San Luis Obispo Public Art Master Plan

San Luis Obispo, California

WHY

San Luis Obispo’s vision for public art stems from a long legacy of public art champions and more than 25 years of investment in the arts at a citywide level. In 1990, the city established and funded a public art program by requiring that 1% of the estimated construction cost of eligible projects in the Capital Improvement Plan be set aside for public art. To build upon their strong legacy of public art and cast a vision for the next 25 years, the city decided to seek community input in 2016.

HOW

To kick off the planning process, stakeholders were asked a series of questions about how public art relates to their sense of place, to the overall identity of San Luis Obispo, and to economic growth, business development, education, downtown development, and community engagement. They were then asked to consider where new pieces of public art should go and what types of art they would like to see in their community. They also discussed attributes that make San Luis Obispo stand out among other Central Coast communities, California communities, and the rest of the United States. In addition to the three public meetings, engagement opportunities also took place at an elementary after-school program, during a middle school lunch break, and during regularly scheduled San Luis Obispo High School art classes. An online survey was conducted to capture the ideas of those who were unable to attend the workshops in person.

WHAT

The Public Art Master Plan was adopted by City Council in December 2016. Recommendations from the plan include increasing Art in Public Places funding, developing a full time Public Art Manager position within the Parks and Recreation Department, and developing a maintenance and conservation plan.