On December 17, 2019, Wichita City Council voted yes to a 2% pool of funding allocated for public art in public projects.
An artist resource page has been provided by the Arts Council.
The public artist registry can be accessed here: City of Wichita Public Artist Registry.
In addition to the FAQ forum on the Arts Council website, frequently asked questions may be found below. Please send your questions to info@fischhaus.com, and they will be answered as quickly as we can. All questions will be answered by members of the committee who wrote the ordinance and worked to get it passed. This committee is comprised of local artists, community leaders, and art and design professionals, listed below.
2% for public art ordinance committee, in alphabetical order
Jeff Best
Connie Bonfy
Sharon Fearey
Arlen Hamilton
Martha Linsner
Patricia McDonnell
Phil Meyer
Elizabeth Stevenson
Ty Tabing
Kent Williams
Thanks for doing what you do, Wichita creatives!
(Mural by Lupoli Collective: Rebekah Lewis and Josh Tripoli. This mural is located at 3215 E. Douglas.)
FAQs
1. Where does the money come from?
The City of Wichita creates a budget for Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs), called the Capital Improvement Budget (CIB), that pays for public projects like highways, fire stations, libraries, parks, etc. This is separate from the operating budget, that pays for things like the salaries of public servants (fire fighters, police officers, librarians, etc.) and resources for City departments (fire, police, public utilities, parks, etc.). 2% of several funding mechanisms that feed the CIB will be allocated each year to include public art in CIPs that are deemed eligible by the Design Council: obviously, the City won’t be including public art on underground sewer improvements, for example. We’ve been spending CIB money on public art for years, this ordinance just codifies the process and mandates accountability in all facets of related government.
2. Does each eligible CIP get 2% of that project’s cost to spend on public art?
No: the Design Council will decide how much of the annual 2% pool of money goes to which project. Some projects will merit more than 2% of their construction cost, like a park building for example, and some will get less. This ordinance just dictates that 2% of the CIB be set aside for public art on eligible CIPs each year.
3. How can local artists be considered for CIP work?
The City will create an online database, where artists can upload their qualifications: items like resumes, portfolio, references, skill sets, etc. Architects and engineers who have been awarded CIP work will be able to access this database and choose artists they feel will be a good fit for their project. It will be the architect or engineer’s responsibility to engage with the artists, either individually or through an Art Consultant of their choice. Art Consultants are also invited to submit their qualifications on the database.
4. Are the artists and Art Consultants working for the City or the architect/engineer on a CIP?
The architect or engineer. Your contract will be with them, but the City will provide an artist resource page that offers sample contracts, best practice guidelines, links to legal assistance, lists of consultants who are used to working with artists, and other useful information to help facilitate the process and inter-disciplinary relationships.