Public art is often discussed in terms of cultural impact, civic identity, or placemaking, but none of this is possible without a sufficient budget to get the job done. At CODAworx, it is our mission to do everything we can to help artists be successful in their careers, so to better understand where cities are making their boldest financial commitments to art in the public realm, we analyzed project data from CODAworx, identifying the highest-budget commissions recorded in 2025. The findings reveal not only which cities are investing at the top end of the spectrum, but also how public art funding reflects broader ambitions around development, tourism, infrastructure, and cultural leadership. By following the money, a clearer picture emerges of which municipalities are positioning art as a central pillar of their urban strategy.
Commissioned through a public-private collaboration between MSC cruises, PortMiami, and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs’ Art in Public Places Program, MARIS by Danielle Roney Studio is one of world’s largest permanent, real-time projection mapping installations. With a commission fee of $2.5 million, the project was developed using a first-of-its-kind custom animation platform powering 165 million pixels of generative, oceanic 3D animation across the terminal’s 10,816-square-foot smart glass façade, where live data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research sensors continuously shape and propel a dynamic virtual ecosystem that evolves in response to conditions in the surrounding oceanic biosphere.
With a commission fee of over $2.5 million, Migrations is a 40-foot-tall, site-specific art installation by Walter Hood located at the San Diego International Airport Terminal 1 Roadside Gateway. It features red, yellow, and blackened wood sculptures symbolizing movement, connection, and transformation. The installation is part of the new Terminal 1 project, which includes additional, separate public art pieces like Rise by Matthew Mazzotta.
City Center Array was commissioned by City of Providence’s Department of Parks for a budget of over $1.4 million. GuildWorks designed and installed this prize-winning, complex tensile shade structure over the Providence City Center Ice Rink. The "City Center Array" features a 3D cable network and suspended struts, designed for stability during snowy winters while providing aesthetic, efficient overhead coverage.
River Soundings is a 60-foot-tall public sculpture by the artist team Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan (Haddad|Drugan), located at the Rivermark Northern Liberties development in Philadelphia. Completed in 2025 as part of a $1.2 million commission, the sculpture serves as a landmark along the Delaware River Trail. In 2025, Philadelphia retained its status as the city with the highest density of public art in the country.
Cross Currents is an expansive, 57,000-square-foot public art installation by artist Adam Kuby, integrated into the infrastructure of the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). Completed in 2025 as part of the airport's Terminal Modernization Program with a budget of $1 million, it is one of the most prominent features of the new facility's exterior.