Art in the municipalities
Art brings life and development to local communities, creates new communities and increases the quality of life in everyday life. In the Visual Artists Association, we work to support this important work.
More and more municipalities incorporate art on many different levels – in public buildings, on gables, in artistic involvement processes and urban development, and establish visual arts councils or art committees that can ensure that citizens get high artistic quality for the municipal tax dollars.
Some municipalities – for example Aarhus, Odense and several smaller Funen municipalities – have also introduced percentage schemes in municipal construction, which ensure funds for artistic decoration. These are successful schemes that bring art close to citizens in everyday life, and which the Association of Visual Artists (BKF) encourages all municipalities to establish.
The Association of Visual Artists continuously works to strengthen the conditions of the professional visual arts in the municipalities. Among other things, the association holds conferences for artists, politicians and civil servants who work with municipal art projects and schemes
Municipal visual arts councils
Arts councils play an important role in promoting art and culture in the local community. They support artists, engage citizens in art, and advise the municipality on art-related issues.
Become part of the municipal network for art in public spaces
More than 20 municipalities participate in BKF's and KL's network for art in public spaces. The network is aimed at municipal cultural and art consultants who work or want to work actively/strategically with art in the public space.
BKF's publications on visual arts in the municipalities
The visual arts in the municipalities – potential and recommendations (2020)
The trade magazine Biledkunstneren #1 2020: The value of art in the municipality
The trade magazine Billedkunstneren #2 2019: Visual arts in the municipalities
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- News
New issue of Fagbladet Biledkunstneren
Read about, among other things, the special potential that lies in young people's encounter with art. Meet an artist couple who moved from Copenhagen to Vordingborg and set up an exhibition space to create a community around art for the area's many artists and others interested in art. And also read about BKF's study of the country's municipal art councils, which takes a closer look at the many different conditions that municipalities offer art in public space.
- News
Great commitment and clear calls at BKF's development meeting for artist-run exhibition spaces
The need for networks, better support systems and increased visibility were among the main points.
- News
Municipal conference with focus on climate and monuments
Once again this year, the conference for art in the municipality offered exciting presentations and excellent opportunities to strengthen networks and relationships in the area.
- Events, News
Invitation to the conference Art in the municipality
Thursday d. On 6 February 2025, BKF will hold its annual conference: Art in the municipality at Kunstmuseum Brandts in Odense.
- News
Lots of inspiration to be found at this year's municipal conference
On Wednesday, there was again a conference for art in the municipality with exciting presentations and excellent opportunities to strengthen networks and relationships in the area.
- News
200.000 visitors to the art exhibition in Blåvand caused consumption to increase in Varde
Art is a good investment: Analysis shows that Wadden Tide was a great success with the audience, which caused consumption in Varde Municipality to increase by 8,9 percent.
- News
Art in the municipality
Wednesday 7 February 2024, at 10-15 BKF holds its annual conference: Art in the municipality at Brandts in Odense. The day offers lectures and presentations of a large number of current, inspiring projects.
- News
Scaffolding art
BKF's secretariat has been hidden behind scaffolding, but it has given way to an art banner with ten of visual artist Gudrun Hasle's rules of living.
- News, Misc
From ego to eco-artists
Thomas Seest and Søren Lose's house artist residency in Guldborgsund Municipality is coming to an end. As artists, they have experienced being listened to in a completely new way.
- News, BILLEDKUNSTNEREN, Misc
New issue of Fagbladet Biledkunstneren
Meet, among others, Sigrun Gunnarsdóttir, Thomas Seest, Søren Lose, Majken Overgaard, Crispin Gurholt, Helga-Marie Nordby and Stine Deja.
- News, BILLEDKUNSTNEREN, Misc
Solar panels – now with visual art
There are all sorts of good reasons for installing solar panels, but so far not many of them have been aesthetic. A new technique makes it possible to print image files on conventional solar panels, so that they become a completely new medium for visual art to unfold in.
- News, Misc
How does art create value in the municipalities?
BKF and KL's network for art in public space held its planned third and final meeting on Friday. Interest in the meetings has been great, so the series of meetings is being extended.
- News, Misc
Many good examples of art in the municipalities
Last week, the Visual Artists Association held its annual and sold-out municipal conference at Kulturmachinen in Odense with inspiring presentations from foreign and Danish presenters.
- News, Misc
The program is ready for BKF's annual conference on art in the municipalities
The day offers lectures and presentations of a large number of current, inspiring projects from home and abroad.
- Events, News
Art in the municipality - Mark the calendar!
On Wednesday 8 February 2023, BKF will hold its annual conference: Art in the municipality at Kulturmaskinen in Odense.
- News
Networks strengthen the work with art projects in the public space
Representatives from a number of the country's municipalities attended a network meeting in KL on Wednesday to learn more about how the municipalities can work strategically with art projects.
- Events, News
Watch video: BKF conference on art in municipalities
Experience or relive the conference that took place in January. Hear about inspiring art projects in e.g. Berlin, Trondheim, Copenhagen, Holbæk, Kolding and Guldborgsund.
- News, BILLEDKUNSTNEREN
Municipal art councils: Quotas are not on the stairs
A year and a half after Copenhagen Municipality's Council for Visual Arts introduced gender quotas, other municipal arts councils are inspired - but do not follow the example.
- News
Artists: Small workshops are important to the city's soul
A studio community in one of the capital's few preserved, small-scale industrial urban environments is about to be put on the street. As in several other current cases that BKF is involved in.
- News
Artist workshops are being pushed out of Copenhagen
This is a worrying development, and goes directly against the stated political ambitions in the area, believes the Association of Visual Artists.
- News
Parties will copy art support from Stockholm and Oslo
Municipal elections: The capital should be inspired by Stockholm and Oslo, which use a fixed percentage of construction costs to ensure art in the urban space.