The purpose of this study is to investigate how a larger Swedish municipality administer public art and to what extent the practical work relates to the objectives adopted in the municipal comprehensive plan. A qualitative method conducted by semi structured interviews in three tiers with a politician, an official, a representative of an artist organization and a local artist constitutes the base of the study. The interviews are also complemented with subject relevant literature and analysis of municipal documents to support the findings. Results show that the politician and the official have contrasting views on how to concretize the objectives. The discrepancy may cause a misconception of what to expect from public art investments. Further results indicate that municipal practice on the selection of artists, together with the strict bureaucratic framework, may have negative effect on the diversity of artistic expressions that is viewed as important for an attractive city. After years of poor public art management in the surveyed municipality, a foundation is at the time of writing being established to enable more strategic management. Overall the study presents challenges and opportunities about the future of public art management in a mid-sized Swedish municipality.