In 1959 the Board of Selectmen created the Provincetown Art Commission and charged it with the responsibility for cataloging, appraising, restoring and maintaining the many works of art owned by the Town of Provincetown. The Commission meets regularly at Town Hall to develop policies for the care and management of the collection. They set priorities, review new gifts of art to the collection, and determine how best to care for, store and display it.

The Art Commission has developed a catalog of all works in the collection, has visually and digitally photographed the works, and set up a web site at www.provincetown-ma.gov/artcomm/aboutcollection.asp .

To further assist in fulfilling its mandate to care for the Collection in a manner consistent with professional standards, the Commission has established a contract with an Art Consultant to undertake a conservation assessment of all the works in the Collection. The Consultant will also actively seek out grant opportunities related to caring for the collection, and exhibition venues, to make the rich resources of the Provincetown Art Collection better known to the arts community and the general public.