HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 6820
City of Palo Alto (ID # 6820)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Action Items Meeting Date: 8/15/2016
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: Public Art Master Plan
Title: Adoption of the Public Art Master Plan to Guide Public Art for the Next
Decade, Authorize the City Manager to Adopt Policies and Guidelines to
Implement the Plan, and Direct Staff to Return With Amendments to the
Municipal Code Provisions on Public Art
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Community Services
Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council review and approve the Public Art Master Plan (Plan),
authorize the City Manager to adopt policies and guidelines to implement the Plan
(including deaccessioning artwork, gifts of artwork, murals, temporary artwork and
artist selection guidelines), and direct staff to return to Council with amendments to the
Municipal Code sections governing public art.
Executive Summary
With the support of the Public Art Commission, staff initiated a call for public art master
planners in late 2014 and awarded a contract in February 2015. Consultants Barbara
Goldstein and Gail M. Goldman engaged the community in extensive outreach efforts
and worked with staff to develop a proactive Public Art Master Plan to guide the City’s
activities and priorities for public art over the next ten years. The Plan was shaped by
input from a Master Plan Advisory Committee, the Public Art Commission, City staff, and
the input of more than 300 community members.
The Public Art Master Plan (Attachment A) describes a clear vision for the Public Art
Program and the Public Art Commission for the next ten years, offering greater
transparency and accountability for staff and the public. As the Public Art Program
continues to grow and thrive, offering more dynamic art experiences to the public, the
Public Art Commission and staff will use the Plan as their roadmap to fostering public
art that reflects Palo Alto’s place as a global City.
Background
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While Palo Alto has supported public art since the 1970’s, the program has grown and
adopted additional best practices in the profession in recent years. The collection now
boasts over 300 pieces, both indoor and outdoor, collectively valued at more than $2
million dollars. Portable artworks require tracking, condition monitoring, re-installation,
and conservation. The outdoor collection and murals also require regular maintenance
and care. In addition, the Public Art Program manages an active temporary public art
program, multiple municipal public art projects, and more than thirty private
developments that qualify for the incorporation of public art. The program has two full-
time staff members, with additional oversight by the Assistant Director of Community
Service overseeing the Arts and Sciences Division.
In 2014, with an increase in funding from the Public Art in Municipal Projects program
and additional funds anticipated from the Public Art in Private Development program,
staff and the Public Art Commission agreed that there was a need to develop a
proactive ten-year vision and priorities for the future of the Public Art Program. Staff
launched an open call for master plan consultants and in February 2015 awarded the
contract to Barbara Goldstein & Associates with Gail M. Goldman Associates. Both
consultants are nationally recognized experts in the field of public art and cities such as
Pasadena, Seattle, Claremont, San Antonio, San Jose, Carlsbad, and many others have
turned to them for their expertise in the field and in-depth knowledge of best practices
in the field of public art policy. Staff and the Commission charged the consultants with
guiding the development of a ten-year plan that will provide a clear vision for the future
of public art in Palo Alto. The work was intended to outline goals, identify relevant
programmatic themes and artistic approaches, explore strategic partnerships and
possible sources of alternative funding, and provide direction for ongoing program
development and management. Other tasks included addressing ongoing public
engagement, identifying increased opportunities for public art, recommending new and
updated policies and procedures, and celebrating art as an essential element of a
thriving community.
Discussion
The consultants began by conducting research into Palo Alto’s existing public art
policies and plans and City of Palo Alto planning documents. The consultants also
reviewed the existing public art collection, making comments and recommendations
regarding the breadth and scope of the collection as well as individual works within the
collection.1
Staff from several of the City’s departments were involved in giving input on all aspects
of the Public Art Master Plan. Appendix 1 outlines both the internal and external
meeting logs during the master plan outreach stages. The consultants wanted to be
1 In addition to working with the master plan consultants, staff retained a specialist in arts conservation,
the Architectural Resources Group (ARG), to conduct a conservation assessment of art works in the public
art collection. Staff expects the assessment to be completed in the fall of 2016.
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sure that they understood any concerns and identified opportunities available for
partnership and art integration within the City of Palo Alto.
The team conducted the following outreach efforts, in partnership with City staff,
reaching more than 300 community members:
20 Focus Groups including neighborhood groups, business leaders, educators,
youth, environmentalists, community activists and artists;
One “Boot Camp” to educate various City Commissioners and Department staff
about the process of commissioning and maintaining public art;
Four Public Art Commission meetings;
Three Public Art Advisory Committee meetings comprised of a cross-section of
Palo Alto leaders;
One Public Art Commission retreat;
Two Public Community Forums that were advertised broadly and held at two
different times of the day for maximum accessibility;
One Public Art Workshop where Public Art Commissioners and community
members were invited to comment on emerging themes and identify potential
artwork locations;
One City Council Study Session; and
One Historic Resources Board meeting.
The team also initiated an artist-led design project, called What’s the Big Idea? The
project was carried out by Mobile Arts Platform (MAP), led by artists Peter Foucault and
Chris Treggiari, and engaged nearly 400 people at 18 different sites about the future of
public art in Palo Alto. Public Art Commissioners frequently worked alongside the artists
to engage the public in the project. The interactions with the public generated more
awareness of the public art program and lively discussion regarding the definitions and
purposes of public art. As part of those discussions, the artists asked the public where
public art should be incorporated in the future. The results are listed in Appendix 2. The
summary of the Mobile Arts Platform project can be viewed as Appendix 3.
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The staff and consultant team presented the emerging themes to Council at a Study
Session on October 5, 2015 and gathered Council’s input on the plan. The Public Art
Master Plan Advisory Committee, chaired by Public Art Commission Vice-Chair Ben
Miyaji, the Public Art Commission, City staff and other key stakeholders reviewed drafts
of the Master Plan. Many beneficial comments and edits were received and the draft
Plan was extensively revised. The Public Art Commission invested a lot of its meeting
time over several months into the review of the draft Public Art Master Plan until its
final approval in May 2016. The attached Plan, Attachment A, reflects the input from
those groups.
The Plan lays out bold new vision and mission statements for the program, as well as
guiding principles, goals, themes, and a menu of short-term, mid-term and long-term
recommendations to be used by staff and the Commission in establishing annual work
plans. (See Appendix 5). Taking into account staff capacities and unforeseen future
projects or budget restraints, the Public Art Commission and staff will work closely
together to ensure that annual work plans are achievable. The recommendations are, in
effect, aspirational and not intended to be binding. While staff and Commissioners are
excited about implementing many recommendations, not every recommendation will be
implemented, and the timing will depend on many factors, including funding and
prioritization of arts activities.
