The Arts and Humanities Council for Montgomery County (AHCMC), Montgomery County’s designated local arts agency, administers the Montgomery County Public Art Trust – the county’s central program for managing and commissioning all public art on County-owned property. The mission of the Public Arts Trust is to build and inspire communities through place-making, to nurture artists engaged in public art, and care for the County’s extensive collection of public art. Montgomery County’s public art collection includes 868 works of art, including works on paper and sculpture/murals.

The Contemporary Works on Paper Collection was launched in 1975 with the intent to encourage and support the visual arts in Montgomery County both by the purchase and exhibition of local artists’ works.  Major prints by members of the Washington Color School including Thomas Downing, Howard Mehring and Sam Gilliam were added, thus placing area artists within the perspective of artists of national reputation. This collection has grown to more than 500 artworks and consists of drawings, paintings, lithographs and more, and is exhibited in public buildings throughout the County and rotated periodically.