Commission Fees in Parks, Plazas and Waterfronts

CODAworx maintains a database of published projects, including many specific to commissioned works in settings that provide welcomed recreational respite for weary citizens and visitors — parks, plazas and waterfronts. Database entries describe commissioned art projects specific to Plazas, Parks and Waterfronts. A review of entries within the last 36 months provides artists, commissioners, developers and architects with insight into the total, as well as the highest and median commission value of art installations occurring in these settings.

While commission values are important, a review of select entries in the CODAworx database demonstrates how, according to the recommendations of the Project for Public Spaces, collaborative art commissions can contribute to the betterment of community life. This occurs by providing viewers with visual and tactile opportunities to interact socially in an environment that instills civic and neighborhood pride. 

Public Art Invites Dialogue, Activity and Civic Pride

The Project for Public Spaces (PPS), in the article Collaborative, Creative Placemaking:  Good Public Art  Depends on Good Public Spaces, notes that now, more than ever, public artworks are stimulating and inviting active dialogue rather than just passive observation. The author writes that newer artwork is designed to foster increased social interaction among viewers, leading to a greater sense of social cohesion. 

Good public spaces are inviting and build a place for the community around an artwork, or cultural venue, by growing and attracting activities that make it a multi-use destination. “Alone, no designer, architect, or artist can create a great public space that generates and sustains stronger communities. Instead, such spaces arise from collaboration with the users of the place who articulate what they value about it and assist the artist in understanding its complexity.”

Further, public art projects that engage the community in the art-making process can provide a means to improve their environment and the opportunity to develop a sense of pride and ownership over their parks, streets, and public institutions. “Ultimately,” writes the author “public art projects will be most effective when they are part of a larger, holistic, multidisciplinary approach to enlivening a city or neighborhood. In this way, public art can contribute both to community life and to the service and vitality of public spaces.”

Commission Value — Parks, Plazas and Waterfronts

Commission profiles are described below according to total, highest and median values for all categories (908 entries with commissions totaling $167,256,206) and for each category individually. The reader will find links to projects with highest commissions and those representative of the median commission. Those projects are described in relation to the principles put forth by the Project for Public Spaces — social interaction, social cohesion, collaboration and contribution to community life. 

Commission Value — Parks

During the study period, Parks accounted for the largest number of commissions (556). The projects in this category showed a total commission value of $167 million and a median commission fee of approximately $252,000. Eighteen projects had commission values of $1 million or greater. Six projects had commission values of $2.5 or more. 

The largest commission ($9.5 million) occurred in this category. This is the Remember Them: Champions for Humanity sculpture located at the Oakland, CA Chamber of Commerce. Installed in a densely populated urban area, the work honors the positive aspects of humanity rather than the negativity created post 9/11. Twenty-five individuals of significance are shown, highlighting their contributions to culture, education, art, humanity, peace and hope. Remember Them: Champions for Humanity is 110 lineal feet long, 35 feet tall, and sculpted on an invisible double helix, the common DNA of all people, reminding viewers of our similarities rather than our differences. According to the artist, “There is no other monument in the world that combines people of all races, faiths, genders and orientation, all with the goal of making worldwide peace a possibility.”

The median value for Parks is $235,260. Representative of this commission amount is Robert F. Kennedy Inspiration Park, Los Angeles, CA. The work honors the late Kennedy, at the site of the former Ambassador Hotel, where he was assassinated in 1968. It consists of a 6' X 24' stainless steel gateway sculpture, Jerusalem Gold stone wall with etched quotations, black granite with a portrait of RFK, and fiber optic lights embedded in blue lithocrete floor. The artists’ goal was to create a meditative park where people can come and contemplate the life of the slain politician and presidential candidate. 

Commission Value — Plazas

During the study period, Plazas accounted for the second largest number of commissions (556), totaling just more than $50 million. Eleven commissions were $1 million or greater. Only three commissions were $2 million or greater. The largest commission was for African Burial Ground National Monument in New York, NY. With a budget of $5 million, the work is a collaboration between multiple national and local constituencies including the National Park Service, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the public. The installation physically, spiritually and ritualistically defines the location where the historic re-interment of remains and artifacts of 419 Africans occurred. It also acknowledges the site as a “Sacred Place” where an estimated 20,000 African are currently buried.

The median commission is represented by Mirror, Mirror, and installation at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, UK. Cameras capture activity in the garden and simultaneously reflect this back to the viewer. Animated images are then mirrored on the surface of the water, creating multiple reflections. The installation explores narcissism and the individual’s relationship with space and others. The playful nature of the work encourages visitors to explore both interactivity and interconnected relationships.

Commission Value — Waterfronts

Waterfronts accounted for the smallest number of commissions (72) during the 36-month period, totaling just under $20 million. Only four commissions were at $1.7 million or greater. Two commissions were valued at $2 million and $2.8 million. The largest commission (Kelpies) was $6.5 million. Located in Falkirk, UK, Kelpies is a 100 feet high stainless steel structure simulating two colossal steel horse heads. Situated alongside the Forth and Clyde canal with the backdrop of the Ochil Hills of central Scotland, the artworks were inspired by the prominent role horses played in the industrial heritage of the local area and the canals. According to the project team, the sculptures have become tourism icons, generated ongoing growth for the local economy and have inspired a vigorous renewed sense of pride and identity for the region.

The median Waterfront commission was $376,420, the highest among the three categories. Representative of this commission value is Rapture, an abstracted sculptural form that depicts a fish jumping. The artist describes his concept for this project as evolving from the landscape — Suzhou, China’s Lake Taihu. He notes that water is life’s essential ingredient, providing the population living around the lake with food, nourishment and recreation. Viewers of the sculpture are intended to feel the presence of energy and abundance.

Publish Your Projects

CODAworx is a leading authority on commissioned art and maintains a comprehensive database of information regarding RFPs, commissioning entities, budgets, and awards. Tapping into this database enables CODAweekly to feature regular Industry Reports by design segment (commercial, hospitality, healthcare, etc.) that highlights top artists, trends in commission fees, and more.

We encourage you to add information to the CODAworx database by publishing a project to our Project Library or populate data on projects already in the database. Anyone involved in the collaborative process can publish a project on CODAworx. This includes the artist and creative teams, design professionals and other commissioners, and industry resources such as fabricators, engineers, installers, lighting designers, videographers, and more. Potential clients, commissioners, collaborators and your peers will get to know you and your work. They can contact you directly through the CODAworx messaging system.

Join CODAworx

CODAworx is the global online community that celebrates design projects featuring commissioned artworks. Membership packages and pricing plans are designed to meet your needs, regardless of your role in celebrating creative exploration and genius. Join for free with a Basic listing of your projects or become a Basic + member to expand your professional presence. The Pro membership is best for studios winning commissions and seeking to grow further. Last, the Premium membership is for studios seeking to maximize sales and marketing efforts. For details visit our Membership Packages & Pricing page.