The guiding principles outlined in the plan state that Palo Alto’s public art will:
Be distributed citywide, focusing on areas where people gather and in
unexpected places that encourage exploration;
Represent a broad variety of artistic media and forms of expression;
Enhance City infrastructure, transportation corridors and districts;
Include both permanent and temporary artworks;
Strive for artistic excellence; and
Be maintained for people to enjoy.
The themes identified during the outreach process were used to frame the
recommendations in the Plan. The themes that emerged through the public outreach
were:
Increase accessibility to public artwork and experiences while reinforcing
community and neighborhood identity.
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Provide meaningful arts opportunities for youth and families.
Engage partners to build support for public art.
Employ art to promote environmental stewardship.
Make art integral to the City’s planning efforts.
Support local and regional artists.
Increase public awareness of the program and collection.
Specific recommendations to support these emerging themes include considering ideas
such as: embedding an artist in a City department to help with design challenges,
commissioning artists to create artworks that invite physical interaction, and installing
temporary artworks in neighborhood bulb-outs and roundabouts.
As part of the Master Planning process, staff and the Commission asked the consultants
to make recommendations regarding updating the Public Art Program’s policies and
governance documents, in order to better align these documents with best practices in
the field of public art. While some existing policies, guidelines and ordinances only
require minor amendments to tighten definitions and update terms, the consultants also
recommend a number of new policies and guidelines adapted from other successful
public art programs. Consistent with those recommendations, the consultants, staff
and stakeholders have been drafting and revising new and updated policies and
guidelines. Policies that are in substantially final form are attached to this report for
Council’s information. Staff recommends that the Council authorize the City Manager to
adopt public art policies and guidelines, and amend them from time to time as needed
to maintain the public art program consistent with best practices in the field and with
Palo Alto’s needs. A brief summary of the major recommendations follows:
Deaccession Policy- The City of Palo Alto’s previous deaccession policy was out of
date and required more clarity around the process and the rationale for
deaccessioning an artwork. The consultants recommend updating the policy
using best practices in the field, tailored to suit Palo Alto. The PAC vetted a draft
of the policy and supports the new procedures. (Attachment B)
Gift Policy for artwork- While there is an existing City policy for gifts, having one
tailored for gifts of artwork was necessary to set expectations and rationale as to
why the Public Art Program may choose to accept a gift of artwork or not, as
well as outline the criteria for the acceptance of an artwork into the collection, as
per best practice in the field of public art. This policy would replace the out of
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date public art accession policy as well as address gifts of artwork to be a
transparent as possible on the process. This policy is based on existing policies in
use in other cities and tailored to suit Palo Alto. (Attachment C)
Murals Policy- Having a specific murals policy has recently become best practice
in the field of public art, and Palo Alto does not have an existing policy. Because
murals fall somewhere between temporary public art and permanent public art,
and they are frequently sited on private property, they often require unique
considerations. This policy is being developed, based on existing policies in use in
other cities and tailored to suit Palo Alto.
Temporary Artworks Policy- The Public Art Program’s previous temporary public
art guidelines were out of date and the language was vague. With the expansion
of the temporary public art program, it is important to have a well-crafted policy.
The recommended policy clarifies the terms of temporary public art exhibits, how
works are proposed, selected, and placed. The new policy is based on the best
examples of temporary public art policies and tailored for Palo Alto. (Attachment
D)
Artist Selection Guidelines – The public art program uses best practices to select
artists for public commissions, and recommends documenting those practices
through written guidelines. (Attachment E)
In addition to updating and adding new policies and guidelines, amendments to the
Municipal Code provisions on public art are needed. Staff recommends that the Council
direct staff to return on the Consent calendar with amendments, including:
Codifying prior direction of the Finance Committee to eliminate a funding step-
down for projects over $100 million and deleting an annual inflation adjustment
Adding definitions to increase clarity
Clarifying applicability to various types of development projects
Clarifying the scope of exemptions
Making other minor language changes as appropriate
Timeline
The Public Art Commission and staff plan to hold a retreat soon after the adoption of
the Plan to create a two-year workplan, using the new Public Art Master Plan as a
guide. Staff and the Commission will need to work together to keep in mind the staff
capacity to implement various aspects of the Plan and make adjustments as necessary
due to limited staff capacity, shifting priorities, unanticipated opportunities, and funding
fluxuations.
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Resource Impact
The projects listed in the recommendations of the Plan will be funded primarily through
funds generated by the Public Art in Municipal Projects Ordinance, the Public Art in
Private Development in-lieu funds, and the ongoing CIP allocation.
Policy Implications
The Public Art Master Planning efforts are consistent with Community Services section
policy C-23, “Explore a way to expand the space available in the community for art
exhibitions, classes and other cultural activities.”
Environmental Review
Adoption of the Public Art Master Plan is a planning document exempt from
environmental review (CCR Section 15262). Future public art projects will be subject to
environmental review.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Public Art Master Plan (PDF)
Attachment B: Deaccession Policy (DOCX)
Attachment C: Gifts of Artwork Policy (DOCX)
Attachment D: Temporary Public Art Policy (DOC)
Attachment E: Artist Selection Guidelines (DOCX)
CITY OF PALO ALTO
Public Art Master Plan
Revised Draft
Created in cooperation with Barbara Goldstein & Associates with
Gail M. Goldman Associates
6/1/2016
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 PLANNING FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE 5
1.2 MISSION STATEMENT 6
1.3 VISION STATEMENT 6
1.4 NEED FOR CULTURAL PLANNING 6
2. INTRODUCTION
2.1 THE COMMUNITY 8
2.2 HOW THE PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN CAME ABOUT 8
2.3 THE INFORMATION GATHERING PROCESS 9
2.4 INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS 10
2.5 EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS 11
3. GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND THEMES
3.1 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 13
3.2 THEMES 13
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4. GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 GOALS 15
4.2 RECOMMENDATIONS 15
4.3 IN BUSINESS DISTRICTS 17
4.4 IN NEIGHBORHOODS 20
4.5 ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS 22
4.6 EMPOWERING HIGH QUALITY PROJECTS USING DEVELOPMENT FEES 23
4.7 EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES 25
4.8 EMBEDDING ARTISTS IN THE WORK OF THE CITY 27
5. PUBLIC ART POLICY AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
5.1 COLLECTION MANAGEMENT 28
5.2 BEST PRACTICES: POLICY, MUNI CODE, AND GUIDELINES 29
5.3 PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION 30
6. APPENDICES 32
APPENDIX 1: LIST OF MEETING PARTICIPANTS
APPENDIX 2: LIST OF PROPOSED PUBLIC ARTWORK LOCATIONS
APPENDIX 3: ANALYSIS OF MOBILE ARTS PLATFORM (MAP)
APPENDIX 4: PUBLIC ART COLLECTION ASSESSMENT
APPENDIX 5: IMPLEMENTATION GRID
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City of Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 PLANNING FOR THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE
The City of Palo Alto is in the process of updating its comprehensive plan, looking at the work of
all of its City departments and engaging the community in this process. The development of this
Public Art Master Plan is particularly appropriate now because the Public Art Program
transitioned from volunteer to professionally-led in 2013 and there is accumulated funding
available for public art through the City’s Capital Improvement Program and a Private Percent
for Art ordinance that was approved by City Council in January 2014.
