Laois County Council has utilised the Percent for Art Scheme over many years, commissioning numerous artworks and residency programmes, supporting artists to create new work in response to the social, cultural and historic context of Laois.
The per cent for art scheme supports the commissioning of artworks, events and projects, permanent or temporary, in any art form or discipline, through funds generated from local authority capital expenditure programmes. The guidelines for the scheme, support and encourage high standards and good practice in commissioning public art.
The per cent for art scheme is a government initiative established in 1978 and provides opportunities for artists of all disciplines to create work to exist in the public realm. Every public capital project, such as housing developments, roads, water and sewage schemes, as well as hospitals, schools and libraries has a percentage of the total capital costs allocated for the creation of a work of art. The scope of the scheme allows for the commissioning of unique artworks in all artistic disciplines.
In 2020 an updated Pubic Art: Per Cent for Art Scheme General National Guidelines was published by the Department of the Environment, these are the guidelines under which public commissions are developed in Laois.
Laois County Council has a responsibility to commission artworks under central government funded capital projects such as roads, water services, housing schemes, libraries and swimming pools. We recognise the resource that the per cent for art scheme offers for creative intervention with communities and in expanding the county arts programme. We intend to maximize its potential within policy and in our programme of commissions which reflect current best practice.