Yeah, "drab and functional" is a silly strawman.
The problem with rules like "1% of a budget" is that it ends up significantly over paying in some cases and under paying in others. If there's a 10 million dollar project to replace a sewer line in a residential neighborhood - $100K is probably WAY too much to be spending on artwork. If there's a 10 million dollar project to renovate a public park - $100K is probably too little to be spending on art.
The amount of money that should be spent on art should reflect the amount/type/use of the public space in the project.
I'm also a pretty big believer that more money being spent on artwork doesn't necessarily mean you're getting better results. I'd rather a focus on local artists and fair payments. Sometimes that may be less than 1% and sometimes more.
Edit: And just to add to this given the 'drab and functional' comment, the solution to 'drab and functional' is often not in artwork. It's in overall design and the environment around it. There are many subway stations in NYC that are beautiful without artwork because the design and materials used are beautiful - but much of it probably wasn't considered 'artwork'. And there are many other subway stations in NYC that are dreary and gross - and a couple of statues and beautiful paintings aren't going to do much to change that overall impression.
The problem with rules like "1% of a budget" is that it ends up significantly over paying in some cases and under paying in others. If there's a 10 million dollar project to replace a sewer line in a residential neighborhood - $100K is probably WAY too much to be spending on artwork. If there's a 10 million dollar project to renovate a public park - $100K is probably too little to be spending on art.
The amount of money that should be spent on art should reflect the amount/type/use of the public space in the project.
I'm also a pretty big believer that more money being spent on artwork doesn't necessarily mean you're getting better results. I'd rather a focus on local artists and fair payments. Sometimes that may be less than 1% and sometimes more.
Edit: And just to add to this given the 'drab and functional' comment, the solution to 'drab and functional' is often not in artwork. It's in overall design and the environment around it. There are many subway stations in NYC that are beautiful without artwork because the design and materials used are beautiful - but much of it probably wasn't considered 'artwork'. And there are many other subway stations in NYC that are dreary and gross - and a couple of statues and beautiful paintings aren't going to do much to change that overall impression.