeting of the BAC by a Public Art Project Manager.

Your proposal will include information about your project, with all the whats, wheres, whens, and whys of your project. The Public Art & Design Proposal also helps us understand your role, if you are approaching this as the artist, organizer, or producer, and where you are in the process of creating your project. This allows us to advise you on next steps, like talking to neighbors or working with an engineer, and connect you to any necessary city partners. We encourage you to submit this with as much information as possible so we can better understand how to support the actualization of your vision!

You can read a more detailed guide of what you’ll need to share here as outlined in our Public Art Policy.

Step
2

Public Art Team Review

WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF PUBLIC ART & DESIGN PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

All Public Art & Design Proposals are first reviewed by a Public Art Project Manager within two weeks of submission. This allows us to check if your submission is complete, provide technical feedback, and determine the permissions your project requires. Permissions may vary depending on whether the City of Boston property is a library, school, park, street, sidewalk (and the areas above them), or other site. The review period may vary by project complexity, and whether the request is for long-term or temporary artwork.

Step
3

Site Approval and Permits

TIMESCALE BASED ON PROJECT STATUS

Once we review your submission and you answer any initial technical questions with the Public Art Project Managers, we will connect you with the appropriate department or agency that manages the property to request permission for use of the site. Depending on the nature of the project, you may also need review from an additional commission (like Landmarks or the Conservation Commission) or department. 

Temporary artworks, which are intended to be installed for five years or fewer, require only one review and public meeting for Final Design, including installation and deinstallation. Long-term artworks are intended to be installed for five years or more and will require four BAC reviews and public meetings during key project phases. These phases are as follows: 

  • Artist Selection
  • Preliminary Design Finalization, 
  • Completion of Engineering & Installation plans
  • Acceptance into the City of Boston Public Art Collection once the artwork is complete.
Step
4

Preparing for the Boston Art Commission

TIMESCALE BASED ON PROJECT STATUS

After gaining permission from the site manager for temporary proposals or developing a clear pathway to gain all permissions for long-term proposals, the Public Art Project Managers will check in with you to determine if the project is ready for review at a public meeting. At this point, you should make sure you have done all the public outreach your project would benefit from before you bring it to a public meeting.

Timeline Step
Third Tuesday of the month

BAC Preparation Begins

Once all questions and concerns have been resolved, you will be invited to submit a presentation to the BAC. APublic Art Project Manager will connect you to the Public Art Registrar to begin preparing for your BAC presentation. The Public Art Registrar will share presentation guidelines to help craft this and schedule a practice run.  

Projects with outstanding site and design issues are ineligible for BAC until they are resolved so please make sure to give yourself adequate time for contingency.  

Last Tuesday of the month

Presentation Deadline 

Submit your complete presentation for the forthcoming BAC meeting no later than two weeks before the meeting. Ensure your submission aligns with the monthly meeting deadlines listed on the Commission's schedule and meets the presentation requirements shared with you. Presentations submitted after this deadline will be considered ineligible for the upcoming meeting, and will only be considered for the following meeting. 

After receiving your complete presentation, the Public Art Registrar will review all the proposed projects with the Director of Public Art and Chair of the BAC to request your inclusion on the upcoming agenda.

First Tuesday of the month

BAC Agenda Published and Practice Run

Once you are approved for an agenda by the Chair, the Public Art Registrar will schedule a mock presentation run-through to give you a chance to practice and discuss any questions you will have regarding the BAC.

The BAC agenda is publicly posted and all project materials are shared with the Commissioners one week before the BAC. This allows community members to know what will be presented at the meeting and the Commissioners time to read through your materials.

You may use the agenda to see all projects up for review, and find a Zoom link to join the public meeting, as an interested community member or presenter.

Graphic depicting the timeline for proposing public art

Step
5

Public Meeting with the Boston Art Commission

SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

All artworks proposed for the City of Boston property are reviewed at these public meetings held by the BAC. Please join us!

During meetings of the BAC, community members are welcome to attend and encouraged to assist in our ongoing process of developing a broader and more inclusive understanding of public art. We support commentary on the City of Boston’s vibrant public art landscape and encourage constituents to use these meetings as a forum and opportunity to reflect, engage, and inform the direction of public art in our city.  All are welcome to share insight and feedback by submitting public testimony here.

Step
6

Now what?

Keep talking to your neighbors and share your plans! We’d love to hear what you are up to—share project updates by emailing BAC@Boston.gov to keep us in the loop, and share about your project on social media.

Background

The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC)and the Boston Art Commission (BAC) believe that public art is any artwork installed in publicly accessible spaces where it can be experienced by everyone for free.

For transparency and community input, artworks proposed for City of Boston property are presented, discussed, and voted on at public meetings of the BAC facilitated by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture on a regular—usually monthly—basis. The BAC is an independent group of volunteers appointed by the Mayor, and all people are encouraged to attend the public meetings to learn about public art proposed in their neighborhoods, hear directly from artists about their artworks, and ask questions. We hope you join us!

Above, see a high-level guide to the public art proposal and public presentation process for public art in Boston. You can read more details in our Public Art Policy.

For private property, please see these guidelines which can support your public art process with templates and general resources, from artist selection to community engagement. Projects on private property aren’t always required to present to the BAC, but you may be asked by the City of Boston Planning Department to present your project at a BAC meeting to receive public input. Publicly accessible projects you submit to us as proposals may also be shared through our public art map and database.

Meeting Dates and Deadlines

Anticipated upcoming dates

BAC Meeting Date

PA & Design Proposal Submission Deadline

Public Art Team Reviews Due

Month

Year

Date

6 weeks out

4 weeks out

November

2024

Tuesday, Nov. 5

Tuesday, Sep. 24

Tuesday, Oct. 8

December

2024

Tuesday, Dec. 10

Tuesday, Oct. 22

Tuesday, Nov. 5

January

2025

Tuesday, Jan. 14

Tuesday, Nov. 26

Tuesday, Dec. 10

February

2025

Tuesday, Feb. 11

Tuesday, Dec. 24

Tuesday, Jan. 14

March

2025

Tuesday, Mar. 11

Tuesday, Jan. 28

Tuesday, Feb. 11

April

2025

Tuesday, Apr. 8

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Tuesday, Mar. 11

May

2025

Tuesday, May. 13

Tuesday, Mar. 25

Tuesday, Apr. 8

June

2025

Tuesday, Jun. 10

Tuesday, May. 27

Tuesday, May. 13

July

2025

Tuesday, Jul. 8

Tuesday, Jun. 24

Tuesday, Jun. 10

August

2025

Tuesday, Aug. 12

Tuesday, Jul. 22

Tuesday, Jul. 8

September

2025

Tuesday, Sep. 9

Tuesday, Aug. 26

Tuesday, Aug. 12

October

2025

Tuesday, Oct. 14

Tuesday, Sep. 23

Tuesday, Sep. 9

November

2025

Tuesday, Nov. 11

Tuesday, Oct. 28

Tuesday, Oct. 14

December

2025

Tuesday, Dec. 9

Tuesday, Nov. 25

Tuesday, Nov. 11

 

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