In early 2015, the Public Art Program engaged public art planners Barbara Goldstein and Gail M.
Goldman to lead the process in creating a Public Art Master Plan. The team conducted
extensive outreach and research and developed a plan working in collaboration with City staff,
the Public Art Commission and a Public Art Advisory Committee.
Throughout the course of research and community engagement for the Public Art Master Plan,
two overarching goals emerged. The first is the intense motivation to embrace ambitious, bold,
forward-thinking projects that take a serious amount of time to thoughtfully plan and
implement. These are the Big-Picture ideas and ideals for which the community aspires that will
put Palo Alto on the map as an innovative and notable city whose identity is defined by its
public art.
The second goal is fundamental to the success of the first. There is a compelling interest and
recognized need to create temporary artwork and interactive art experiences for residents and
visitors that can be commissioned within the first year. These are short-term projects that can
be accomplished easily and efficiently, that can be temporary or permanent in nature, and that
have funds readily available to allow immediate implementation.
These two goals-- summarizing the ideas and sentiments that the consultants heard from
stakeholders and gathered from planning documents--form the basis of this Public Art Master
Plan document. Each goal is supported by an exploration of a hierarchy of questions:
Where is the City of Palo Alto Public Art Program now?
Where does it want to be?
How does it get there?
How is the progress measured?
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In turn, these questions are addressed through a series of themes, objectives, and measurable,
recommended actions. Each step is generated in direct response to the Public Art Program
Mission and Vision, which are stated below.
1.2 MISSION STATEMENT
The Palo Alto Public Art Program promotes the highest caliber of artwork,
commissioning memorable public artworks and experiences that stimulate discussion
and thoughtful reflection, celebrating Palo Alto’s character and enhancing civic pride
and sense of place.
1.3 VISION STATEMENT
Public art reflects Palo Alto’s people, diverse neighborhoods, the innovative and global
character of its businesses and academic institutions, and the beauty of its natural
environment.
1.4 NEED FOR CULTURAL PLANNING
Aside from the ideas articulated for Public Art, there is strong community demand for
support of broader arts offerings and activities. These ideas will be incorporated in the
City’s future Cultural Plan, but are not within the scope of the Public Art Master Plan.
While Public Art is one of several Programs of the Division of Arts and Sciences in the
Community Services Department, the Division also includes two museums, three
theatres, an artist studio program and a teen-run “maker” program. Each program area
has or will have a plan that will become an element of the Division’s cultural plan,
estimated to be completed within three years. Many of the ideas voiced during the
Public Art planning process pointed to Palo Alto’s need to create a plan that will assess
the breadth of Palo Alto’s arts and cultural facilities and offerings and recommend how
to enhance these to serve the community in the future.
Some of the ideas that emerged for a cultural plan during the Public Art planning
process included:
Create art-focused central gathering places at areas suggested by the community:
the linear park/pathway adjacent to Caltrain, the area surrounding City Hall, and
Cubberley Community Center.
Focus on engagement, interaction and participation that involve teens in
collaboration with artists for the design of spaces where they can gather and
spend time; and create opportunities for community art-making events that build
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pride and connection to residents and local businesses. Many people suggested
increasing opportunities for teens to participate in creative activities to boost well-
being, self-esteem, and identifying places for youth to gather after school and
weekend to socialize without tech devices.
Build on current activities and programs at Cubberley Community Center. Already
home to several performing arts organizations, artists’ studios, the ArtLab, and
MakeX Studio, Cubberley Community Center offers a myriad of opportunities to
program classrooms and outdoor spaces for arts education, activities, festivals,
performances and temporary interactive public artwork. CSD could easily build on
this by engaging artists and young people in creating additional arts-centric
gathering areas. This could be a useful strategy for the City and PAUSD as they
explore the future of Cubberley.
Include additional studio, exhibition, rehearsal and performance spaces in the
renovation of Cubberley Community Center to meet the needs of the local artist
community. In developing Cubberley as an arts and culture destination, reconfigure
spaces to include more spaces for artists to develop their work and share it with the
community at large. Continue to include local artists and arts groups in the planning
of Cubberley’s future.
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2 INTRODUCTION
2.1 THE COMMUNITY
Palo Alto is a city with several distinct identities: it is a residential community with walkable
neighborhoods, high quality of life, award-winning schools, tree-lined streets and established
cultural institutions. It is the home of Stanford University and the innovative technology and
venture capital businesses it has attracted. The city is notable for a residential population of
66,000 and a daytime population of nearly twice that number. One-third of its land is dedicated
park land, and, with its highly educated and deeply engaged population, it is a city that takes its
politics and community involvement seriously.
To its long-time residents, Palo Alto is characterized by its charming, walkable neighborhoods,
parks, and distinctive small-scale shopping districts. Some remember the days when it was an
affordable, middle class small town, with strong company connections to Hewlett Packard and
Stanford University. To the approximate 60,000 daily commuters, Palo Alto is an important
location for start-up businesses with good restaurants. To new residents, it’s an exciting
gateway to the world of high tech and a great education for the kids. To the wider world, Palo
Alto is the heart of Silicon Valley’s technological revolutions.
While not everyone shares the identical vision of Palo Alto, all of them view it as a place that
values excellence, hard work, and a high quality of life. And, although Palo Alto is best known as
a center for technological innovation, its residents also place great value on its arts and cultural
offerings.
2.2 HOW THE PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN CAME ABOUT
The arts have long been important to Palo Alto, from the Palo Alto Art Center (PAAC) and
Children’s Theatre to the Pacific Art League and the community-based Palo Alto Philharmonic,
and West Bay Opera, the Cubberley Artist Studio Program (CASP) to the many arts programs
offered at the Cantor Art Center and Stanford Lively Arts. Public art, as one element of the arts
landscape, has had a growing presence starting with the creation of the Public Art Commission
in 1975, the passage of its municipal percent for art ordinance in 2005, and the Public Art
Program’s transition from volunteer-led to professionally-staffed in 2013.
The City acquired its first piece of public art in 1976 and the collection has grown to 344
artworks valued at nearly $2 million, including 44 permanently sited sculptures, 38 murals, and
262 portable works in its permanent collection. These are displayed throughout City facilities,
on publicly-accessible walls and on public property.
