I am writing as a regional public art advisor for the Idaho Commission on the Arts. There are misleading and inaccurate items in the March 31 article on Mayor Randy Hall's desire to bring more public art to Ketchum.
Today, there is a distinction made between public art and art in public places. Art in public places is simply what it sounds like—art that has been made to be shown anywhere, and is placed in a public setting. Public art programs attempt to integrate art into a specific site, and the selection and development of the work parallels and complements the architectural design.
Public percent-for-art ordinances are not taxes, which are added on, but an allocation of already budgeted funds (also known as a ''set asides") for capital improvement projects. In Idaho, 1 percent is commonly dedicated to providing the art.
Many cities allocate within the ordinance an additional 0.25 to 0.4 percent for administrative costs and project management, as art projects have different characteristics than typical construction. Percent-for-art programs are a mitigation, a realization and acknowledgment that the presence of artistic elements and enhancements in the physical infrastructure of a city can have a positive impact on its citizens and visitors. By itself, public art is not a revenue source. However, taken together, all the arts make a significant contribution to the economy.
Except for Boise, none of the Idaho cities referenced in the article has percent-for-art ordinances. Rather, the cities that enacted ordinances are Moscow, Coeur d'Alene. Rexburg, Twin Falls and Hailey, which became the sixth in 2008.
Through its Percent for Art program, Hailey will soon announce a call for artists to compete for its first public art project—an artist-designed ''Welcome to Hailey'' marker to be located at the southern boundary of the city. This project has been made possible by a combination of city funds (1 percent from projects), an Idaho Commission on the Arts grant and donations from the Hailey Chamber of Commerce and private citizens.
Mark Johnstone
Hailey
