Public Art and Placemaking

Placemaking is an economic development strategy to use the community’s public amenities to make economic progress; it uses unique assets and features to attract new investment and strengthen existing businesses.

 The City of Napa supports public art, and along with partners and the City’s Park and Recreation Department, promotes various placemaking events.

 Public Art Ordinance: supporting art through development 

In 2010, the Napa City Council enacted a Public Art Ordinance (please see Chapter 15.108 Public Art in the Napa Municipal Code). The Public Art Ordinance is intended to integrate public art into new non-residential private and public development projects throughout Napa. Developers contribute to the public art program by either installing on-site public art equal in value to 1% of the construction costs or making an in-lieu contribution to the City’s Public Art Fund. This public art requirement is administered by the City's Planning Division.  

 Public Art Master Plan: Art Walk and other events

The City also invests in public art in other ways. For instance:

  • Public Art Master Plan articulates the vision and goals of the City’s public art program, and identifies potential artwork sites and criteria for selecting public art projects.
  • You can view the City’s permanent art collection. See the Public Art Registry (PDF), or take a virtual tour of the city's permanent collection by clicking on this map.
  • The Napa Art Walk is a biennial rotating exhibition of public installation art around the City.
  • There are also many other events dedicated to art and placemaking. For instance, the Lighted Art Festival creates stunning artwork as light displays are projected onto a variety of buildings throughout Downtown Napa and the Oxbow District. Also, the Downtown Association hosts many festivals and there is of course BottleRock Music Festival every year.

 Other Partners

Arts Council Napa Valley: ACNV focuses on promoting creative industries and advocating for amenities and needs of local artists and makers.

di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art: di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art offers visitors refuge to view the art of Northern California in a singularly unique setting. Protected in perpetuity under the Napa County Land Trust, the site features multiple galleries, a sculpture park, and a 35-acre lake, all located on 217 scenic acres in Napa Valley’s famed Carneros region.

Napa Rails Art District: In addition to the City's multiple public art programs, many private property owners have initiated public art installations. For example, the Napa Valley Vine Trail organization has installed several murals along their "Rail Arts District" along the City's Cross-Commuter Path that runs alongside the Napa Valley Wine Train tracks.