Washington University in St. Louis approved an Art on Campus policy in 2010 as an element of the University's building program; public art commissions will be integrated into major construction and renovation projects on the Danforth Campus and at select WU-owned off-campus locations.
The mission of the Art on Campus initiative is to build an eminent collection of site-specific works of art in all media throughout indoor and outdoor public spaces that reflect the University's stature and the diversity of its people and intellectual activity. The vision for Art on Campus is to shape a rigorous public art program that activates the campus community and contributes to the cultural identity of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Works commissioned for the Art on Campus program will become part of the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum's permanent collection, one of the finest university collections in the United States with strong holdings from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
Washington University's campus offers a significant historical setting for public art. Originally planned by Cope and Stewardson in 1899, the Danforth Campus has evolved to include a range of spaces for public interaction. Art on Campus commissions will contribute significantly to the dialogue between the historical setting, the campus communities, and contemporary building projects now and into the future.
