Boston Art Commission

BOSTON CODE - ORDINANCES

5-2 ART COMMISSION.

5-2.1 Art Commissioners; Appointment, Term, Compensation, Powers and Duties

There shall be within the Office of the Arts and Humanities a Board, known as the Art Commission, consisting of five (5) Commissioners, all of whom shall be residents of the City of Boston, appointed by the Mayor as follows: - one from three (3) candidates nominated by the Boston Society of Architects, one from three (3) candidates nominated by the Copley Society of Boston, one from three (3) candidates nominated by the Museum of Fine Arts, one from three (3) candidates nominated by the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston, and the executive director of the Office of the Arts and Humanities ex officio who shall serve without additional compensation. As the term of any Commissioner in office expires, his successor shall be appointed as such Commissioner for a term of fine (5) years. Vacancies in the Commission shall be filled for the unexpired term. The members of the Art Commission shall serve without compensation. Any Secretary elected by the Commission outside of its own members shall also serve without compensation.

The Art Commission shall not be subject to the supervision or control of the Office of the Arts and Humanities or any member thereof; but unless otherwise ordered by the Mayor, the Art Commission shall not communicate with the Mayor except through the Executive Director of the Office of the Arts and Humanities and shall not make any annual or other report except through the Office of the Arts and Humanities.

The Art Commission shall have the powers and perform the duties conferred or imposed by law on the Board of Art Commissioners in existence immediately prior to the taking effect of Chapter 8 of the Ordinances of 1953.

(St. 1898 c. 410; Sp. St. 1919 c. 87; Ord. 1953 c. 8 § 9; Rev. Ord 1961 c. 4 § 8; CBC 1975 Ord. T5. § 10; Ord. 1986 c. 4 § 2)

Boston Art Commission ADMINISTRATION St. 5 §4

POWERS AND DUTIES

The Art Commission shall have the custody and care of all works of art owned by the city and heretofore under the control of any department thereof. No work of art shall become the property of the city by purchase, gift or otherwise, until it, or a design or model thereof, and the situation proposed therefore shall have been approved by the art commission, and no work of art, until approved by the art commission, shall be erected or placed in, over or upon, or allowed to extend in, over or upon any street, avenue, square, park or other property belonging to the city. The art commission may, with the approval of the mayor, order the removal, relocation or alteration of any existing work of art owned by the city, and no such work of art shall be removed, relocated or altered without such order and approval. The art commission shall at the request of the mayor, study, consider and report upon the design of any municipal building, bridge, approach, fence or other structure erected or to be erected upon land belonging to the city, and upon the design of any arch, bridge, structure or approach which is the property of any person, firm or corporation, and extends in, over or upon any street, avenue, highway, park or public place.

The term “work of art’, as used in this section shall apply to and include all paintings, mural decorations, statues, bas-reliefs, sculptures, monuments, fountains, arches, ornamental gateways and other structures of a permanent character intended for ornament or commemoration.

All contracts or orders for the execution of any painting, monument statue, bust, bas-relief or other sculpture for said city shall be made by the art commission, acting by a majority of all its members, subject to the approval of the mayor.

Historical Notes

St. 1898 c. 410 §§~3,4,6

Sp.St.19l9c.87 §2

St. 1953 c. 473 §1

Rev. Ord. 1962 c. 4 §8

Cross Reference

GL c 41 §~82 84

FALILURE OF COMMISSION TO ACT

If the art commission falls to decide upon any matter submitted to it within sixty days after such submission, its decision shall be deemed unnecessary.

Historical Notes

St. 1898 c. 410 §5

St. 1953 c. 473 §1

Rev. Ord. 1961 c. 4 §8