Public Art by the Book is a nuts and bolts guide for arts professionals and volunteers creating public art in their communities. Should a public art program depend on public funding, public-private partnerships, or both? What are the roles that citizens can play in their community's public art program? Can artists themselves ever initiate public artworks? With a wealth of wisdom on practical issues, this book offers information on a variety of topics such as public art planning, funding, and governance; establishing legal agreements with artists; and commissioning single artworks or creating comprehensive art programs.

Since the earliest monuments and memorials were installed in the United States, definitions of public art have continued to evolve. Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency saw the creation of the Works Progress Administration and the beginning of comprehensive federally sponsored art programs, and 1950s Philadelphia became the first city to pass percent-for-art legislation. As artists have turned their attention toward creating in the public realm rather than simply placing their art in public spaces, public art has assumed a much broader role in community life than ever before. Since the 1990s, the public art resources available to artists and their communities have greatly expanded.Today there are more than three hundred government-funded public art programs in the United States, in addition to scores of public-private partnerships and private agencies creating art in public spaces.

Public Art by the Book is the definitive resource for information on public art for local government, arts agencies, arts professionals, and artists themselves. Examples included are cited from cities such as Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle.