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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-05-17 Public Art Commission Summary MinutesMINUTES PUBLIC ART COMMISSION MEETING Thursday, May 17, 2018 Palo Alto City Hall Community Meeting Room 7:00 p.m. Commissioners Present: Jim Migdal, Hsinya Shen, Nia Taylor, Loren Gordon, Mila Zelkha arrived at 7:02 Commissioners Absent: Amanda Ross, Ben Miyaji 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 – Palo Alto resident Ann Pianetta addressed the Commission with a suggestion to designate public spaces around Palo Alto that could be leased to local artists for temporary art installations. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: April 19, 2018 PAC Regular Meeting Minutes Moved: Jim Migdal; Second: Hsinya Shen; All in favor. STAFF COMMENTS: Staff provided an update on the completion of installation of the Blue Trees by Konstantin Dimopolous and public event on May 16 in King Plaza. Staff informed the Commissioners that over 50 people attended the opening event with the artist talk, reception and live music. Staff also announced that intern Angeera Khadka will be joining the program as a summer intern. Staff also announced that Ian Klaus was appointed by City Council as a Public Art Commissioner. Staff also announced that Commissioner Mila Zelkha will be concluding her term on the Public Art Commission and thanked Commissioner Zelkha for her dedicated service on the Commission. ACTION: 1.The Baylands Artist-in-Residence – Staff provided an update on the artist selection process for the Artist-In-Residence for the Baylands Nature Preserve. Eight artists and artist teams submitted applications in response to the call for artists. Two finalists were interviewed by staff and PAC Chair Migdal. Environmental artists Daniel McCormick & Mary O’Brien of Watershed Sculpture were selected as the finalists based on their previous experience working in similar environments, public engagement and experience with master planning. Chair Migdal commented on the artists’ qualifications and examples of previous projects. Staff requested that the Commission approve Daniel McCormick & Mary O’Brien as the Artists-In-Residence for the Baylands to participate in the development of the Baylands Comprehensive Conservation Plan (BCCP). Moved: Chair Migdal moved to approve the artists-in-residents for the Baylands. Second: Commissioner Zelkha. All in Favor. 2. De-accession of Artwork –Staff provided background information about the commissioning history and conditional source of funding provided by the City’s Utilities Department for the ten murals painted on utility cabinets in downtown Pal Alto. Staff reiterated the underlying condition for funding of the temporary pilot project by Utilities Department as their right to remove traffic signal cabinets after four years or sooner should the equipment fail or become outdated, or the artwork get vandalized or faded. Xochitl Kuriger, Kate Orange, Cristina Strassman, John N. Betts, Ceevah Sobel, Susan Hemmingway, Gunn High School students Chelsea Hodge and Kiel Brennan-Marquez, and Paly High School students Alison Hoyt, Larkin Elderon, and Katie Morton were selected to create temporary murals. In 2016 as part of the City of Palo Alto’s multi- year infrastructure and street improvement project, the City removed 4 cabinets as obsolete utility equipment. Public Art staff was notified only after their removal. The remaining cabinets are scheduled to be removed in Summer 2018. Based on these staff recommends the formal deaccession of all ten painted utility boxes, and requests PAC initiates deaccession review process based on for the following considerations: 1) Significant changes to the design of the site have occurred which affect the integrity of the artwork; 2) No suitable site is available for relocation or exhibition; 3) The artwork has exceeded its expected lifespan. Commissioners inquired whether the cabinets could be either returned to the artists or reinstalled at a different location. Staff informed the Commissioners that all removed infrastructure needs to be returned to the City’s Utilities department to be properly disposed of, and added that staff would follow up with Utilities on the possibility of the removed utility boxed to be returned to the artists. Moved: Chair Migdal moved to initiate the deaccession review process for 10 murals. Second: Commissioner Gordon. In Favor: Commissioners Zelkha and Shen. Opposed: Commissioner Taylor. 3. Collection maintenance – Staff provided an overview of the current condition of Universal Woman, a 10-foot bronze sculpture by artist Nathan Oliveira permanently sited at the Palo Alto Art Center sculpture garden. The artwork gifted to the City by the Oliveira family in 2014 has not received conservation treatment since its installation in 2014 and is due for cleaning and wax treatment. It is anticipated this treatment will be required every X years. Moved: Commissioner Taylor moved to approve the allocation of funds in the amount of $6,000 for conservation of the sculpture. Second: Chair Mgdal. All in Favor. ANNOUNCEMENTS – Commissioner Zelkha addressed the Commissioners and staff to thank them for providing her with the opportunity to serve on the Commission and offered to volunteer to serve on artist selection panels for future public art commissions. CALENDAR: Next PAC Regular Meeting – June 21, 2018 at 7 PM at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. MEETING ADJOURNED at 7:40 PM by Chair Migdal.