Oklahoma Art in Public Places Glossary

Accession: The formal process used to accept a work of art into the state public art collection and record an item as a collection item.

Appointing Authority: The Director or designee of the Project Agency

Appropriateness to Site: Relationship of artwork and site shall be considered in terms of the physical dimensions, social dynamics, local character and surrounding context of the site, existing or planned.

Art, artwork or work of art: All forms of original creations of visual art, except for blasphemous material as defined by Section 901 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes or indecent or obscene material as defined by Section 1024.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes, including, but not limited to: sculpture, in any material or combination of materials, whether in the round, bas-relief, high relief, mobile, fountain, kinetic, or electronic; painting, including murals and frescoes; mosaic; photography; fine crafts made from clay, fiber and textiles, wood, glass, metal, plastics or any other material, or any combination thereof; drawing; calligraphy; mixed media composed of any combination of forms or media; unique architectural stylings or embellishments, including architectural crafts; ornamental gateways; and restoration or renovation of existing works of art of historical significance.

Artist: A practitioner in the visual arts committed to producing high quality work, as recognized by the peers and critics of the artist, on a regular basis. The term “artist” shall not include the architect of a public building under construction or any member of the architectural firm of the architect.

Call for Artists: Announcement of an artist commission opportunity and definition of the application requirements and selection process.

Capital Projects: Expenditures for improvements to land or improvements and remodeling of existing buildings (e.g. construction of new facilities, remodeling or expansion of existing facilities) which increase the value, extend the useful life of the property, or make it adaptable to a different use.

Exclusions that are specifically listed in the Oklahoma Act-- public construction or public building “shall not include: water, sewer, public utility projects, prisons, projects with the primary purpose of complying with the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act and data processing purchases which are not part of a public construction project . . . .”

Excluding projects with the primary purpose of:

• Roof repair or replacement,
• Replacement/repair of HVAC systems,
• Installation of security, smoke or fire detection and suppression systems,
• Creating or resurfacing parking lot*
• Asbestos removal*

However, if these are included as an integral part of an eligible renovation (total amount at least $250,000) they are to be included in the total project cost

*could always exclude

Cleaning: Routine cleaning to remove superficial dust, dirt, atmospheric fallout, organic deposits, cobwebs, foreign objects and trash from an art work without damaging, dissolving, abrading, marring or otherwise altering the surface, finish, patina or other components of the artwork.

Collaboration: The process of co-equal, cooperative goal-focused effort by members (artists, architects, landscape architects, and/or engineers) of a team, in the design of an art concept or work of art.

Commercial general liability insurance: A broad form of liability insurance usually covering business organizations to protect them against liability claims for bodily injury and property damage arising out of operations, products and completed operations, and independent contractors, but typically excluding coverage for liability arising out of the use of automobiles.

Commission: Selecting an artist or artist team and providing payment for creation and installation of artwork, usually for a specific site.

Conservation: Actions implemented to provide for the long-term integrity and preservation of artworks, including such techniques and strategies implemented to arrest deterioration, repair accumulated damage, provide protection against deleterious elements and restore artworks to like-new or acceptable condition. Conservation also includes cleaning when a substance has penetrated or altered the surface of an artwork. Art conservators who possess specialized skills, knowledge and experience in this field normally perform conservation and restoration.

Deaccession: The process of removing an object permanently from the collection, usually through sale or exchange or any other transactions by which title of outgoing works of art are transferred from the collection to another institution or individual. Under certain conditions, it may also include disposal by intentional destruction.

Direct Purchase: Selection and purchase of an existing artwork ready for display.

Disposal: Actions that result in the cessation of ownership and possession of an artwork.

Division: Oklahoma Art in Public Places Program, a Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Fabrication: To construct an artwork from diverse materials and parts.

Fabricator: A person who constructs an artwork from diverse materials and parts.

Focus of Public Art: The focus of Public Art shall be original, contemporary, site-specific art. This doesn’t, however, preclude important historical works where most appropriate for the site.

