The President’s Advisory Committee on Public Art (PAConPA) welcomes proposals from university schools, colleges, departments, units, faculty, students, and staff. 

Proposals from individuals or organizations from outside of the university should be made in collaboration with a university partner. All long-term and short-term proposed works of public art for the Ann Arbor campus must be reviewed by the PAConPA under principles and procedures developed by the committee. The committee reviews all proposed works of public art and recommends (for or against) to the president of the University of Michigan for a final decision.

Because many works of public art offer both logistical and technical challenges, the University Planner’s Office (UPO), is closely involved. Approval by UPO is required with respect to safety, security, accessibility, and impact on property. The UPO will coordinate with the Special Events Coordinator and the Exterior Elements Design Review Committee (EEDR) within U-M AEC to verify no conflicts exist with planned events for a given location. 

The process length will vary but will oftentimes last 6 months or longer. Works of art are unique in nature. Therefore, further consultation with members of the PAConPA through the process outlined below is necessary to better determine the scope and approximate timeline of installation.

Individual units should contact PAConPA through the process outlined below as early as possible when considering acceptance of a gift or undertaking a purchase, loan, or commission of a new work of public art, or when considering siting or re-siting an existing work, especially in the case of a proposed gift of public art or gift funds to be used for the purchase or commission of a work of public art. Units may not offer guarantees of acceptance to prospective donors before the PAConPA and the president have approved a public art proposal. For more information regarding purchasing or commissioning artwork with donor or institutional funds, please see the public art guide for gifts, which offers additional information regarding acceptance of public art as gifts.

1. Initial Application of Interest  

Any individual or unit with interest in submitting a proposal for the acquisition and installation of a work of public art should first notify the committee of their interest by emailing Public.Art.Committee@umich.edu. If the project falls within the purview of the PAConPA, a representative of the committee will contact the principal applicant to schedule a meeting to discuss the potential project.

2. Public Art Proposal Form

After the initial meeting to discuss the potential project, the formal Public Art Proposal Form must be completed by the principal applicant (or department/unit) and submitted according to the instructions on the form.

If you wish to submit a proposal for a temporary work, please send an inquiry to Public.Art.Committee@umich.edu.

3. Committee Review of Proposed Public Art

Once all formal proposal details have been received, the PAConPA will meet to review and discuss the proposal and then provide a recommendation (for or against) to the president. The committee will weigh proposals against established criteria for public art. Typically, one of three outcomes is achieved:

• The committee recommends acceptance of the work, and the chair makes that recommendation in writing to the president.
• The committee recommends that the work not be accepted, and the chair makes that recommendation in writing to the president.
• The committee determines that the proposed work is not yet ready for recommendation (for or against) and requests further information from the requesting unit. In this event, it is the responsibility of the requesting unit to resolve any issues.

4. Presidential Review of Committee Recommendation

Once the president has communicated their decision on the recommendation back to the PAConPA chair, the chair will convey that determination to the requesting unit, the UPO, and the PAConPA. If approved, the installation process of the public art can begin in coordination with the UPO.  

5. Installation Process in Coordination with the University Planner’s Office (UPO)

Logistical matters relating to proposals accepted by the president will be coordinated by the requesting unit with guidance from the UPO.