In collaboration with the Percent for Art Program of the Department of Cultural Affairs, direct commissions are awarded to artists to create permanent artwork for new school buildings. Artists are selected by a panel that includes representatives from the Department of Education and arts professionals. The resulting artwork may take many forms, from traditional murals to environmental sculpture. In commissioning public art, PAPS considers numerous factors including durability, safety, and educational components. Artists are brought on early in the design process to maximize collaboration with the architects and to ensure compatibility and integration with the building.

Through the Sites for Students program, school children are actively involved in the creation of permanent artwork for new school buildings. Artists are selected by a panel including representatives from the school, the Department of Education, and arts professionals. They are commissioned to teach workshops and collaborate with students in the conceptualization and creation of projects for these schools.

Public Art for Public Schools also oversees the distribution of art donated to the NYC public schools through corporate and private donors and manages the relocation of work from existing sites.

As curator of a collection of nearly 1,500 objects dispersed throughout the NYC school system, Public Art for Public Schools oversees a range of services including a professional conservation program, a collection database, and curricular resources. Our aim is to preserve the many varied types of artworks ranging from Tiffany stained glass, painted and mosaic murals, sculpture, and painting; and to restore any damaged work to the best possible condition, so that staff and students may experience the work as originally intended.