Public art approval.
Memphis Code of Ordinances § 2-95-3
in effectSec. 2-95-3. - Public art approval.
All community initiated artwork installed on public property shall require approval by the permits office.
A. Approval requirements.
1. A person seeking approval shall file an application with the permits office on forms provided by such officer and the application shall be signed by the applicant under oath.
2. The application deadline for public art applications are as follows:
a. An application for a community initiated art project shall be filed with the permits office at least 90 calendar days and not more than 180 days before the installation is to commence.
b. The permits office, in consultation with the review committee, may waive the minimum filing period and accept an application filed within a shorter period if, after due consideration of the date, time, place and nature of the artwork and installation will not interfere with public safety.
3. The application for a community initiated art shall include the following information and incomplete applications will not be considered by the review committee:
a. Temporary public art application form;
b. The name, address, email, and telephone number of the artists seeking to install temporary artwork;
c. Resume and/or biography of artists with slides and examples of artist's past work;
d. The names, addresses, emails, and telephone numbers of the agency or organization for which the temporary artwork will be installed, if any, and the names of the authorized and responsible heads of the community agency or organization;
e. The requested date of the installation;
f. The proposed site of artwork installation;
g. Detailed site plan of the artwork including orientation of public art and distance in measurement between public art and public streets;
h. Photograph of proposed site location, including site plan, which must include:
i. Placement of the proposed artwork;
ii. Orientation of the proposed artwork;
iii. Distance between proposed artwork and public street(s);
i. Sample, model, color photograph, and/or drawing of proposed artwork;
j. Landscape plan (if applicable);
k. Installation plan and timeline;
l. Maintenance plan;
m. Itemized project budget;
n. Executed waiver of rights under the Visual Artists Rights Act and shall include one executed waiver for each artist contributing to the proposed artwork;
o. Any additional information that either the permits office or review committee finds reasonably necessary to make a fair determination as to whether an application should be approved.
B. Fees. A nonrefundable fee of $50.00 to cover administrative costs of processing the approval shall be paid to the city by the applicant when the application completed and accepted in its entirety.
C. Nondiscrimination. The permits office, after consultation with the review committee, shall uniformly consider each application upon its merits and shall not discriminate in granting or denying approvals under this chapter based upon political, religious, ethnic, race, disability, sexual orientation or gender-related grounds.
(Ord. No. 5727, 11-5-2019)
Source: City of Memphis, Code of Ordinances and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tn/memphis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_CH2-95COINPUARPR_S2-95-3PUARAPFetched: 10/28/2026