The City of Houston supports the community’s desire to utilize public space as locations for temporary art installations. Each City Department has discretion and jurisdiction over the review of temporary art placement. The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs works with all departments and divisions within the City of Houston and any individual or group interested in placing temporary art on City property. Please note that any installation of temporary artwork should not interfere with the regular operations of the space where artwork is being proposed to be installed [i.e. – will not block walk ways on sidewalk, access to public park space, interfere with City employee operations/access to space, etc.].
The City may permit temporary placement of a work of art on City property for a period of time not to exceed 90 days, subject to the approval of the Director of the City Department having jurisdiction over the site upon which the work of art will be placed. The Director may extend the temporary placement for two consecutive periods of time not to exceed 90 days each, for a total of 270 days. Please note that temporary art displays cannot become permanent installations once the permits have expired!
Required Documents to begin application
- Proposal statement [basics of who, what, where, when]
- Visuals of artwork [photos or artistic renderings]
- Aerial view of where on the property artwork is to be installed [clearly marked with box where artwork will be]
- Certificate of insurance of $1,000,000
Upon receipt of application (via application portal below) someone from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs will reach out to you to discuss next steps. If your project is approved to proceed, you will be required to sign (and have notarized) a standard release form and return to the City of Houston, at which point you will receive the Temporary Art Permit notifying you that you have notice to proceed with your display. Again, per the Civic Art Ordinance, temporary art permits last for 90 days and are eligible for two extensions (totaling 270 days).
Contact Information:
Phone: (832) 393-1099
Email: Cultural.Affairs@houstontx.gov

Greetings Volunteers,
We at the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) are proud to celebrate Make Music Day on June 21st. For those who are unfamiliar, the festival began in France to celebrate music and enjoy the Summer Solstice. There are over 120 countries worldwide that now participate in this international music celebration. Houston is participating again this year and we cannot do it without you!
MOCA is looking for a few local volunteers to help with Make Music Day in Houston. Because our city’s boundaries are as great as its music, we need a lot of helping hands across our neighborhoods to make it happen! So, if you are a social media influencer, an Instagram posting amateur or you just want to have a really great time helping us for Make Music Day, we want you!
For questions, please contact:
Community Liaison, Victor.Ancheta@houstontx.gov
Music + Cultural Tourism Officer, Gracie.Chavez@houstontx.gov
If interested, please download, read, agree, and sign the WAIVER and complete the Submittable form below. Please attach the completed PDF waiver in the Submittable form below.
Note: You would need to have a SUBMITTABLE ACCOUNT to view and submit the form below
Make Music Day Talent Showcase:
Make music with us! Join us on Tuesday, June 21st to showcase your talent in celebration of Houston’s official Make Music Day.
Anyone here at Team Turner is encouraged to sign up to make music, and everyone else is welcome to enjoy it. So bring your guitar or pick out your favorite Karaoke song to perform and invite your coworkers to cheer you on!
Legacy Room, City Hall
WED June 21, 3-4pm
Free + Open to City Employees
Deadline: June 15, 5pm
NOTE: You need a Submittable account to view and submit the sign up form below.