Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today presented the distinguished Doris C. Freedman Award to former Mayor Edward I. Koch for his critical role in the enactment of the Percent for Art Law, which led to the creation of the groundbreaking Percent for Art Program in 1983.  The Mayor presented the award at a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary celebration of the program at P.S. 234 in Lower Manhattan.  Deputy Mayor for Administration Patricia E. Harris, Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, City Planning Chair Amanda M. Burden, as well as the three daughters of Doris C. Freedman, Karen Freedman, Nina Freedman, and President of the Public Art Fund Susan K. Freedman joined the Mayor at the ceremony.

“On behalf of New York City, I am honored to present the Doris C. Freedman award to Mayor Edward I. Koch,” Mayor Bloomberg said.  “For 20 years, the Percent for Art Program, begun by Mayor Koch, has proved its value time and again, producing many public art projects that have brought distinction to our schools and municipal buildings.  I thank Mayor Koch for his dedication to public art and his tireless efforts to increase the role of public art in our City, and am committed to building upon his legacy for years to come.”

“I am proud to receive this tremendous award at the same time that we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the widely renowned Percent for Art Program,” former Mayor Koch said.  “The arts serve a vital role in the planning and design, not merely the beautification, of our great City’s public spaces and I am very proud to have assisted in the creation of the Percent for Art Program.  I also applaud Mayor Bloomberg for continuing the tradition of presenting the Doris C. Freedman Award and for vigorously promoting the arts throughout New York City.” 

“Thanks to the vision of Doris C. Freedman and the advocacy of Mayor Edward I. Koch, New Yorkers’ daily lives have been enriched by the individual creativity of so many great artists,” Commissioner Levin said. “Tonight we renew our commitment to ensuring that public art remains an integral part of the City’s landscape.”

A long-time advocate for the arts, former Mayor Koch promoted, signed, and oversaw the implementation of the Percent for Art Law.  The Law enabled the Department of Cultural Affairs to establish the Percent for Art Program in 1983.  The Program directs one percent of the City's budget for certain construction projects toward funding public artworks such as murals, sculptures, street furniture, and other artwork accessible to the public. Now celebrating its 20th year, the Percent for Art Program has commissioned 164 artists who have completed 177 projects at public facilities throughout the City.  Fifty new Percent for Art projects are currently in progress.

The Doris C. Freedman Award was established in 1982 by Mayor Koch to acknowledge an individual or organization for “a contribution to the people of the City of New York that greatly enriches the public environment.”  The award is dedicated to the memory and vision of Doris Chanin Freedman (1928-1981), the founder of the Public Art Fund.  Ms. Freedman was an active member of numerous community and educational organizations, and served as New York City’s Director of Cultural Affairs, as well as the President of City Walls and the Municipal Art Society.  She also worked to establish New York City’s Percent for Art legislation, devoting her energies to enrich the public environment.  Last year, Mayor Bloomberg presented the award for the first time since 1992, vowing to present it every year of his Administration.

Previous recipients of the Doris C. Freedman Award include the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority, J.M. Kaplan Fund, Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and its founder Halina Rosenthal, Dancing in the Streets, The Studio in a School, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Richard J. Haas, Mark di Suvero, Margot Gayle, William H. Whyte, and Ronay Menschel.