There has come to light a worrying trend in the Per Cent for Art scheme, namely that commissioning bodies (for example schools) have produced commission briefs that request architectural structures rather than artwork. They even have gone so far as to dictate dimensions, to name the structure a gazebo, and to outline the functions of the structure (outdoor classroom, garden space, etc).

This petition seeks to remind the relevant authorities and professional bodies that the Per Cent for Art scheme has at its core the intent of funding public art, not architectural expansion.

The Per Cent for Art scheme in Ireland is a government initiative whereby 1% of the cost (capped at €64k) of any publicly funded capital, infrastructural and building development can be allocated to the commissioning of a work of art. This scheme has provided a much-needed source of income for artists of various disciplines who would otherwise rarely be paid to create artwork. This scheme has lead directly to the proliferation of public artwork throughout Ireland for the benefit of the Irish people.

To be clear, this petition is not an attack on the creativity of architects. Also this petition is not an attack on commissioners that ill advisedly use the scheme to fund architectural expansion.

This petition is a call to the relevant authorities and professional bodies to be more stringent in how the scheme is implemented and to be more proactive in advising the commissioners on what exactly the funds may be spent on – namely artwork!

We do have a detailed full-page open letter, which can be viewed online at:

<a href="http://tinyurl.com/phz3zkn" >http://tinyurl.com/phz3zkn</a>

Please sign this petition so that we can add your name as a signatory on the letter when we present it to Visual Artists Ireland, publiart.ie, The Office of Public Works, The Dept of the Environment, and the Arts Council of Ireland.