(because 10 wasn't enough for America's favorites)

1. No Criteria, No Problem!

Don’t publish standards for artistic excellence, durability, or context fit. Let taste and politics decide.
Outcome: A collection that can’t be defended when anyone asks, “Why this?”

2. Set Unrealistically Low Budgets

Offer $5,000–$10,000 for a permanent sculpture in a signature public space. Maybe a breakout star will work for free publicity!
Outcome: Guarantees inexperienced local submissions, stresses administrators, and signals the city isn’t serious about quality.

3. Change Rules with Every Panel Turnover

New panel, new rules. Institutional memory? Overrated.
Outcome: Artists and funders walk away, leaving only insiders willing to gamble.

4. Maintenance? What Maintenance?

No conservation funding, no plan, no problem. Rust is a patina, right?
Outcome: Within 20 years, your public art collection looks like a scrapyard.

5. Localism at All Costs

Treat public art like Little League—locals only! Never mind if the scale requires international expertise.
Outcome: A parochial collection that can’t match the quality of your own buildings or infrastructure.

6. Skip Structured Conversation at Reviews

Let panelists “free range” in selection meetings. Who needs criteria or facilitation?
Outcome: Subjective distortions, indefensible records, and liability if challenged.

7. Overreach in Contracts

Use RFPs instead of RFQs. Demand that artists surrender intellectual property. Make the process as hostile as possible.
Outcome: Experienced professionals vanish. Only the uninitiated apply.

8. Conduct Engagement at Arm’s Length

Do an online survey, tally the votes, and call it “community engagement.” Avoid real conversations where people actually hear each other.
Outcome: Shallow input, entrenched biases, and lost chances to build civic consensus.

9. Quantity Over Quality

Commission dozens of small, underfunded projects instead of a few transformative works.
Outcome: A cluttered public realm where nothing matters and everything ages badly.

10. Set Short Deadlines for RFQs

Two weeks to apply! That way, top-tier artists with heavy workloads can’t respond. Efficient!
Outcome: A shrunken applicant pool and lower overall quality.

11. Treat Public Art Like Decoration

Add it at the end of a streetscape project—just plop something in.
Outcome: Forgettable art that neither integrates with nor elevates its surroundings.

12. Ignore Professional Expertise

Panels without artists, architects, conservators, or curators. “I like art” is all the qualification needed.
Outcome: Poorly sited, badly fabricated works that age into liabilities.

13. No Strategic Plan, Just Wing It

Let projects pop up opportunistically. Who needs long-term vision?
Outcome: A disjointed collection that tells no story and lacks coherence.

14. Pretend Deaccession Doesn’t Exist

Once a piece is in, it’s forever, no matter how damaged or embarrassing.
Outcome: Sub-threshold works drag down high-threshold districts for decades.

15. See Other Arts Organizations as Competitors

Fight over turf, funding, and credit. Partnerships are overrated.
Outcome: A fractured ecosystem, duplication of effort, and weaker art across the board.

The Common Outcome

Follow these popular practices and you’ll earn:

A collection that deteriorates physically and reputationally.
Lost trust among artists, funders, and the public.
A civic identity defined not by excellence but by mediocrity

Reflections from the Studio

Death & Rebirth of Community Bridge

This report details the reasons for the loss of Community Bridge and outlines a way to bring this powerhouse public artwork back online.

Indicators Your Public Art Policy May Need a Professional Overhaul

This checklist was compiled after reviewing a Maryland municipality's public art policy as expressed in its handbook, and noting the most obvious gaps. It serves as a quick gauge to determine how closely the public art program and policies of a municipality align with established professional standards, and underlines the need to engage a veteran public art consultant with deep policy expertise when developing public art policy. Does your program meet these essential indicators? If not, your public art policy may be due for a comprehensive professional overhaul!

15 Most Popular Worst Practices in Public Art Policy

(because 10 wasn't enough for America's favorites) 1. No Criteria, No Problem! Don’t publish standards for artistic excellence, durability, or context fit. Let taste and politics decide. Outcome: A collection that can’t be defended when anyone asks, “Why this?”