A documented program is not a current invitation to apply. Selection routes and program history reflect the linked dated sources. Confirm current availability, eligibility and application terms with the organizer.
Program context & project planning
How the program works
Private development creates a distinct commissioning context
Tempe’s Art in Private Development page describes an ordinance applying to commercial developments above 50,000 square feet. City public-art staff works with developers and the community-development team, helping identify artists, review art plans and complete program requirements. The resulting artworks are privately owned but accessible to the public. For project planning, identify the developer’s responsibilities and intended public access early; commissioning through development is a different relationship from assuming that the city will purchase and operate the finished work.
Artist involvement can be essential during restoration
A November 2025 city update documents repairs to Joan Baron’s The Story of Nesting at Ninth and Wilson, where missing tiles were linked to likely water seepage. The artist used custom tiles and hand techniques to restore the installation. This is a useful production precedent: maintenance can depend on knowledge and components specific to the original maker. A new tiled or integrated artwork should therefore arrive with material records and a practical strategy for replacement parts and future artist consultation.
Can distinctive components be repaired or replaced later?
An outdoor artwork needs more than a cleaning plan
The same 2025 Tempe update describes Zach Valent’s Local Honey restoration at the McClintock underpass, including replacement of broken concrete tiles, cleaning and renewed powder-coated details. It also points residents to a damage-reporting tool on the public-art map. These examples show how collection care combines public observation, specialist fabrication and site work. For a new outdoor commission, plan who receives condition reports and how damaged components can be repaired without losing the artist’s intended materials, finish and visual character.
