Public art today is broad, dynamic, and constantly evolving. No longer confined to sculpture or the embellishment of buildings, it now encompasses film, performance, temporary installations, socially engaged practice, and a wide range of creative activity in the public realm. Ireland’s shift toward this expanded understanding began in the late 1990s — with Sligo at the forefront of that change.

Following a Government-commissioned report on public art in 1997, the newly established Sligo Arts Office launched a pioneering pilot programme, Placing Art. Embracing the report’s key recommendations, the programme helped transform public art commissioning practices within local authorities nationwide.

Placing Art supported artworks that moved beyond traditional expectations, including film, performance, and temporary or process-based works. Central to the programme was a strong emphasis on public and community engagement, with artists, local authorities, and communities working closely together in response to people and place.

One of the programme’s most significant achievements was the development of a new administrative framework for implementing the Per Cent for Art Scheme in Sligo. This model proved highly effective, supporting artists more robustly and enabling ambitious, innovative commissioning.

Sligo Local Authorities were also the first in Ireland to adopt a formal Public Art Policy, followed in 2004 by the publication of a comprehensive Public Art Plan, Art Best Placed. High-quality documentation became a hallmark of the programme and continued through subsequent commissions. (All referenced documents are available on this website.)

From the late 1990s onward, significant capital development in Sligo generated substantial opportunities through the Per Cent for Art Scheme. The next major initiative, Unravelling Developments, saw curator Joe Lee oversee ten commissions exploring themes of change and development in the Northwest during the early 2000s.

These artworks offered diverse and thought-provoking responses to shifting social, economic, and cultural landscapes across both urban and rural Sligo, while also engaging with wider national and global contexts.

Sligo Arts Service remains committed to innovation and best practice in public art commissioning. Today, the challenge — and opportunity — lies in creating work that speaks meaningfully to the complexities of contemporary life.