What's next for Ann Arbor's Percent for Art Program?

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 | Source: Concentrate

It took a few years but Ann Arbor got its Percent for Art Program. Now comes the hard part - successfully implementing it.

The city recently hired Katherine Talcott to administer the program. Its first big test will be applying it to the construction of the City Hall expansion this year. The new program mandates that at least one percent of the construction budget for public projects be put aside for public art installation.

"The goal is to ensure that arts and culture are an integral part of city vision and planning," Talcott says.

Talcott and the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission are set to announce a public forum on the City Hall public art projects later this month. The Annual Public Art Plan, which will set priorities for this year and next, will be released in June.

The big project is the proposed rain garden for City Hall. The work will combine both art and sustainability, two of Ann Arbor's favorite pet causes. It will be designed by Herbert Dreiseitl, a world renowned artist and urban planner. The rain garden for the City Hall expansion will be the most visible piece of art in the project.

Source: Katherine Talcott, administrator for Ann Arbor's Percent for Art Program
Writer: Jon Zemke