About the program
A challenge to America's mayors and artists.
Bloomberg Philanthropies launched the Public Art Challenge in 2014 to support mayors of mid-sized U.S. cities in collaborating with artists on temporary public art projects that address civic issues and bring people together.
For the December 2025 cohort, all eight cities received baseline marketing, wayfinding, branding, and communications support — enabling each city to embrace its project's promotion on the ground with local agencies and expertise, and codifying replicable templates for communications needs and marketing assets.
By the numbers
- 8
- Cities supported
- 15+
- Workshops delivered
- 100+
- Wayfinding & collateral pieces
- 7 / 8
- Cities partnered with CURE on branding
Top learnings
Marketing & wayfinding lessons across the cohort.
- Creative leadership elevates project cohesion.
- Environmental conditions directly impact materials.
- Local vendor relationships improve printing and installation quality.
- Multi-site visibility needs mixed formats — clings, posters, banners.
- Museum partnerships amplify reach.
- Onsite and offsite marketing need different strategies.
- Phased rollout in a walkable district works very well.
- Pop-up and short-duration sites require flexible wayfinding.
- Sign placement is highly regulated — early coordination is essential.
- Standardized templates support rapid production.
- Strong early collaboration is essential for multi-site execution.
- Wayfinding is particularly effective in compact geography.