Start with the place
Explore state-specific public art programs, official research routes and practical questions for planning a commission.
Find documented commissioning mechanisms and official program portals, then identify what your own site and brief still need. Named programs are research routes; inclusion does not establish an open call, available funding or eligibility.
New Mexico
New Mexico offers distinct state acquisition and municipal commissioning routes. New Mexico Arts, Albuquerque and Las Cruces publish different selection procedures. Begin with the funding owner and the relevant program; a collection page or board meeting does not establish a commission open for applications. [1] [3] [5]
Guide reviewed
Texas
Austin, Houston and San Antonio illustrate different Texas commissioning routes: capital-project commissions, civic collection acquisition and prequalification. Match the proposed work to its municipal program and site authority before treating a collection, roster or capital plan as an available contract. [1] [4] [3]
Guide reviewed
Colorado
Colorado commissioning starts with the capital-project owner. Denver and Boulder describe different funding triggers and approval chains; Loveland administers an art reserve covering acquisition and stewardship. These municipal mechanisms identify research routes, but do not establish an open commission or a project-specific budget. [1] [3] [5]
Guide reviewed
Arizona
Arizona research requires precise identification of the commissioning owner. Tucson’s city public-art process is administered by the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona; Pima County’s separate program works with Art State Arizona. A shared regional location does not make their selection or funding decisions interchangeable. [2] [3]
Guide reviewed
Utah
Utah's state building program and Salt Lake County's facility collections have different funding and selection structures. Start with the property's owner and the intended use of the artwork before choosing a commissioning route. [1] [4]
Guide reviewed
California
California Arts Council's Collective service helps locate artist calls across the state. This guide then examines selected local commissioning and approval routes, with particular attention to agency ownership, temporary installations, and the difference between discovering an opportunity and submitting through its actual procurement system. [1]
Guide reviewed