Items are available in this collection through the Oregon Arts Commission for publicity of the State's One Percent for Art in Public Buildings Program.
Oregon's Percent for Art Program is the third oldest public art program in the nation and is considered a pioneering and innovative project for community cultural development. Passed in 1975, Oregon's Percent for Art legislation mandates that 1% of the direct construction funds of new or remodeled state buildings with construction budgets of $100,000 or more be set aside for the acquisition of art work. The Oregon Arts Commission oversees the Program and maintains archives of slides, photographs and related documentation for the works of art selected. The University of Oregon Libraries and the Commission received a LSTA grant to create a digital collection of the program's archives.
In an effort to enhance the visibility of these works, broaden their accessibility, and preserve archival materials related to the history of the Program, the Oregon Arts Commission is collaborating with the University of Oregon Libraries to create the Percent for Art Statewide Digital Collection and Database—an integrated resource of images and supplemental documentation of Oregon's rich heritage of public art. This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, and is administered by the Oregon State Library.
About Oregon’s Percent for Art program:
Since 1975, the Oregon Percent for Art Program has commissioned approximately 2,500 works of art. Public art serves as an expression of our community, as well as a landmark, providing an important venue for all Oregonians and visitors to appreciate artwork outside the traditional museum or gallery setting. Percent for Art projects are site-specific and engage a variety of media—from painting, photography, glass, textile and sculpture to architectural details and installation pieces—all to make art accessible and visible throughout the state.
Works commissioned by the Program are selected by committees comprised of citizens of Oregon who work in and use the public spaces, as well as architects and art professionals involved in the design of the sites. This collaborative process serves the Oregon Arts Commission's objective to facilitate the successful integration of artwork and public spaces, by bringing artists, the public and architects together as a working team to select art that is accessible, engaging and relevant to Oregon’s communities and agencies.
About the Digital Collection:
The Percent for Art Statewide Digital Collection and Database is a work in progress. Covering a 30-year period, the database offers access to over 5200 items. Over 647 individual artists are represented, encompassing 184 individual building projects. The collection offers glimpses of 1545 unique artwork creations, visual narratives of the creative process, and documentation that speaks to the inspiration and beliefs that empower each creation. We will continue to add new images and enrich the descriptive content into 2008.
The Oregon Percent for Art Digital Collection has joined myspace.com to facilitate networking with other academic digital libraries, art collections, the arts community and all individuals interested in art. We hope you will visit Oregon's Percent for Art Digital Collection.
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