Make public art
Public art can make communities and environments more beautiful and tell rich stories about a city’s people and history. Whatever your speciality, if you have an idea for an artwork or performance which you believe will have a positive impact on our city, we would like to hear from you.
Why make public art?
We get excited when artists want to help uplift and transform community and public spaces in our city. Public art is important for:
- renewing neglected areas;
- making public spaces more beautiful;
- getting people to talk about culture;
- increasing the use of public spaces;
- attracting visitors;
- adding to community identity;
- making art accessible to the public;
- increasing collaboration between artists; and
- creating job opportunities for artists.
Apply for a public art permit
Whether you wish to add to an existing structure, or create something new, you will need to get a permit from the City.
Find out how to apply by clicking on the City Connect link below:
While we believe in the power of public art on our streets, we do not support illegal graffiti. Please refer to the
Graffiti By-law for more information.
Top tip
Before you apply for a permit, you may want to explore more of Cape Town’s current public art pieces for inspiration.
Public Art Management Framework
We have put together a draft Public Art Management Framework (PAMF) document that informs our approach to public art in Cape Town. Read more about PAMF below.
What is PAMF?
This document was created in response to feedback from street artists. Our PAMF helps artists understand how the City engages with public art in Cape Town; with it we try to:
- make clear the City’s commitment to public art;
- explain standard operating practices;
- ensure we are transparent and accountable;
- promote good management and maintenance of the city’s public art collection;
- provide the structure and possibilities for placing works of art in public spaces within the city; and
- establish standards and inform assessments of all public art commissioned by the City or acquired by us through purchase, donation or transfer.
We kicked off the PAMF in 2013 ‘Ways to Do Public Art’ project held jointly with the Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA) at the City Hall.
View the Draft Public Art Management Framework (PAMF)
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