Gateway artwork: Artwork used to mark a significant entryway or transition point for roads, pedestrian routes or other transit paths within a specific geographic area.

Limited Competition: A Call for Entries is sent to a list of artists, a minimum of three, who meet specific requirements for the project, e.g. artists who work in a specialized media.

Maintenance: The ongoing upkeep required for artwork to retain its structural and aesthetic integrity.

Open Competition: An opportunity that is open to any professional artist meeting eligibility requirements.

Place-making artwork: Artwork of such scale or features that its site becomes generally known by that artwork’s characteristics or name.

Preservation: Actions taken to retard or prevent deterioration or damage in works of art, and to maintain them in as unchanging a state as possible.

Project: Any capital expenditure, including, but not limited to, bond issues, with the purpose of renovating or constructing public buildings costing Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) or more.

Project Agency: Institutions within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education or the department, board, commission, institution, or agency of the state subject to the Oklahoma Art in Public Places Act. The legislative and judicial branches of the State of Oklahoma shall be subject to the procedures of the Oklahoma Art in Public Places Act or shall implement another process to include art in locations subject to the control of those branches. Provided, that the expenditure for commissioning art by the legislative and judicial branches shall be no less than that established by Section 6 of the Act.

Project Architect: The person or firm designing the public construction project.

Project Milestones:

• Conceptual Design: The first stage of design, based on feedback
  from the community on which artistic direction the artwork should
  take. Submitted to the Oversight Committee for approval.
• Preliminary Design: The second stage of design development. A scheme
  is pursued based on the conceptual design. Interactive between
  community and inter-departmental.
• Final Design: Final design development, showing artwork to
  scale, site plan, sample materials, technical and maintenance
  requirements, fabrication and installation procedures. Submitted to
  Oversight Committee for approval.
• Construction Check/Fabrication: Public Art Program review of
  fabrication to ensure adherence to design and for assistance in
  troubleshooting.
• Installation: Artist and/or artist’s subcontractors install work on site
  of capital project
• Dedication: Formal ceremony recognizing completion of the project
  and grand opening to the public.

Public Art: Artworks or art places created by an artist, artists, and/or a collaboration of artists and design professionals, for a public place for the public to experience or for a public purpose.

Art or design that is created specifically for a public context or place which, through a public process, influences that context or place in a meaningful way.

Public Construction or Public Building: Oklahoma Art in Public Places----Any state building, facility, structure or park constructed, including any state-owned lands or space surrounding or integral to the building, facility, structure or park. The term “public construction” or “public building” shall not include:

1. water, sewer, public utility projects, prisons, projects with the primary purpose of complying with the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and data processing purchases which are not part of a public construction project and any capital projects undertaken by political subdivisions of the state as defined by paragraph 8 of Section 152 of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes on buildings or land that they control, and
2. capital projects subject to federal public art laws.

Participation in the Oklahoma Art in Public Places Act shall be permissive for road, highway, turnpike, and bridge construction projects of the department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Transportation Authority

Public Land: A site owned by the State of Oklahoma with major public access and visibility that serves a business, social, or environmental need.

RFQ – (Request for Qualifications): A request for submissions for an artist commission opportunity that requests support material documenting the past experience of applicants.

RFP – (Request for Proposals): A request for submissions for an artist commission opportunity that requires development of a design proposal. The RFP defines the specific requirements for the proposal, including the project budget, criteria, description of the project site and format for submitting the proposal.

Relocation: The moving of an artwork and resiting it in a more advantageous location if the original site is no longer suitable.

Repair: Those extraordinary activities required to repair or restore a malfunctioning or damaged work of art.

Restoration: The treatment of a deteriorated or damaged work of art to approximate as nearly as possible its original form, design, color, and function with minimal further sacrifice of aesthetic integrity.

Society: The Oklahoma Historical Society

Standard of Excellence: Acquisitions of Public Art shall be, in the judgment of recognized art experts, of exceptional quality and enduring value.

***Note: If a definition is a specific reference to Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Art in Public Places Program, it is noted in the definition.