There are no absolute criteria for acceptable public art, except for general tenets which include:
A. 
Artistic merit and quality as evidenced by an artist's past history of exhibitions or sales, awards or other recognition, or an outstanding first work; as well as the inherent quality in terms of timelessness, vision, design, aesthetics, and excellence.
B. 
Intentionality of the artist concerning the meaning and proposed or desired effect of the work as public art upon the viewing public.
C. 
Local significance and site-specificity by creating a sense of excitement on public property and presenting fresh ways of seeing the community and City, while also recognizing the historic and environmental context of the site.
D. 
Representation of a variety of styles and tastes in the collection by acknowledging existing works in the public art collection, striving for cultural diversity of style, scale, and media, and representing the eclectic tastes of the community.
E. 
Unrestricted public viewing, primarily the opportunity for public access, but also suitability for public participation, social and political attitudes, and functional considerations.
F. 
Safety and durability including the ability and structural integrity of the artwork to withstand weather conditions, minimize the possibility of injury, and protect against theft and vandalism.
G. 
Installation and maintenance of work from practicality of fabrication and transport, to installation and long-term maintenance and associated costs.
H. 
Compatibility with established patterns of use at the site by situating artwork such that it is accessible, visible, and appropriately scaled to the site, and such that it does not seriously disrupt the flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic or adversely alter the environmental conditions of the selected site.
A. 
Prior to the installation of any artwork, a complete public art application must be submitted electronically to the City Manager's Office, including all requirements as detailed in Subsection B, Application requirements.
B. 
Application requirements.
(1) 
Project description, including purpose, artist's rationale and/or intention for the proposed work; history and provenance of the artwork; relationship of the project to other community interests and activities; as well as potential materials and media.
(2) 
Illustrative and/or construction drawings of the proposed work. A scale model of the proposed work is strongly recommended (if applicable).
(3) 
For 3d artwork, scaled site plan and color images of the proposed installation location and its context.
(4) 
Scaled illustrative drawings or model showing the artwork in relation to the proposed site.
(5) 
Description of short- and long-term maintenance requirements and costs. For temporary installations, a general liability insurance certificate listing the City of Auburn as additionally insured with at least $1,000,000 of general liability coverage must be included.
(6) 
Artist resume, annotated exhibition list, and digital images of other works.
(7) 
Project timeline, including (as applicable) fabrication, delivery, installation, maintenance schedule, and removal.
(8) 
Project budget, including both committed and anticipated funding sources.
(9) 
General letters of support. Applicants are encouraged to include letters of support, particularly from neighborhood groups. For murals on nonresidential private property, a letter of support from the private property owner is required.
C. 
Review procedures.
(1) 
Within 30 days of receipt of an application, the City Manager's Office shall review the application for completeness.
(a) 
Shall the application be deemed incomplete, the City Manager's Office shall provide the applicant with written notification and a detailed description of the determination.
(b) 
If the proposed application is not complete, the applicant has the right to change the proposed site or design of the public art installation and have the application reconsidered.
(c) 
Once an application is deemed complete, the City Manager's Office shall forward the application to the applicable City departments, the Public Art Commission, and other related agencies for approval of the installation's proposed site.
D. 
The Public Art Commission shall review the application at its next regularly scheduled meeting to determine if the submission fulfills the design criteria and requirements detailed herein. Either the Public Art Commission or, upon invitation, the artist may present the application at a public meeting for comment and review.
E. 
Upon considering community input, economic feasibility, maintenance requirements, and the appropriateness of the design, the Public Art Commission shall either approve, approve with modifications, or deny the application. Failure to act on an application does not result in a default approval. An application may only be denied based upon objective criteria as set forth in this chapter. If the Commission denies the application, the Commission shall provide the applicant with written reasons as to why the application was denied within 10 business days of its decision.