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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-19 Public Art Commission Summary Minutes IS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54954.2(a) OR SECTION 54956 PUBLIC ART COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Thursday, June 19, 2025 Community Meeting Room & Virtual 7:00 p.m. Commissioners Participating: Hsinya Shen, Harriet Stern, Amber Smith, Loren Gordon, Lisa Waltuch (joined remotely under AB2449), Ben Miyaji Commissioners Absent: Tara de la Garza City Council Participating: Vicki Veenker (joined at 8:10 pm) Staff Present: Elise DeMarzo, Public Art Program Director, CSD Nadya Chuprina, Public Art Program Coordinator, CSD Amanda Deml, Assistant Director, CSD Kristen O’Kane, Director, CSD CALL TO ORDER –Chair Shen called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS – None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 17, 2025 PAC Regular Meeting Minutes: Moved by Commissioner Miyaji Second by Commissioner Stern; All in Favor. STAFF COMMENTS –. Staff extended an invitation to the community celebration event on King Plaza on June 26, 5-7PM to unveil King Artist in Residence Aleo Landeta’s temporary sculpture based on their past nine months engaging the LGBTQ+ community. ACTION: 1. Downtown Parking Garage – Staff provided an informational update on the Downtown Parking Garage project development, including its initial timeline, artist selection process, and previously concluded community engagement and research by the artist, Amy Landesberg, to inform her conceptual design for public art. Initially launched in 2014, the development project was put on hold by City Council in 2018. At that time, artist Amy Landesberg’s initial conceptual design had been approved by the PAC in 2017. In 2025, the Council directed staff to resume the Downtown Garage development project. The Public Art Program staff reached out to the artist to confirm her interest and availability in resuming the project. Landesberg confirmed her interest as the project artist to continue development of the artwork for the garage structure and met with the design team. Upon reviewing updated garage design plans, the artist expressed her preference to create a new design which will be presented to the PAC for approval prior to initiating detailed design drawings and fabrication. Staff made a recommendation that the PAC allocate funds in the amount of $30,600 for conceptual design development of public art by artist Amy Landesberg for the Downtown Parking Garage to be funded through pooled Art in Public Spaces CIP funds. Motion: Commissioner Miyaji moved to allocate funding. Second: Vice Commissioner Gordon. All in Favor. 2. Code:ART 2025 – Staff provided an update on the status of community programming, including names and types of performing groups and tentative calendar of events activating King Plaza and the downtown corridor during the nights of the Code:ART festival, October 16-25. Staff recommended that the PAC approve funding in the amount of $10,000 to support performances by local groups in case Commissioners are unable to raise outside funding. Motion: Commissioner Gordon moved to approve the funds in the amount of $10,000 to support the performing arts acts at King plaza during Code:ART. Second: Commissioner Miyaji. All in Favor. NON-ACTION 3. Public Art in Private Development – Art consultant Danielle Wohl and a representative from Acclaim Companies made an initial presentation of the development project to be located at 3150 El Camino Real. The estimated public art allocation budget is $1,380,000. The consultant provided an overall architectural layout of the development, estimated construction timeline, and a list of preliminary sites for consideration for the placement of public art. Commissioners reviewed the plans and provided input regarding appropriate integration of public art, including bringing an artist / artist team onboard early in the development process so they could decide on the most appropriate locations and scale, considering how accessible, visible and impactful public art would be to general public, considering a thematic approach to artwork selection and commission. Commissioners also suggested that the development team consider consolidating art locations by commissioning fewer but more impactful pieces as opposed to dividing the budget between five artworks. The developer team will return to the Public Art Commission Fall 2025 to present their finalized public art plan for approval. 4. Public Art in Private Development – Jamie Jarvis with Stanford University presented the initial review for public art in private development associated with the 975 Page Mill Road development project. The presentation included an overview of the development: a comprehensive renovation of an existing building designed by Heather Young Architects, construction timeline and identified location for public art. The team has identified the ground floor lobby as the preferred site, due to its high visibility and public accessibility over 50 hours per week. The estimated art budget is $100,000. Stanford selected Danielle Wohl as the project art consultant. The team will select an artist to develop a dynamic (possibly generative) digital artwork to be displayed on a large video wall visible from inside and outside the building. Commissioners supported the idea for the identified art location due to its high visibility, limited budget, and accessibility by general public. They also noted some concerns about the rapid aging of digital art, driven by fast-paced technological advancements. The applicant team will return to the PAC at a later time with a finalized public art plan for approval. 5. Cubberley Community Center – Amanda Deml, CSD Assistant Director provided a summary of the development status of the Cubberley Strategic Activation Plan to guide near-term activation initiatives at the Cubberley site. The plan is closely aligned with the broader project phases – master planning, community engagement, and the anticipated Nov 2026 ballot initiative. CSD staff invited the Public Art Commissioners to provide input and ideas for various artist-led temporary activations, which could be supported through the Art Lift grants in 2026, or other special projects and initiatives. Commissioners provided some input including considering creating a multi-use public space at Cubberley similar to the 975 Page Mill Road Stanford Research Park site, activating Cubberley by setting up a coffee cart and seating, facilitating performing arts events and brining lectures and public talks to the campus, utilizing Cubberley spaces for temporary exhibitions and pop-up galleries. PUBLIC LETTERS – None COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, OR FUTURE ITEMS: None CALENDAR: PAC Regular Meeting – July 17, 2025, at 7 pm. MEETING ADJOURNED: at 8:43 pm by Commissioner Shen after Commissioner Miyaji left the meeting.