Where can I learn more about the State Art Collection?
Check out My Public Art Portal. The Collection’s more than 5,000 artworks are 100% online and searchable, with photos, current location info, and explanatory text for each artwork.
You can also see a map view of the Collection here.
Can you provide me with a list of all state-owned artwork under our care?
You can see a listing, with photos, of artworks at each site on My Public Art Portal. Search under LOCATION by “Site Name” or “Agency Name” (school districts are agencies).
If you’d like an Excel spreadsheet list for your tracking purposes, please contact us.
WA State Arts Commission staff inventoried the artwork recently. Do we have to do it again?
Yes, it is important – and outlined in your Interagency Agreement with the Washington State Arts Commission – for your agency and sites to regularly take stock of the state-owned artworks under your care. Knowing what and where the artwork is can help you plan ahead when artworks will be impacted by construction or other activities.
How often is the inventory conducted?
Each site is inventoried once every three years. All state-owned artworks located at that site are inventoried in the same year. Not all of your sites will be inventoried in the same year as this can be a lot of work for large agencies and school districts.
We did the inventory last year, why is it coming up again?
You probably have different sites in your agency or school district that were not part of last year’s inventory.
Can you provide me with images of the artworks?
My Public Art Portal includes photos for 99% of the artworks. However, if you need an image, email us the artist and artwork title. If we have an image, we are happy to email it to you.
Why have I been contacted?
You are listed in the Washington State Arts Commission’s records as the Inventory Coordinator and main contact person for your agency or site. Your name was either submitted to us by your agency or school district as the best contact, or we’ve selected you based on your position.
In most cases, our inventory contact is a Facilities Director or someone who is responsible for capital assets. We occasionally work with librarians, arts coordinators, or other staff.
What do you do with information gathered in the inventory?
The information you provide helps us prioritize artwork conservation and care. If you submit information that needs follow up, we will get in touch with you.
We welcome alerts by email if you have an urgent issue such as upcoming construction.
Should we include state-owned artworks in our regular asset inventories?
This inventory fulfills your obligations for state reporting. You do not need to include state-owned artwork in your regular asset inventory. The Washington State Arts Commission is responsible for tracking these assets for the State.
We encourage you to maintain a current list of your artworks and their exact locations. If you’d like an Excel spreadsheet list for your tracking purposes, please contact us.
Contact Us
If you have questions or updates related to the art inventory, please contact us.