Is this Good Civil Service Practice? Reflections on Public Art from A Civil Servant Perspective

This essay asks what good civil servant practice is when it comes to working with public art. It collects reflections and lessons learned from the years 2021 to 2025, when the author tried to establish a long-term model for working with street art in a Swedish municipality. Focusing on several public artworks created during that period, the essay highlights the sometimes-contradictory tasks a civil servant has, balancing artistic vision with the regulations and constraints of the public sector.