EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso City Council approved the 2025 Public Art Plan, the City announced Friday, Feb. 28.
The plan introduces six new arts and culture projects to the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department’s (MCAD) Public Art Program.
The six projects include an all-abilities playground, public art installations at El Paso International Airport, murals and other initiatives designed to “enrich the City’s visual landscape,” the City said in a news release.
“The Public Art Program showcases the unique visual identity of El Paso,” MCAD Director Ben Fyffe said. “MCAD is proud to foster the growth of our local creative community while increasing opportunities for residents and visitors alike to enjoy public art.”
According to the City, the mission of the Public Art Program is to maintain a diverse collection of public artwork, support the inclusion of public art in private development and infrastructure built by others, promote the community’s access to art so it can appreciate and enjoy the visual arts and support the emergence of public art practice in El Paso.
“The program is funded through a 2 percent set-aside from the budgets of every capital improvement project within the City,” the City said.
Since being adopted in 2006, the program has completed 94 projects and worked with 206 artists, with 72 percent of artists being locals.
Some art projects you might have seen are “August Third Memorial” at Jim Crouch Park, “Convocation and Sun Eagle” at the Police Department’s Eastside Regional Command Center and “Seats of Hope” at the Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library.
In addition to approving the new projects, City Council members also received an updated Public Art Master Plan that is being updated for the next decade.
You can visit MCAD’s website for more information about the Public Art Program and to provide community feedback on the upcoming Public Art Master Plan.
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