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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-03-15 Public Art Commission Summary MinutesMINUTES PUBLIC ART COMMISSION MEETING Thursday, March 15, 2018 Palo Alto City Hall Community Meeting Room 7:00 p.m. Commissioners Present: Jim Migdal, Ben Miyaji, , Hsinya Shen, Nia Taylor, Loren Gordon arrived at 7:02 Amanda Ross arrived at 7:04 Commissioners Absent: Mila Zelkha Staff Present: Elise DeMarzo, Public Art Program Director Nadya Chuprina, Public Art Program Coordinator CALL TO ORDER: Chair Migdal called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS – None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 15, 2018 PAC Special Meeting Minutes Moved: Jim Migdal; Second: Nia Taylor. All in favor. STAFF COMMENTS: Staff announced that the City is currently recruiting to fill positions for the Public Art Commission with the application deadline of March 20, 2018 and encouraged the commissioners eligible to re-apply to complete their applications and also reach out to community members interested in serving on the Commission to apply with a deadline of Monday, March19. Staff also announced that the Public Art Program is recruiting volunteers to help artist Konstantin Dimopoulos install his Blue Trees project on King Plaza. The installation process will take place May 14 – 18. Community members interested in volunteering are asked to contact Public Art staff to sign up. ACTION: 1.Downtown Garage –Staff provided an update about the design development status of the Downtown Garage structure and its tentative construction timeline. Staff provided a summary of the artist selection process for the project, presented examples of selected artist Amy Landesberg’s previous artwork, and provided insight into the artist’s conceptual design development process for the artwork to be integrated into the garage. Inspired by the topography of Palo Alto, Landesberg has developed a concept for artwork she currently refers to as Tapestry, to be integrated into the large perforated metal panels above the stairwell and main entrance as opportunity to leverage the art budget and achieve high visibility. Staff demonstrated conceptual sketches of the artwork design to the PAC and noted that the final selection of colors and materials is yet to be determined. Commissioners reviewed the conceptual designs and suggested that the staff provide material samples and detailed renderings of finalized design as the project progresses. The Commissioners also made a suggestion that the artist considers using bolder color pallet and appropriate scale to ensure the artwork is visually impactful. Moved: Chair Migdal moved to approve the artwork concept for the Downtown Parking Garage. Second: Vice Chair Miyaji. All in Favor. 2. Collection Maintenance – Staff provided an overview of the current condition and previous maintenance and conservation treatments for the sculpture Nude in Steel by Hans Wehrli permanently installed at the northern entrance to Rinconada Library. A water sprinkler located behind the sculpture sprays the metal sculpture on a daily basis which accelerates the sculpture corrosion and paint loss. Staff wishes to replace the existing sprinkler with a drip irrigation system and introduce a new landscape around the sculpture. Additionally, staff is currently in the process of identifying a metal specialist to perform maintenance to remove rust and recoat the sculpture. Moved: Commissioner Shen moved to approve funding in the amount of $7,000 for the irrigation and landscaping project for Nude in Steel. Second: Vice Chair Miyaji. All in Favor. 3. 429 University Ave – Final Review for art in private development project associated with the 429 University Ave. project. Developers Jaime and Elisabeth Wong and project architect Peter Ko presented selected sculpture by artist Albert Dicruttalo, to be placed on the exterior corner of the building facing Kipling Street and Lane 30 on the second floor level. Additionally, they shared the artist’s previous work, sketches of the proposed artwork and renderings showing the artwork location, and addressed methods of attachment of the suspended artwork outside the glass wall of the stairwell. Commissioners reviewed the presented slides and packet. Several expressed overall concerns about the selected placement for the sculpture, noting that the artwork seems ill fitting in the proposed location. Two Commissioners suggested the developers consider contributing to the Public Art Fund in-lieu of installing the artwork onsite. Moved: Vice Chair Miyaji moved to approve the art plan for 429 University Ave. Second: Commissioner Shen. Motion passed: 4-2. Migdal, Taylor abstained. NON-ACTION: 4. Discussion regarding sites available for viewing examples of public art – Staff updated the Commission on a number of online resources for examples of public art projects and artist registries, best practices and services related to public art. The provided list of resources is available on the Public Art Program website and as part of the packet for private developers commissioning art of site in Palo Alto. ANNOUNCEMENTS – Commissioner Gordon made an announcement about the upcoming lecture titled “The Art of Making Space Public” by Barbara Goldstein at Canter Art Center on April 25, 2018. Gordon also announced an upcoming artist talk by Judy Chicago at Bing Concert Hall at Stanford on April 23, 2018. CALENDAR: Next PAC Regular Meeting – April 19, 2018 at 7 PM at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. MEETING ADJOURNED at 8:30 PM by Chair Migdal.