HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-07-20 Public Art Commission Summary Minutes
MINUTES
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
MEETING
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Community Meeting Room & Virtual
7:00 p.m.
Commissioners Participating: Hsinya Shen, Ben Miyaji, Nia Taylor, Lisa Waltuch
(participated remotely under “just cause”)
Commissioners Absent: Loren Gordon
Staff Present: Elise DeMarzo, Public Art Program Director
Nadya Chuprina, Public Art Program Coordinator
CALL TO ORDER – Chair Shen called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS – None.
PUBLIC COMMENT – None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES - PAC Regular Meeting May 18, 2023 Moved: Commissioner Miyaji;
Second: Commissioner Taylor. All in Favor.
STAFF COMMENTS – Staff updated the Commission on the community meeting with artist Stephen
Galloway selected to create site-specific artwork for the Fire Station 4 Redevelopment Project. Members
of the public who attended the meeting at Mitchell Park library learned about Galloway’s previous work
and shared input about the neighborhood to help inform the artist’s design development. Staff also
updated the Commission on the recently concluded art maintenance and care projects.
NON-ACTION:
1. California Avenue District Murals – Staff provided a summary of the pilot Murals Event that
took place in the California Avenue District June 1-9, 2023. Staff shared images of the three
completed murals by California muralists selected for the commissions. The paining of two
murals on privately owned walls and one streetscape mural at the California Ave – Ash St
intersection was followed by a well-attended public event and tour. The artists were onsite to
introduce their murals to the public. Staff thanked all the volunteers and commissioners who
contributed to the project and supported the artists. Chair Shen commended the staff for their
planning efforts to realize this pilot. There was some discussion among the commissioners about
the success of this pilot public – private partnership and the desire to bring more murals to
various areas of Palo Alto.
2. Code:ART 2023 - Staff provided a comprehensive overview of the Code:ART interactive media
festival returning to Palo Alto on October 12, 13, and 14th, and shared updated visuals and
descriptions of the updated event branding, featured installations, festival map, and public
programming and tours taking place during the festival. The anchor installation will be by Nate
Mohler and take place in King Plaza. Six Urban Interventions by Steven Wallace, Ruokan He,
Pneuhaus, Jeffrey Yip, Cory Barr and Paul Mann, and Tong Wu and Yuguang Zhang.
3. PAC Annual Retreat – Staff and Commissioners discussed the upcoming PAC Annual Retreat.
Staff suggested holding this year’s retreat at the Downtown Library on a selected date in September.
Staff will follow up with the Commissioners to identify a date based on everyone’s availability.
PUBLIC COMMENT – Community member Jasmin Aber addressed the Commissioners with a general
question about artist opportunities, and artist selection processes for public art commissions in Palo Alto.
4. Public Art Commission Members – Commissioners led a discussion about the necessity to
increase the commission number back to seven members due to the consistently high volume of
ongoing and planned projects and commissions, issues with quorum, and the need to have more
diversity and community representation on the Commission. PAC Chair proposed that the
Commissioners draft an official Request Letter to City Council requesting reinstating the number
of PAC commissioners back to seven. The draft letter will be reviewed and approved by the PAC
before submission to City Council in September. Commissioners are asked to direct any feedback
or talking points to staff to forward to Chair Shen.
COMMISSIONER REQUESTS: Chair Shen requested that a Public Art Commission Members item to
review and approve the official request letter to City Council is added to the next meeting agenda.
CALENDAR: Next PAC Regular Meeting – August 17, 7 pm at City Hall Community Meeting Room.
MEETING ADJOURNED: at 7:46 by Chair Shen.