What is the history of the Percent for Art Program in New York City?
In 1965 Mayor Wagner established the Executive Order that allowed City agencies to allocate a portion of a building’s construction budget to art work. Although several agencies took advantage of this opportunity, the Order did not provide for consistent implementation procedures. In 1982 the “Percent for Art” Law(Local Law 65) was passed by the New York City Council requiring that 1% of the budget for eligible Citywide construction projects be spent on art work for those facilities. Implementation of the Program began September 15, 1983 and established a procedure for determining eligible projects and an equitable artist selection process. From 1983 to 1986, the Percent for Art Program was administered by the Public Art Fund, Inc., a private non-profit arts organization, under the auspices of the Department of Cultural Affairs. Since 1986 DCLA has had full responsibility for the administration of the program.
