Annontated Model Public Art Commission Agreement | June 2005
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installation of the Artwork, including a schedule for the submission of progress reports and
inspections if any. The Schedule may be amended by written agreement.
ii. A schedule for the payment of budget installments is attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 3.
Discussion
The budget includes itemized costs for materials, the applicable sales tax for such materials; off-site
fabrication costs; the Artist’s time for coordination, fabrication, supervision of the installation; fees for required
licenses, permits, and similar legal authorizations; fees for the labor of assistants; itemized general contractor and
subcontractor fees if applicable; consultants’ or experts’ fees (such as engineers, architects or others) if applicable;
insurance; Artist’s travel; transportation of the Artwork to Site; itemized installation costs; any applicable local,
state or federal taxes; and a [x]% contingency to cover unforeseen costs that may arise. The contract should identify
a formula for dispersing sums in the event that there are unused monies from the contingency allocation.
This is not an exhaustive list of expenses to be included in the budget. There may be other costs depending
on the nature of the project. The project architect/contractor, if there is one, should advise the Artist on the possible
range of some of the costs as well as vendor sources and costs for displaying the Artwork such as framing, lighting,
footing, pedestals, seismic retrofitting, extended warranties on media components or mechanical devices. Although
the budget is usually a fixed amount, typically 1% of the construction costs for the project, it is necessary to itemize
the expenses as the Agency dictates what costs are eligible to be included in the budget as well as how much of the
budget may be spent on a particular expense.
The Artist may be tempted to reflect conservative cost estimates in the budget to gain approval, but cost
overruns may be incurred by the Artist, leaving the Artist with little to no profit, or even worse debt. It is the Artist’s
responsibility to account for all costs in the budget to avoid cost overruns. The Artist should be encouraged to
describe the costs as realistically as possible. It is advisable for the Artist to properly estimate costs to allow for
room for unforeseen expenses. The artist should submit written cost estimates from qualified fabricators for the
production of the Artwork.
The Agency has a role in budgeting as well, including the negotiation of construction credits from the Site’s
budget to the Artist’s budget. This budgeting function is particularly important for projects which are integrated into
the construction documents and/or can be considered as value-added enhancements above and beyond standard
landscape and/or structural elements. Also, if the construction budget for the Site increases, the Agency should be
responsible for negotiating whether or not the budget for the Artwork increases as well.
The schedule should clearly state dates by which each stage, duty, or service under this Agreement ought to
be completed. For example, the Artist may indicate that the Artwork will be completed by week 50 after the
execution of this Agreement and that inspection for final approval of the Artwork must occur by week 51. The
schedule binds both Parties, but may be adjusted upon the reasonable request of one of the Parties.
Other parties involved in the project (such as a Department or Agency, general contractor or an architect),
if any, should also receive copies of the schedule. If the Site has not yet been constructed it will be necessary to
insure proper coordination with all involved parties. Typically, it is the Project Manager who will coordinate
schedule planning with other parties. The Project Manager should arrange regularly scheduled project coordination
meetings including the general contractor, Artists, other city departments, architect, etc. As construction of the Site
progresses, the Parties should keep each other informed of any changes in the schedule for construction of the Site
or in the plans or layout of the Site.
1.5 Fabrication Stage
a. The Artist shall fabricate [and install] the Artwork in substantial conformity with the Design. The
Artist may not deviate from the approved design without written approval of the Agency.
b. The Artist shall take reasonable measures to protect or preserve the integrity of the Artwork such as