Overview
San Francisco’s earliest art policies date back to the establishment of the Arts Commission under the 1932 San Francisco Charter. The Charter gave the Arts Commission jurisdiction over all of the art belonging to the City and charged the Agency with the preservation and care of artwork in the Civic Art Collection.Permanent Public Art
Art Enrichment Ordinance
In 1969, the Art Enrichment Ordinance (the 2%-for-art program) was enacted to provide a guaranteed funding mechanism for the acquisition of artwork for new public facilities and civic spaces. The Ordinance ensures that two percent of the gross construction cost of civic buildings, transportation improvement projects, new parks, and other above-ground structures such as bridges, be allocated for public art.
Public Art Trust
San Francisco also has a “1%-for-art program” that requires that large projects in the Downtown and nearby neighborhoods provide public art that equals at least 1% of the total construction cost. This program was established by the 1985 Downtown Plan and is governed by Section 429 of the Planning Code and is overseen by the San Francisco Planning Department. Since May 2012, some projects may choose to dedicate a portion of their 1% art requirement to the City’s Public Art Trust, which can be used for a variety of purposes including restoration of artworks in the Civic Art Collection, nonprofit capital projects and temporary public art programming. To learn more about the Trust and its requirements, please see the Public Art Trust Fact Sheet.
Policies + Guidelines
Policies + Guidelines
SFAC's Public Art and Civic Art Collection Guidelines and Policies can be found here, as well as guidelines for mural design approval, temporary public art, Public Art Trust, and gifts.
Programs
Shaping Legacy
Shaping Legacy is a multi-year commitment to critically examine the monuments and memorials in San Francisco’s Civic Art collection. We believe artists and their communities can guide us towards a future where monuments and memorials are spaces of inclusion, belonging and recognition of our shared humanity.
Art on Market
A unique partnership with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and Clear Channel
The San Francisco Arts Commission has commissioned new artworks from artists on an annual basis since 1992. Now in its 34th year, the Art on Market Street program has partnered with over 130 artists since its inception, commissioning over $1.2 million worth of art, showcasing a wide breadth of artistic styles, themes and topics centered around San Francisco.
Streetsmarts
StreetSmARTS is a Public Works (PW) program, administered through the San Francisco Arts Commission. The program connects artists with private property owners and City Departments to create vibrant murals on their buildings, enhancing the character of their property and surrounding neighborhood, while deterring ongoing vandalism.