Public Art, a Program of the Division of Arts and Sciences in the Community Services
Department, is responsible for commissioning and placing art on public property and for
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administration of the private percent for art program which requires developers to commission
an artwork on site or pay an In Lieu fee. A percent for art program in public construction was
initiated in 2005 and was expanded to include a percent for art requirement for private
development in January 2014.
With the influx of funds anticipated from the public art in private development ordinance, staff
and the Commission desired an implementable plan to guide how those funds are used and
help provide direction to private developers commissioning art on site to ensure a cohesive
look and feel to the new artwork being commissioned throughout the city. Additionally, the
current priority to update the City’s 2007 Comprehensive Plan and the present development of
the Parks and Recreation Master Plan presented an opportunity to develop the Public Art
Master Plan in parallel with the other plans and allow for sufficient integration between
documents and priorities.
In late 2014, the Community Services Department and the Public Art Commission initiated a call
for consultants to create a 10-year public art master plan whose purpose was “to set a vision
and develop a plan that will provide a clear vision for the future of public art in Palo Alto.”
The plan was intended to:
Outline goals for public art in Palo Alto;
Identify relevant themes and priorities for the art program;
Identify strategic partnerships and possible sources of alternative funding; and
Provide direction for ongoing program development and management.
In late February 2015, after a formal RFP process, the City hired consultant Barbara Goldstein &
Associates with Gail M. Goldman Associates to lead the process of creating the Public Art
Master Plan.
2.3 THE INFORMATION GATHERING PROCESS
Since February 2015, the public art master plan consultants have completed extensive outreach
and research to understand the values and aspirations of the community, the resources
available and the opportunities for future placement of public art. A list of meeting participants
is attached to this report as Appendix 1 and a list of proposed public artwork locations
suggested by community members is attached to this report as Appendix 2.
The consultants conducted:
30 meetings and/or interviews with internal and external stakeholders including City
department heads and representatives, former and current Public Art Commissioners,
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business owners, developers and political leaders;
20 Focus Groups including neighborhood groups, business leaders, educators, youth,
environmentalists, community activists and artists;
One “Boot Camp” to educate various City Commissioners and Department staff about
the process of commissioning and maintaining public art;
Three Public Art Commission meetings;
Three Public Art Advisory Committee meetings comprised of a cross-section of Palo Alto
leaders;
One Public Art Commission retreat;
Two Public Community Forums that were advertised broadly and held at two different
times of the day for maximum accessibility;
One Public Art Workshop where Public Art Commissioners and community members
were invited to comment on emerging themes and identify potential artwork locations;
One City Council Study Session; and
One Historic Resources Board meeting.
In addition, the Public Art Program commissioned artists Chris Treggiari and Peter Foucault to
bring their Mobile Art Platform (MAP) “What’s the Big Idea” project to 18 different locations to
solicit community members’ ideas about how art and artists can transform Palo Alto. The MAP
was a means of reaching populations who have an important stake in Palo Alto and are unlikely
to attend public meetings – commuters, students, neighborhood residents and the elderly. A
list of MAP event locations and community observations is attached to this report as Appendix
3. Overall, the findings from all of the community outreach initiative were consistent with a
number of the same values, ideas and themes expressed by each group surveyed.
2.4 INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
During the course of the research, the consultants spoke to many City Department heads and
representatives about how their work intersects with the Public Art Program. In general, City
representatives were very supportive of the value public art can add to their work. Many cited a
workshop, sponsored by the City Manager’s Office, with Peter Kageyama entitled “For the Love
of Cities” that showcased examples of art enhancing place. Staff sees the value of integrating
public art into the work of their departments.
Some specific opportunities emerged from the consultants’ conversations with City
representatives, such as including artists on the design teams of new public facilities, pooling
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funds to create more impactful artworks, and commissioning unique artworks to complement
construction. City stakeholders also suggested ideas that were more relevant to the
development of the cultural plan that will be created by the Arts and Science Division. These
included promoting opportunities for youth and teens to create temporary artworks and
performances through the Palo Alto Art Center and the Children’s Theater, and exploring
partnership opportunities with the City Library to help promote and present the public art
collection and artists to the public.
The Public Art Program actively works with many departments throughout the City, and
especially in partnership with the other programs within the Division, including:
The Junior Museum and Zoo;
The Children’s Theatre;
Cubberley Artist Studio Program (CASP); and
Palo Alto Art Center (PAAC).
For example, the Public Art Program:
Collaborated with the PAAC on four temporary public art works installed while the Art
Center was closed for renovation in 2011;
Collaborated with the PAAC and Library Department selecting the artist team who
created the six-piece artwork, entitled “Brilliance; and
Works with the CASP artists on their required donations to the portable artworks
collection.
While the Palo Alto Art Center (PAAC) and Public Art Program have some areas of overlap, they
are distinct and complementary programs. PAAC is known for its youth and adult classes, its
public programs and its high quality exhibitions. Since 2011 it has developed temporary projects
and artist residencies outside its walls, most recently the Creative Ecology residency in
collaboration with the Junior Museum and Zoo. The Public Art Program has focused primarily
on permanently sited projects and has also initiated temporary projects. Temporary projects
are an area where PAAC and the Public Art Program can continue to share responsibility for
curation, fundraising and project management.
2.5 EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
Different opportunities and concerns emerged in conversations with neighborhood residents,
artists, developers, Stanford faculty, business people and commuters. In general, there were
many comments about the need to improve the quality of public artworks that the City
commissions. The emphasis was on the opportunities to employ art as a means of enhancing
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the physical landscape, addressing urban design challenges and bringing people together.
Stakeholders viewed public art as a means of creating stronger identities for Palo Alto’s
shopping districts, stimulating a connection between people with differing backgrounds,
enlivening pedestrian and bicycle routes and creating opportunities for employees to enjoy
Palo Alto outside of office hours. Interviewees defined public art broadly, including high quality
temporary and permanent artwork installations and frequently emphasized the value of
interactive artworks.
The Mobile Arts Platform (MAP) “What’s the Big Idea” project reached more almost 350 people
who hailed from a wide range of demographics. MAP was located in areas that attracted
substantially different populations and each of these populations had a slightly different
perspective on the types of public art that most appealed to them. In general, we found that
older participants valued public art as a means of connecting people and building community;
younger participants were interested in the potential of creating spontaneous street art and
representing the voice of their generation.
Private Developers are willing partners in the private percent for art program and see it as a
way of enhancing their projects. They stated their need for a better understanding of the total
public art fee and the process involved in determining whether to commission on-site artworks
or pay the In Lieu fee. Developers have concerns regarding potential delays associated with the
public art commissioning process and review procedures yet, all things considered, to date
prefer to commission on-site art for large scale projects.
