Percent For Art

Our aesthetic and kinesthetic surroundings shape experience, sense of self, and how we esteem our city; we are thus committed to the roles of art and creative design in civic life. 

John T. Scott’s sculpture located at City Park Gold Drive & Friedrich’s Blvd.

Since 1986, the Arts Council New Orleans has integrated distinct art into our city’s public spaces. The Percent for Art program, which has been administered by the Arts Council since that year, is supported through funding generated by 1% of eligible municipal capital bonds. Since its inception, our administration of the program has evolved to include artwork acquisition for the city’s collection, community outreach and education, and maintenance of the Percent collection.

With all of our Percent for Art commissions, we consider our role to be engaging local artists and facilitating the production of public art that illuminates daily existence and links to the traditions of our communities. Whether the work takes the form of a sculpture, structure, design solution, intervention in civic space, or community engagement initiative, we aim for the work we commission for public space to be thoughtful and context-responsive.

There are currently more than 350 Percent for Art artworks enlivening our city’s landscape. They are located throughout city-operated facilities such as City Hall, municipal court buildings, police and fire stations, recreation centers, parks, and neutral grounds. The quality and diversity of the collection represents the strength of the area’s visual artists and celebrates what makes our community unique.