Celebrating Art in the District

Murals in the Rosemary District

As you walk around the Rosemary District, you’ll see public spaces designed and dedicated to people of all walks of life. From murals to experiences, we’re simply here to recognize and celebrate the past, present and future of the Rosemary District.

Learn more about murals in the Rosemary on the RADD Website.

Who pays for public art?

The City of Sarasota requires developers of projects valued at $1 million and above to contribute to Public Art in the city. The value of the contribution must be at least 0.5% of the construction cost (i.e., $5,000 for a $1 million project).

Developers may choose among three ways to contribute:

  1. Pay directly into the Public Art Fund

  2. Commission a work of public art for the project being developed

  3. Commission a work of public art to be placed elsewhere in the City (e.g., in a roundabout)

The planned artwork and its location must be approved by the City Commission after consideration by the Public Art Committee.

The Public Art Committee is a 7-member Advisory Board appointed by the City Commission. Each member has demonstrated an interest in public art and the skills necessary to make recommendations on all matters related to public art.

Unless the developer of a major Rosemary District project chooses to place the required art on site (option 2), new public art might not end up in Rosemary District. To guard against that, a revision to the Rosemary Residential Overlay District (RROD) zoning ordinance went into effect early in 2021. In it, projects required to contribute toward Public Art must contribute an additional 0.25% ($2,500 per $million in construction costs) which may only be used to provide public art in Rosemary District.

Public art provided under these provisions are marked with an asterisk (*). Note that most of the public art in Rosemary District has been provided by property owners and business owners independent of the city's public art program. These individuals are community treasures offering art for us all to enjoy.​