Artists Chris Treggiari and Peter Foucault and their Palo Alto Mobile Art Platform (MAP) “What’s the Big Idea” project.
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3 GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND THEMES
3.1 GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Interviews and focus groups revealed both overlapping and differing perspectives from various
stakeholder groups. However, there were a number of recurring themes that arose in most
meetings. Based on that input, the consultants developed a number of guiding principles.
Palo Alto’s public art will:
Be distributed citywide, focusing on areas where people gather and in unexpected
places that encourage exploration;
Represent a broad variety of artistic media and forms of expression;
Enhance City infrastructure, transportation corridors and districts;
Include both permanent and temporary artworks;
Strive for artistic excellence; and
Be maintained for people to enjoy.
3.2 THEMES
Increase accessibility to public artwork and experiences while reinforcing community
and neighborhood identity. Palo Alto stakeholders support the distribution of artwork
and art experiences throughout all areas of the city, noting the importance of including
south Palo Alto and the University Avenue and California Avenue downtown areas.
Community members see public art as a catalyst for welcoming and orienting people to
neighborhoods, creating destinations and gathering places, enlivening the pedestrian
and bicycling experience and reinforcing a sense of community pride, identity and
connection to local history and culture.
Provide meaningful arts opportunities for youth and families. Stakeholders
consistently advocated for publicly accessible public art activities and events that
engage parents and their children.
Employ art to promote environmental stewardship. Palo Alto residents value the
natural environment more than almost any other characteristic of their city.
Stakeholders frequently expressed their love of local parks and open space, the Bay Trail
and the creeks. These places can be enhanced and celebrated through environmental
and interpretive artworks.
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Engage partners to build support for public art. Collaborating with Palo Alto’s
community organizations, businesses and citizen groups on public art projects and other
special initiatives will leverage financial and staff resources to deliver greater quality,
value and a broader range of public art experiences than would otherwise be possible.
These partnerships are important because they can stretch the resources for public art
in Palo Alto, open up a wider range of artistic opportunities, and broaden public art's
impact in the city.
Make art integral to the City’s planning efforts. Incorporating artists’ ideas into the
fundamental aspects of planning elevates the quality of the urban environment and
promotes a cohesive vision for the character of public places and neighborhoods.
Including public art considerations in Comprehensive and General Plan updates,
Strategic Plans, and Master Plans redefines the relationship of art to urban space as an
integral part of the urban infrastructure and the natural environment.
Support local and regional artists. Artists participated actively in the Public Art master
planning process, attending focus groups, community meetings and Mobile Art Platform
“What’s the Big Idea” events. Many of the artists who participated expressed feeling
isolated and under-recognized. Studio space in Palo Alto is expensive and there are few
places for artists to display their work or to meet one another. While Cubberley Artist
Studio Program provides studio space for approximately 25 artists, there is a growing
need for more affordable space and venues for artists to work and spend time together.
Increase public awareness of the program and collection. Bringing people together to
learn and connect around ideas, questions and concepts related to public art is a critical
investment in the success of the Public Art Program. This includes raising awareness of
existing and upcoming artwork installations, temporary artwork programming, and
community engagement and outreach initiatives.
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Open Air by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Philadelphia / Cloudgate by Anish Kapoor, Chicago / Non-Sign II by Led Pencil Studio, Blaine (WA)
4 GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 GOALS
Plan for and commission long-term, ambitious, bold, projects that will reflect Palo Alto’s
reputation as an innovative global city. These projects should be carefully planned and
thoughtfully implemented over time.
Commission short-term, temporary artwork and interactive art experiences for
residents and visitors that can be implemented within the next Year.
4.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
4.2.1 EXPLANATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are described as Short Term (within one year); Mid-Term (two
to five years) and Long-Term (six to ten years), providing a menu of options for the staff and
Public Art Commission to consider when creating their annual work plan. Existing Municipal
percent for art projects already in progress will have to be considered when creating these
work plans and selecting which recommendations to implement. It is also important to consider
that these recommendations are created in 2016, and there may be unanticipated changes in
funding opportunities, projects and priorities that may affect the timing, priority, or viability of
implementing these recommendations. Each requires careful planning, assembling an
appropriate team of stakeholders and partners, and adequate funding to proceed. Short-term,
temporary artwork projects provide the opportunity to increase the current level of
engagement of the curatorial and artist resources of the Palo Alto Art Center and the Cubberley
Artist Studio Program for artist selection panels and to assist with artist outreach.
Each recommendation includes potential funding sources, internal and external partners. Each
relies on the assistance of community organizations and the Public Art Commission to build
funding partnerships, relationships, and to seek private sponsorship from individuals or
businesses. Each recommendation is intended to insure the highest quality of artistic outcome.
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4.2.2 COMMUNITY PROCESS
Implementation of recommendations requires community engagement, and this should be
a managed process. The role of community members should be well defined so it is understood
in advance where and when their input will be sought. It also is important for city staff to make
progress reports to key community groups at specified points in the process, using all available
channels of communications, including social media, to keep diverse segments of the
community up to date on the project. In addition, all Public Art Commission meetings are open
to the public and are a valuable resource for information and discussions about public art
projects.
The community at large can be involved at these key junctures:
Visioning of the project prior to the artist selection;
Representation on artist selection panels;
Interaction with the artist finalists prior to development of an artwork proposal;
Initial introduction of the selected artist to the community, through presentations at
schools, community group meetings, libraries and other venues;
Guided tours and visits to the project site;
Providing public comments on artist proposals at Public Art Commission meetings.
A strong and open relationship between City staff, the artist and the community will result in a
project that is embraced and cared for by the public it serves.
Implementation of recommendations will also have an impact on Public Art Program staff’s
workload. Therefore, the Public Art Program and Public Art Commission will need to determine
which recommendations to implement first and which projects may require the support of
contracted art consultants. Ideally, City-funded projects, whether supported by CIP Percent for
Art or In Lieu Percent for Art funds, should be managed by Public Art Program staff with
approved art consultants employed only if necessary. Private developers can be encouraged to
employ pre-approved public art consultants to manage private percent for art projects. Projects
that are dependent on private fundraising may require engaging staff with fundraising expertise.
An implementation grid providing a summary list of each objective, recommendation, and
general cost estimates is attached to this report as Appendix 5. It should be noted that staff will
continue to explore potential grant opportunities to support public art initiatives.
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4.3 IN BUSINESS DISTRICTS
There are a variety of opportunities to integrate art into the design of Downtown and California
Avenue business districts. Each will require participation from businesses and business
associations. Timing and budgets will therefore depend on the ability of the Public Art Program
and Public Art Commission to build support for these projects.
