Make Public Art More Public
Kempelen’s Owls (2019). New American Public Art. City of Austin Art in Public Places. Photo courtesy of the artist.
What is the Public Art Archive?
The Public Art Archive (PAA) is a free, continually growing, online and mobile database of completed public artworks throughout the U.S. and abroad. By uniting records from public art organizations and artists into one comprehensive resource, PAA aims to provide universal access to the complex stories that characterize public artworks not as static objects, but as dynamic, interconnected keepers of history, context and meaning. PAA’s mission “to make public art more public” has guided the program’s continued growth into one of the largest active databases of public art.
Get to Know our Products & Services
The Public Art Archive offers a suite of free and low-cost resources for the documentation, management, research, and exploration of public art, all built specifically for the field. The Public Art Archive addresses field-wide gaps in documentation and helps public art administrators and artists take advantage of digital tools supported by and developed in collaboration with public art professionals, with workflows tailored to public art collection management needs.
Featured Collections & Special Projects
Street Scene: CETA Murals, New Haven, and the Late 1970s
The Public Art Archive is pleased to announce the launch of our special project, “Street Scene: CETA Murals, New Haven, and the Late 1970s.” This virtual exhibition features a content-rich dive into the colorful photographic imagery of the murals, the artists and participants, and scenes of New Haven in the 1970s, when the CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) program was in play. Built with content researched and organized by Laura A. Macaluso, Ph.D., and the Public Art Archive’s Lori Goldstein and Alison Verplaetse, the exhibition traces the beginnings of the program sourced by the federal government, how the program took shape in New Haven, Connecticut, and the people involved in shaping its legacy in the community. From this special virtual exhibition, viewers will better understand the aspirational ideas behind the CETA mural program to strengthen and uplift New Haven’s community of diverse people.
Launch the virtual exhibition
Have You Seen My Public Art? 2nd Edition
The Public Art Archive™ (PAA) is thrilled to unveil the second edition of its celebratory Have You Seen My Public Art? Map. The second edition of the map includes 144 artworks across all 50 states created by over 176 unique artists and studios within the last 10 years. Engage with the interactive map below to learn more about the artworks chosen for this project.
Explore the Interactive Map
Austin, TX Public Art Collection
Established by the City of Austin in 1985, the Economic Development Department’s Art in Public Places (AIPP) program collaborates with local & nationally-known artists to include the history and values of our community into cultural landmarks that have become cornerstones of Austin’s identity.
Explore the Collection
This We Believe
A Citywide Mural Project from Mural Arts Philadelphia
In 2008 Mural Arts Philadelphia launched This We Believe, its first Citywide Mural Project. The goal was ambitious: to create a mural that would represent Philadelphia as the complex city that it is.
From beginning to end, This We Believe was about meaningful collaboration among Philadelphians with varied perspectives.
Explore the Project
Art of Recovery
As part of the City of Santa Monica’s Economic Recovery Task Force, Cultural Affairs launched Art of Recovery in November 2020. This grant program harnesses the arts to play a major role in recovery efforts while highlighting Santa Monica as a place of culture and unique experiences.
Explore the Project
West Hollywood Public Art Collection
The Urban Art Program provides a mechanism to integrate free and accessible art into the urban fabric of the City. In particular, the Urban Art Program is motivated by a desire to ameliorate some of the effects new development has on the community.
Explore the Collection