The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona appreciates the opportunity to address concerns raised in the recent Tucson Spotlight article, “Tucson artists question public mural selection process.” We value the ongoing dialogue about public art in our community and remain committed to an open, accurate, inclusive, and transparent process that supports and uplifts local artists.
We would like to clarify several points raised in the article to ensure public understanding of how mural commissions and funding work in Tucson. First, the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona administers public art projects only for the City of Tucson—not for Pima County. The public art process for Pima County, including the Capital Improvement Program, is managed by Art State Arizona.
For ease of reference, we have provided a side-by-side comparison of key inaccuracies and factual corrections below:
| Article Claim | The Facts |
| “At the center of those concerns is the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, a local arts agency and nonprofit that manages the public art process for the City of Tucson and Pima County, administering grants, artist opportunities, and mural commissions on behalf of its government partners.” | – The Arts Foundation administers the public art process for the City of Tucson. – Pima County’s public art program (Capital Improvement Program) is managed by Art State Arizona. |
| “The Arts Foundation’s oversight applies only to murals on public property owned by the city or county, not to work commissioned by private businesses or property owners.” | – The Arts Foundation administers the public art process for the City of Tucson. – Murals or public art on private businesses or property are paid for and managed by private entities. – Pima County’s public art program (Capital Improvement Program) is managed by Art State Arizona. |
| “Tucson funds public art primarily through its “1% for Art” program, a mandate that allocates 1% of eligible City and Pima County Capital Improvement Program construction budgets over $100,000 or $250,000 to public art in the vicinity of the construction.” | – The City of Tucson and Pima County each have distinct Public Art Programs with different policies, procedures, directives, and partners. – The City of Tucson’s percent-for-art program only funds public art projects for the City of Tucson. – The City of Tucson Public Art Program allocates 1% of capital improvement project budgets over $100,000 toward public art. The 1% for art program is applied by ordinance to selected City Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). The city’s Public Art Program is administered through a public process by the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. – Per the Pima County public art website, “The public art Administrative Procedures (PDF) specifies that 1% of eligible county capital improvement project funds be set aside for the commission, purchase, and installation of artworks in a variety of settings.” – “Artworks are commissioned through a public process that is facilitated by [Art State Arizona, formerly known as] the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA).” – Source: Pima County Public Art website |
| “The Arts Foundation is only a middleman,” the artist said. “They are not who is providing the funding, but they are in charge of deciding how the funding gets spent.” | All public arts funding allocations and spending decisions are made by the City of Tucson. The Arts Foundation administers the process in accordance with the city’s administrative directives. |
| The images featured in the article may imply that these projects were administered by the Arts Foundation on behalf of the City of Tucson’s percent-for-art program. | The images in the article capture the various ways artwork is commissioned throughout the city. Some examples showcase the City of Tucson’s public art program in action, while others highlight private commissions. We will use the table below to provide more context for each example. |
 | Public Art Donation to the City Paid for by: Tucson Rodeo Foundation Artist selected by: Tucson Rodeo Foundation Design vetted by: Public Art and Community Design Committee Public Property: Tucson City Court Administered by: Arts Foundation |
 | Private Commission Paid for by: Private entity Artist selected by: Private entity Design vetted by: Private entity Private Property: Lohse Family YMCA Administered by: Private entity |
 | Arts Foundation Public Artist Roster Project (Private Public Partnership) Paid for by: Rio Nuevo Artist selected and design vetted by: Community Member Public Art Panel Public Property: City of Tucson Administered by: Arts Foundation |
 | Private Commission Paid for by: Private entity Artist selected by: Private entity Design vetted by: Private entity Property: Transamerica Building Administered by: Private entity |
 | Private Commission Paid for by: Gadsden Company Artist selected by: Gadsden Company Design vetted by: Gadsden Company Private Property: MSA Annex Administered by: Gadsden Company |
Other commonly asked questions:
- How are mural and public art applicants evaluated and selected?
- All murals and public art that are placed on public property that is owned by the City of Tucson follow the policies outlined in the City’s Public Art Administrative Directives. The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona follows and facilitates this process in partnership with the City of Tucson.
- With respect to private property, the Arts Foundation has no jurisdiction over murals and public art commissioned by private entities on private property.
- Public artist applications are evaluated and selected for jobs by open competition, through a Request for Qualifications, to design or create artwork based on the applicant’s qualifications and the published criteria for each project.
- All submissions are evaluated by a unique public art project panel comprised of community members, arts professionals, city project representatives, and stakeholders.
- A new panel, comprising distinct stakeholders, is formed for each public art project to meet its unique needs.
- The community panel evaluates all artist submissions based on published criteria and participates in two public meetings to deliberate, interview, and select the recommended artist for the project.
- The panel’s recommendations are vetted and voted on during a public meeting of the Public Art and Community Design Committee.
- The recommendation is forwarded to the City Manager for final review and approval.
- What role do scores and panelist feedback play in final artist selection decisions?
- Applications move forward throughout the review process using both scores and panel feedback based on the published criteria.
- Evaluation criteria are included in all program guidelines. Artists are encouraged to read the guidelines before applying.
- During the finalist interview process, the community panel evaluates, scores, and comments on every applicant to make a final selection.
- Through a consensus or voting process, the panel selects the artist(s) for each project and approves the artist(s) design.
We encourage constructive feedback and are always receptive to concerns raised by the public, our partners, and those we serve. We are committed to continuous improvement and learning, and we believe it is equally important to ensure that information shared about our organization is accurate and fair. We welcome ongoing dialogue and are happy to provide further clarification or details to anyone seeking a better understanding of our work and mission.
Contact: info@artsfoundtucson.org
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona (Arts Foundation) does not discriminate based on race,
ethnicity, color, country of origin, religion, sex, gender, disability, or any other category protected under state or
federal law. This non-discrimination statement applies to all activities of the Arts Foundation, including
employment opportunities, grant awards, and community engagement opportunities.
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About the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona:
The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and funding agency with a mission to advance the artistic expression, civic participation, and equitable economic growth of our diverse communities. Through forward-thinking, accountable leadership, the Arts Foundation works to affect systemic change that fosters an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and equitable local arts community.
As the designated local arts agency, the Arts Foundation provides arts and cultural development across Southern Arizona for individual working artists, artist collectives, ensembles, and nonprofit organizations through grant programs, professional development opportunities, and public art management for the City of Tucson.
The work of the Arts Foundation is made possible through generous support from the City of Tucson, Pima County, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mellon Foundation, the Arizona Community Foundation, and individual donors. Our service area includes all counties and native sovereign nations South of the Gila River, including 372 miles along the US-Mexico international border in the South and along the 590-mile stretch of the Gila River, which flows west from the New Mexico border to the Colorado River. Learn more at https://artsfoundtucson.org