Love Letter by Steve Powers, Philadelphia / Man of Fire by Kim Yasuda, San Jose / Cell Phone Disco by Informationlab, Pittsburgh
4.3.1 OBJECTIVE 1: Locate art in unexpected places, such as alleys, to provide an
element of surprise and whimsy to everyday life.
Businesses, community members and commuters encouraged art that enlivens the
pedestrian experience along sidewalks, alleys, parking garage interiors and other centers
of activity that tend to be overlooked.
4.3.1.1 Short Term Recommendation: Identify a total of six key alleys total in downtown
University Avenue and downtown California Avenue and engage artists to create
proposals for individual temporary artworks. This is an opportunity to engage
recognized street artists, muralists or installation artists. Consider commissioning
Stanford University MFA students.
Potential Funding Sources: In Lieu Percent for Art funds, match from business
associations, Palo Alto Zero Waste;
External Partnership Opportunities: Palo Alto Downtown, California Avenue
Business Association, business sponsorship;
Internal Partners: Public Art Commission, Cubberley Artist Studio Program,
Palo Alto Zero Waste.
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4.3.1.2 Short Term Recommendation: Commission an artist/artist team to create one
unique design for new benches planned for the University Avenue downtown
shopping district.
Potential Funding Sources: In Lieu Percent for Art, match from business
associations, CIP Percent for Art adding value to Department of Public Works
CIP;
External Partnership Opportunities: Palo Alto Downtown, local business
sponsorship;
Internal Partners: Public Art Commission, Department of Public Works.
4.3.1.3 Mid-Term Recommendation: Commission temporary artwork at the University
Avenue Caltrain Tunnel that creates a strong visual bridge among the City of Palo
Alto, its residents, businesses and the Stanford University community. Establish a
programmatic framework to replace the artwork annually and develop collateral
programming that engages commuters in arts related conversations and activities.
For example, commission an artist to develop a crowd-sourced patterned mural
throughout the length of the tunnel, or commission community members to
submit poems that can be painted on the tunnel walls, or commission applied
patterns to the tunnel floors that reflect themes submitted by commuters.
Potential Funding Sources: In Lieu Percent for Art, Palo Alto Downtown,
private business sponsorship;
External Partnership Opportunities: Palo Alto Downtown, private businesses,
Stanford University;
Internal Partnerships: Public Art Commission, Cubberley Artist Studio Program,
Transportation Division
4.3.1.4 Mid- Term Recommendation: Showcase the work of regional and national artists
and Stanford graduate students in a program of changing, playful, interactive
projects on Caltrain track fencing, Caltrain platforms, tunnels, walkways and
ground floor office windows. Work with local business associations and
neighborhood groups to identify two to four (2-4) opportunities annually.
Potential Funding Sources: In Lieu Percent for Art, business sponsorship;
External Partnership Opportunities: Caltrain, California Avenue Business
Association, private businesses, neighborhood associations;
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Internal Partnerships: Public Art Commission, Cubberley Artist Studio Program,
Transportation Division.
4.3.1.5 Mid-Term Recommendation: Employ an artist/historian team to capture the
unique music history of the California Avenue downtown district through
temporary public art in alleys, building lobbies and windows.
Potential Funding Sources: In Lieu Percent for Art fund, private sponsorship;
External Partnership Opportunities: California Avenue Business Association,
private businesses;
Internal Partners: Public Art Commission, Cubberley Artist Studio Program,
Palo Alto Art Center.
Working Man by Viola Frey, Pasadena / Wonderland by Jaume Plensa, Calgary / I See What You Mean by Lawrence Argent, Denver
4.3.2 OBJECTIVE 2: Integrate impactful, permanently-sited public art project in
business areas.
4.3.2.1 Long Term Recommendation (In- Progress): Employ an artist to be on the design
team for upcoming downtown garages and the new Public Safety Facility and
Garage adjacent to California Avenue to address facades and directional elements.
Potential Funding Sources: CIP Percent for Art, In Lieu Percent for Art;
External Partnership Opportunities: Palo Alto Downtown, local business
sponsorship;
Internal Partnerships: Public Art Commission, Department of Public Works,
Public Safety Department.
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4.3.2.2 Long Term Recommendation: Commission artist-designed gateways on University
Avenue at Alma and Middlefield. Select one artist to create impactful gateway
sculptures that visually announce the downtown.
Potential Funding Sources: CIP Percent for Art, In Lieu Percent for Art, business
sponsorship;
External Partnership Opportunities: private businesses;
Internal Partnerships: Public Art Commission, Department of Public Works.
4.4 IN NEIGHBORHOODS
Creating artworks in neighborhood settings is dependent on building partnerships with
individuals and community organizations. These partnerships are important because they can
stretch the resources for public art in Palo Alto, open up a wider range of artistic opportunities,
and broaden public art's impact in the city.
Laneways by Magda Sayeg, Sidney / FlipBooks by Jennifer Dixon, Seattle / Playground by Tom Otterness, New York
4.4.1 OBJECTIVE 3: Install public art in neighborhoods for residents to enjoy on a
daily basis.
Employ art to reflect community diversity and knit together Palo Alto’s 37
neighborhoods.
Rotate temporary art among neighborhoods to refresh the landscape, build
excitement and anticipation for what’s coming next, and engender cooperation
among neighborhood groups.
Present temporary art that changes over time and builds interest for repeat visits.
Identify locations along routes, such as traffic circles, rest areas or cul-de-sacs, where
changing artworks will enhance the walking or biking experience and encourage
conversation.
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Commission pedestrian and bike-friendly art on trails and bridges. Locate
permanent and temporary artworks that enhance the design of bridges and trails,
assist with navigation and reinforce the unique characteristics of place.
4.4.1.1 Short Term Recommendation: Select four neighborhoods in diverse areas of the
City to pilot creation of temporary artworks in right-of-ways, bulb-outs or traffic
circles, and plan to rotate these artworks among the neighborhoods.
Potential Funding Sources: CIP Percent for Art;
External Partnership Opportunities: Neighborhood organizations and private
individuals;
Internal Partners: Transportation Division to integrate footings into
pedestrian/bike areas recommended by Alta Design as part of Transportation
element of Comprehensive Plan.
4.4.1.2 Mid Term Recommendation: Commission serial art experiences such as Greg
Brown’s iconic downtown murals in other pedestrian-oriented areas, like Midtown,
the shopping center adjacent to Cubberley Community Center and pedestrian and
bicycle routes. Identify locations that enable artists to tell a story over a period of
time and in multiple places.
Potential Funding Sources: In Lieu Percent for Art and private donations;
External Partnership Opportunities: Neighborhood Councils, Silicon Valley
Bicycle Coalition, private individuals;
Internal Partners: Cubberley Artist Studio Program.
