Art in Public Places - 1/2 of 1%

The Art in Public Places Program, or the 1/2 of 1% for Art program, was established by the state legislature in July 1974. The legislation was revised in 1983 to allow for the pooling of public school artwork allocations. Washington’s program is the second oldest percent for art program in the nation and is one of only four to include the public school system in its programming.

The program is funded from the state's capital construction budget. Half of 1% of construction budgets for state-owned buildings is added for the acquisition of artwork. The 1/2 of 1% for Art program for state agencies and public schools applies only to new construction. The 1/2 of 1% for Art program for universities and colleges, in addition to new construction, includes renovation projects exceeding $200,000. In keeping with the terms of the legislation, 15% of each percent for art allocation is used for administrative costs.

In a typical biennium, the program receives notice of over 300 art allocations funded through the Capital Budget. To manage this number of projects, the Art in Public Places Program uses a registry, the Public Artist Roster. Program staff generally work with 60-70 ongoing projects.