After the establishment of the Public Art Program in 2000, the Public Art Committee took the first sixteen months of its existence doing background work in preparation of the first annual plan. This initial background work included conducting a conservation assessment of the existing public art collection, establishing a conservation master plan, conducting a search for a conservation consultant, and researching and propagating rules to conduct the public art program. That background work resulted in the 2001 Annual Art Plan which established the Guidelines for the Public Art Ordinance, and initiated a comprehensive conservation program for the collection. By the time that the initial background work had been completed for the City's first ever annual art plan, however, the annual art funding cycle was in its second year. The budget for the 2001 Annual Art Plan, therefore, used funds from the 2000 C.I.P. public art allocation. This syncopation continued the following year when the 2002 Annual Plan used 2001 C.I.P. public art funds. The 2001 Annual Art Plan concentrated on initiating the conservation program. The 2002 Annual Art Plan initiated new commissions and a pilot program in community-based arts. The 2003 Annual Art Plan is building on the successes of these foundation years to complete early work, and to use the lessons learned so far to initiate a new public art commission as well as expand the community-based arts program to off-peninsula neighborhoods.

The Portland City Council established the Portland Public Art Program in the spring of 2000 in order to preserve, restore, enhance and expand the City's public art collection. The ordinance requires that the Portland Public Art Committee submit to Council an annual art plan which outlines recommendations for allocating the C.I.P. public art percentage, administration of the program, conservation of the collection, and initiation of new projects.