4.4.1.3 Mid Term Recommendation: Commission artist-designed directional and
informational elements and seating areas at City shuttle stops and bike corridors.
Integrate these into the planning of new shuttle routes.
Potential Funding Sources: CIP Percent for Art for design; Transportation
Division CIP funds for implementation;
External Partnership Opportunities: Neighborhood Councils, private
individuals;
Internal Partners: Public Art Commission, Transportation Division.
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4.4.1.4 Long-Term Recommendation: Commission and install art that invites climbing and
physical interaction. Place these in public parks, school grounds, walking and bike
paths to encourage engagement and stimulate physical activity by youth and
families. Work with the Parks Division of the CSD to identify three to six (3-6) parks
in diverse geographic areas of the City and engage an artist with a landscape design
firm for the design of a playground.
Potential Funding Sources: CIP Percent for Art adding value to CIP;
External Partnership Opportunities: Private donors;
Internal Partners: Parks Division to identify location opportunity and budget.
4.4.1.5 Long-Term Recommendation: Integrate art into Rinconada and Byxbee Parks.
Identify locations and commission permanent, impactful artworks that integrated
with the designs of these major parks.
Potential Funding Sources: CIP Percent for Art;
External Partnership Opportunities: Private donors;
Internal Partners: Parks Division to identify location opportunity and budget.
4.5 ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
A focus on the natural environment and sustainability is a priority in Palo Alto. Public art is an
important tool that can incorporate sustainable strategies, demonstrate green processes and
utilize green design, materials, theories and techniques.
Solar Phone Booth by Beth Furguson, Stanford University / Ridge and Valley by Stacy Levy, University Park (PA) /
Still Life with Landscape by Sarah Sze, New York
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4.5.1 OBJECTIVE 4: Use art to promote environmental stewardship and
sustainability. Create partnerships with Environmental Services and local
regional agencies to integrate public art into environmental projects.
4.5.1.1 Short-Term Recommendation: Embed an artist in the Environmental Services
Division of the Public Works Department. As the City updates its interpretive
programs, it can embed more artists for initiatives such as the recent Creative
Ecology Art Center initiative that provide opportunities for young people from
different communities to collaborate on art projects.
Potential Funding Sources: CIP Percent for Art, Environmental Services;
Internal Partners: Public Art Commission, Palo Alto Art Center, Cubberley
Artist Studio Program.
Carpet by Ellen Harvey, Chicago / Domestic Seating by Primitivo Suarez-Wolfe, San Francisco, / Light Channels by Bill Fitzgibbons, San Antonio
4.6 EMPOWERING HIGH QUALITY PROJECTS USING DEVELOPMENT FEES
The public art in private development ordinance offers developers the opportunity to create
on-site publicly accessible artworks or contribute to the In Lieu fund. In reviewing the
opportunities created by the private percent for art, the consultants see two paths the City can
take to employ the percent for art requirement to enhance its neighborhoods, shopping
districts and transportation corridors. Both approaches will provide developers with clear
direction and yield artworks that are of a relevant scale, location and medium to enhance their
developments and their surroundings.
One path is to treat each new development as a separate project, stimulating high quality
artworks by providing developers with guidelines regarding different architectural typologies.
These guidelines should articulate the appropriate locations for /project types, the appropriate
media, the /need for public art consultants so that their on-site project reach a high standard
and meet the City’s design aspirations.
Another path is for the Public Art Program to commission a series of area-specific art plans
throughout the city that would identify locations, types of art, and media appropriate for the
area that would help reinforce the distinct characters of these districts and make them more
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desirable destinations. Developers could review the plan relevant to the area in which they are
building and choose to pay the In Lieu fee toward the realization of the artwork identified in the
plan. Staff would then be responsible for implementing these plans.
4.6.1 OBJECTIVE 5: Commission artists or artist/design teams to create specific
public art plans for areas of Palo Alto where development is taking place.
The distinct areas that could benefit from a comprehensive approach to public art planning are
downtown California Avenue, including adjacent alleys, from the train station to El Camino;
downtown University Avenue, including adjacent alleys, from Middlefield to Alma; Stanford
Research Park; El Camino Real corridor from San Antonio to Sand Hill Road; the Embarcadero
Corridor east of 101; and the Charleston Arastradero corridor from Middlefield to Gunn High
School.
4.6.1.1 Short Term Recommendation: Solicit detailed public art plans for the
Embarcadero Corridor, downtown University Avenue and Stanford Research Park.
Potential Funding Sources: In Lieu Percent for Art;
External Partnership Opportunities: Palo Alto Downtown, Stanford Research
Park;
Internal Partners: Planning & Community Environment, Development Services.
4.6.1.2 Mid-Term Recommendation: Solicit detailed public art plans for El Camino Real,
California Avenue downtown and the Charleston Arastradero Corridor.
Potential Funding Sources: In Lieu Percent for Art;
External Partnership Opportunities: California Avenue Business Association,
Gunn High School, private businesses and individuals;
Internal Partners: Planning & Community Environment, Development Services.
4.6.1.3 Mid-Term Recommendation: Provide developers with the option to contribute In
Lieu toward the realization of an artwork included in the completed public art
plan specific to the area in which the development is located.
Total Cost: None;
External Partnership Opportunities: California Avenue and Palo Alto
Downtown, Stanford Research Park, Private Developers;
Internal Partners: Planning & Community Environment, Development Services.
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4.6.1.4 Long-Term Recommendation: Commission specific artworks identified in the
public art development district plans as funding accumulates. Oversight of artist
and artwork selection and project management are the responsibility of Public
Art Program staff in accordance with established practices and procedures.
Funding Source: In Lieu Percent for Art;
External Partnership Opportunities: California Avenue and Palo Alto
Downtown, Stanford Research Park;
Internal Partners: Planning & Community Environment, Development Services.
Participants in Palo Alto Mobile Art Platform (MAP) by Chris Treggiari and Peter Foucault / Students from Azusa Pacific University (CA)
create mosaic artworks for Azusa Downtown Station by Jose Antonio Aguirre / Students from Cal State University
San Bernadino (CA) work on Blue Tree by Greenmeme
4.7 EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES
Collaborating with other City Department as well as Palo Alto’s community organizations,
Stanford University businesses and citizen groups on public art educational initiatives will
leverage financial and staff resources to deliver greater quality, value and a broader range of
public art experiences than would otherwise be possible. Building support and momentum for a
high quality public art program is dependent on engaging community members and all partners
in the value of public art.
