Public Art Fund

Mission Public Art Fund is New York's leading presenter of artists' projects, new commissions, and exhibitions in public spaces. For more than 30 years, Public Art Fund has been committed to working with emerging and established artists to produce innovative exhibitions of contemporary art throughout New York City. By bringing artworks outside the traditional context of museums and galleries, the Public Art Fund provides a unique platform for an unparalleled public encounter with the art of our time. History Public Art Fund was founded by Doris C. Freedman, a champion of public art who served as New York City's first Director of Cultural Affairs during the Lindsay Administration and as the President of the Municipal Art Society. She was also a tireless supporter of New York City's Percent for Art legislation. In 1977, Freedman formed the Public Art Fund by consolidating City Walls and the Public Arts Council, which had been formed when public art programs were in their early stages of development. These two organizations had sponsored a number of high quality projects aimed at cultivating and expanding the role of the artist and the public, including projects such as Tony Rosenthal's The Alamo and Richard Haas' Arcade. An ever-increasing volume of public art inquiries and proposals prompted Freedman to create the Public Art Fund and merge the efforts of both entities. Today, the Public Art Fund continues to build on these two organizations' pioneering strategies for placing works of art in public places. Since 1977, Public Art Fund has presented more than five hundred artists' projects throughout New York, making it possible for artists to engage diverse audiences and, along the way, redefine what public art is in relation to the changing nature of contemporary art. A list of past projects can be found in our online archives, which are regularly updated.