PF12 Public Works of Art

Procedural Directive PF12 Public Works of Art

Purpose

Albuquerque Public Schools views public works of art as a vital component of student-centered school environments. These artworks can be integrated into classroom curricula and instruction across various content areas, enhancing the development of artistic literacy among both students and staff.

Decisions and regulations concerning public works of art will align with district goals that promote projects demonstrating artistic excellence. Additionally, these works should reflect authentic, culturally relevant, and culturally sustaining artistic influences that are meaningful and representative of Albuquerque’s diverse communities and rich heritage. School sites, administrators, teachers, and APS will follow this administrative procedure when acquiring, owning, installing, and maintaining public works of art within Albuquerque Public Schools.

Definition of Public Work of Art

Any work of art that is intentionally designed and created for permanent or semi-permanent display or storage in the public domain on the interior or exterior of an APS building and its grounds includes, but is not limited to:

Murals and frescoes
Paintings, prints, photography, and other two-dimensional mixed media works
Tapestries, stained glass, ceramic mosaics, reliefs, and sculptures
Digital and emerging technologies
Works of art on loan for display
Memorials to commemorate a person or event

Ownership of Public Works of Art

Public works of art that are acquired through donation, commission, or purchase are the exclusive property of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education, regardless of their location. All schools, including charter schools and any other entities leasing space from the Board of Education, are prohibited from selling, donating, modifying, painting over, destroying, replacing, or otherwise altering any existing public work of art within their facilities without the explicit, written authorization of the superintendent or superintendent’s designee.

Works of art on loan for display on district property are subject to the conditions outlined in the agreement between the owner, the partner/artist, and APS. All artwork on loan to the district must be accompanied by a written agreement.

Public Art Steering Committee

All potential works of art on an APS campus must be accompanied by a written proposal from the partner/artist that includes a rendering, mock-up, or scope of work. The superintendent will establish a steering committee to consider the proposal, which should include any costs associated with displaying the work of art. The committee will include representatives from the Office of Equity and Engagement, the Fine Arts Department, and the Office of Operations.

This committee will make recommendations to the superintendent regarding the acquisition and approval of works of art, their removal, relocation, repair, protection, and maintenance. The superintendent makes the final decision. The district reserves the right to acquire, relocate, and/or remove works of art at its discretion.

Displaying Works of Art

The Office of Operations will seek recommendations from the steering committee before initiating any renovation or construction projects that may impact existing public works of art. Any unforeseen damage or vandalism to these artworks will be documented and reported to the steering committee promptly.

The partner/artist will be responsible for any damage to the artworks during transportation or while they are on display at a location not affiliated with APS. This includes overseeing the return of the artwork to APS after the display.

Art will not be mounted directly on the inside or outside of a building. Murals and other artwork will be mounted on a separate structure, such as a backer board, so that, if necessary, the art can be moved or relocated.

Removal of Works of Art

The superintendent or superintendent’s designee may recommend the removal of specific works of art for any of the following reasons, but not limited to:

The work of art lacks physical integrity or has deteriorated to the point that it is no longer useful.
The steering committee has recommended that the work of art be removed.
The Office of Operations is unable to preserve the work properly.

Acquisition Process for Works of Art

To acquire or display a new work of art for APS, the following steps must be followed:

Submit a complete written proposal that includes a rendering, mock-up, scope of work and an estimate of all associated costs to the Deputy Superintendent of Operations.
The deputy superintendent will take the proposal to the steering committee for review. The steering committee will recommend to the superintendent whether to approve, modify, or deny it.
Once approved, the artist/partner will submit the artwork development, fabrication, and installation plans to the deputy superintendent.
The deputy superintendent will oversee the project, including documentation of completed and installed artwork.
The superintendent makes the final decision regarding the acquisition of all works of art.

The APS Fine Arts Department will maintain a digital catalog of public artworks acquired after this administrative procedure’s approval date.

APS owns all public works of art and retains the authority to determine their display and presentation.

Administrative Position:

Deputy Superintendent of Operations
Deputy Superintendent of Leadership and Learning

Department Director:

Chief Academic Officer
Executive Director of Fine Arts
Executive Director of Facilities Design and Construction

References:

Legal Cross Ref.:
§22.5.4 NMSA 1978

Administrative Procedure:

Introduced: April 21, 2025
Adopted: April 21, 2025

This page was last updated on: August 9, 2017.