art+place Queensland Public Art Fund
Introduction
The art+place Queensland Public Art Fund provides funding for public art projects to local government, not-for-profit arts and cultural organisations, arts and cultural festivals and private sector entities, as well as Queensland Government departments.

It encourages the commissioning of high-quality projects that bring together artists and communities, enliven public places, build local identity, and engage communities. It is administered through Arts Queensland, which is part of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and the government body dedicated to building a strong, diverse arts sector.

art+place was introduced in 2007 and builds on the culture of public art fostered in Queensland by the Art Built-in program (1999-2007). A curatorial panel of experts has been appointed who, alongside the art+place program staff, advises the Queensland Government on the expenditure of the fund. The intention is to ensure that communities throughout Queensland - from the Northern Cape and Torres Strait Islands to the south-east corner and western region have the opportunity and resources to experience the great cultural, educational and environmental outcomes public art can achieve.

In addition to assessing applications and organising projects, the art+place Curatorial Panel and program staff undertake a range of activities, including identifying opportunities for new works, public engagement and advocacy.

Since 2008 more than 50 permanent and temporary public art works have been funded across Queensland.

Background
The Queensland Government established art+place the Queensland Public Art Fund (the fund) on 1 July 2007. The fund committed $12 million to new public art projects in Queensland over three years to 30 June 2010. The second iteration of art+place, launched on 1 July 2010, will commit a further $10 million to public art projects and project management to 30 June 2014.

The fund is administered by Arts Queensland and aims to commission high-quality, innovative public art across Queensland. The Minister for the Arts appointed the high-level art+place Curatorial Panel in an advisory capacity to Government.

What is public art?
Defining public art is the subject of ongoing discussion and debate. Just as there is a wide range of views on what constitutes public space and what defines access to it, not all artworks found in public spaces are necessarily ‘public art’.

At a minimum, public art can be defined as art specifically created to be experienced in the public realm outside the gallery and museum context. Like art that can be found in galleries and museums, public art offers a response to significant physical, cultural, social, and environmental issues.

Public art also needs to be robust enough to withstand the physical environment where it stands, be sensitively curated and designed for its location, have meaning to its relevant audience, and retain its own artistic rationale as a work of art.

Ultimately, public art embraces its environment, and helps create places that inspire investigation and interaction, and are enjoyable and meaningful in their own right. Public art can provide enduring strength and pride for communities, and also challenge our assumptions in forms limited only by our imagination