Artwork Commissions

Public Art Across Maryland (PAAM)
Artwork Commissions is the state’s
Percent-for-Art program

For all new or renovated state-owned buildings, a percentage of the construction budget is set aside for public art. Independent artists and artist lead teams apply to be included on the Public Artist Roster for a two year cycle, or apply directly to an open Call to Artists when one is issued and are selected by an artist selection committee. MSAC manages the process from artist selection, through design, fabrication, and installation and the work becomes part of the State public art collection.

Maryland Public Art Roster

The Public Artist Roster is a vetted directory of artists interested in Artwork Commission projects. The Roster can also be used by communities to find a public artist based in Maryland using the "Maryland-Based Studio" label. To view the Maryland Public Art Roster, click here.

 

For all new or renovated state buildings, 0.05% of the estimated construction cost is reserved to commission or purchase site-specific original artwork through a contractual agreement with an artist. For each Artwork Commission, an Artist Selection Committee composed of arts professionals, representatives from the user agency and the primary building occupant, the project's lead design architect and representatives from the Maryland Public Art Commission and MSAC Public Art Program staff consider opportunities for public art to be incorporated into the project.  

The Artist Selection Committee reviews a diverse pool of artist candidates drawn from the Maryland Public Artist Roster. Artists selected for a commission will contract directly with the unit of State Government responsible for the project and work directly with the project design team to ensure the artwork is intentionally and thoughtfully integrated into the project and accessible to the public.

MSAC anticipates initiating commissions for at least six state capital construction projects per year. 

The primary method of Artist selection for Artwork Commission projects is the Public Artist Roster The Public Artist Roster is currently closed. However, a call for public artists may be issued as a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for particular individual projects. Any such calls for public artists will be posted to this page.   

Artwork Commissions are permanent, large-scale, publicly accessible artworks integrated into the construction or renovation of eligible State buildings. Artists who receive a commission can expect to be committed to a project for approximately two to five years, depending on the scale and timeframe of the construction project. 

The artist's commitment begins when they enter a contract with the building's user agency and ends when the artwork is successfully installed and dedicated.

 

Artwork Commission opportunities are open to all artists and artist-led teams who are residents of the United States and its territories.

The Public Artist Roster opened for applications from March through June 2023. The roster is now closed for applications. It is anticipated that the roster will re-open for applications in the spring of 2025. If you have any questions about the roster please contact the staff listed below.

For any questions about the Artwork Commissions Program or the Maryland Public Artist Roster please contact program staff listed at the bottom of the page.

The Maryland Public Art Commission (MPAC) oversees the Artwork Commissions program (formerly called the Maryland Public Art Initiative). The Commission meets quarterly, and meetings are open to the public. Find dates for upcoming meetings on MSAC's Meeting Notices page. 

Representatives from the Maryland Public Art Commissioner serve on the Artist Selection Committee of each project. Click here to meet the current Commissioners.

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