Public Art

Raleigh Arts Commission

For more than three decades, the Raleigh Arts Commission has helped shape the visual kaleidoscope that comprises our colorful City of Oaks. Public art matters in Raleigh because it is an essential building block for the creation of engaging, imaginative spaces - spaces that enliven our architecture, foster shared community interactions, celebrate our unique stories and history, attract visitor interest, and inspire us to experience the world with new eyes and fresh perception.

The Commission's public art endeavors include temporary public art projects such as Red Wolf Ramble, Art on City Plaza, and Art-On-The-Move, and permanently sited artworks such as the park sculpture Glimpses of a Promised Land (by Mike Roig) and downtown's Horizon Line (by Susan Harbage Page and Juan Logan with Peter Egan).

Additionally, the Raleigh Arts Commission has initiated important public art events including Street Painting Festival (now managed by Visual Art Exchange) and Spring Arts Festival (managed by Artsplosure) along with the creation of Artspace, which has anchored the growth and revitalization of Raleigh's downtown.

In 2009, Raleigh City Council established a percent for public art program, allocating one-half percent of capital construction projects for art. Various projects involving local and national artists are currently underway to integrate public art into select city sites.

Public art matters here because it invites us to make meaningful connections between people and place. Join us as we lay the foundation for a wide-reaching, community-engaging City of Raleigh Public Art Program.

To learn more, please see links to the right.

Image: "CAT Supertail" designed by Fabrizio Bianchi.

Press Release: Public Input Meeting Set for March 13 on Public Art at Halifax Park Community Center

Public Input Meeting 3.13.12 with Project Artist Chris Fennell for Halifax Park Community Center Public Art Project

Why Public Art Matters