Educational programming will help accomplish this objective. The implementation of the
following objectives will be accomplished by Public Art staff in partnership with the entities
listed and therefore no funding has been assigned to these initiatives. Stanford University is an
essential and valued partner for the Program’s educational initiatives as its visual arts programs,
faculty and students are a resource that can add both depth and breadth to the public art
conversation.
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4.7.1 OBJECTIVE 6: Use available tools to engage the public in the Public Art
Program.
4.7.1.1 Short-Term Recommendation: Increase use of mobile platforms and social
media as a means of promoting the Public Art Program. Begin by including
interactive elements for the Public Art Program’s Facebook page such as quizzes
and virtual scavenger hunts to stimulate a two-way conversation such as the
programs developed by Association for Public Art in Philadelphia or Rose
Kennedy Greenway in Boston.
4.7.1.2 Short-Term Recommendation: Refine the standard public art presentation to be
used in a range of community settings. Train Public Art Commissioners to deliver
presentations to community members, students and business people.
4.7.1.3 Short-Term Recommendation: Create ‘fun facts’ about public art for display on
Palo Alto’s shuttles, for Palo Alto Online and for inclusion in the recent public art
project media installation in the lobby of City Hall.
4.7.2 OBJECTIVE 7: Engage partners in educational initiatives.
4.7.2.1 Short-Term Recommendation: Strengthen the connection between the Public
Art Program and other Community Services Department programs and initiatives.
Expand synergy between the work of the Palo Alto Art Center, CASP and the
Public Art Program by initiating an exploratory meeting among those divisions.
Expanded partnerships can take the form of coordinated marketing and cross-
division programming such as tours, lectures and social media.
4.7.2.2 Mid-Term Recommendation: Engage cyclists and walkers with public art by
creating tours and maps that showcase public art on their routes. Include public
art in Palo Alto’s trail brochure so that cyclists and walkers can enjoy the City’s
art collection. Include public art tours during Bicycle Week.
4.7.2.3 Mid-Term Recommendation: Build stronger connections with Stanford
University by encouraging the university to host lectures by nationally acclaimed
artists creating public art in the City and by creating volunteer opportunities for
students to participate as docents.
4.7.2.4 Mid-Term Recommendation: Host Public Art Program presentations and events
at the Institute for the Future and other business locations.
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4.7.1.4 Long-Term Recommendation: Explore the Library’s role in supporting and
promoting public art. Partner with the Library to develop a standard, museum-
type authority file that includes background on the individual public artworks,
the artists who created them, and a bibliography of those artists’ work. Consider
the possibility of establishing a lending library of portable works that the public
could borrow, using the programs at Oberlin and Williams College as examples.
Jose Antonio Aguirre and Carole Ouiejan review plans with design team, Temple City (CA) / Andrew Leicester with model of Gold Line Bridge,
Arcadia (CA) / Frances Whitehead, Bloomingdale Line, Chicago
4.8 EMBEDDING ARTISTS IN THE WORK OF THE CITY
Artists can contribute to the look, feel and operations of the City if they are actively engaged in
thinking about the work of City Departments and Commissions. The following strategies can be
staff-initiated and have been successfully employed by cities throughout the United States.
OBJECTIVE 8: Employ the skills of regional and national artists to enhance the
work of the City.
4.8.1 Short Term Recommendation: Promote inclusion of artists in the City’s planning
processes such as City boards and commissions. Artists bring important
leadership to the planning process. By sitting on boards and commissions, artists
bring creativity and excellence in design, helping to advocate for the importance
of distinctive and site-specific design.
4.8.2 Mid-Term Recommendation: Provide public art training to local artists. The
Public Art Program can join with other regional public art programs to initiate a
series of Bay Area training sessions providing artists with professional
development opportunities and information about available commissions.
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4.8.3 Mid-Term Recommendation. Embed artists in City Departments, starting with the
Transportation Division and Environmental Services Division of Public Works to
enhance the quality of design and reinforce the importance of work done by the
departments.
Funding Source: In Lieu Percent for Art;
Internal Partners: Transportation Division, Environmental Services, Public
Works.
5 PUBLIC ART POLICY AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
5.1 COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
The image and value of the City’s public art collection depends on the work being in good
condition, which requires careful documentation, monitoring, and maintenance. The City
currently owns over 300 artworks of uneven quality and has new projects underway. It has
recently commissioned condition assessments of key works by ARG conservators. In addition, a
collection assessment prepared as part of the public art master planning process is attached to
this report as Appendix 4.
5.1.1 OBJECTIVE 9: Ensure that artwork maintenance, conservation, and
collection review occur with regularity.
5.1.1.1 Short term Recommendation: Refine and update the Deaccession of Artwork
Policy for the removal and disposition of artwork on City-owned land and in City-
owned facilities for review and acceptance or rejection by the Public Art
Commission.
It is important for the City to retain the right to remove any artwork in the public
art collection that, among other considerations, requires excessive maintenance,
poses public safety risks, is damaged beyond repair, or is adversely affected by
changes in the site. It is critical that considerations of removal and relocation of an
artwork are governed by careful, standardized procedures that represent best
professional practices in the field of public art and serve to insulate the
deaccessioning process from fluctuations in personal taste.
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5.1.1.2 Mid Term Recommendation: Provide ongoing financial and staffing support for
public art collection management and conservation.
It is essential that there are adequate resources for staff to oversee inventory,
cataloguing, and assessment of all artwork on a regular basis in order to retain the
value and success of the Public Art Program.
5.2 BEST PRACTICES: POLICIES, ORDINANCES, AND GUIDELINES
As the national profile of the Palo Alto Public Art Program continues to rise, it’s important that
the policies and procedures related to public art are updated to meet best practices in the field
of public art. If an ordinance or policy is vague, it is open to interpretation, which is likely to
result in inconsistencies in implementation and misunderstanding about its purpose. Therefore,
providing the clearest definitions to accurately represent the specific objectives inherent to the
public art ordinances and policies are critical to the success of the program.
5.2.1 OBJECTIVE 10: Apply national standards and best practices in the field of
public art for added transparency and accountability.
5.2.1.1 Short Term Recommendation: Adopt new policies and update existing policies,
ordinances, and guidelines to reflect best practices in the public art field.
To bring Palo Alto’s ordinances and policies to current national standards and best
practices in the field of public art and to provide adequate information on the
purpose, requirements and procedures necessary to implement it, the City should
adopt and from time to time amend policies (in addition to the Deaccession of
Artwork Policy noted above) as follows:
Gifts Policy
Murals Policy and Guidelines
Temporary Artwork Policy
The Public Art Program administrative practices regarding artist and artwork
selection and community engagement can be enhanced by refining their standards
and guidelines. In addition to guiding City department staff, they serve to inform
the general public in understanding the goals, policies, and procedures of the Public
Art Program. The City should refine guidelines on the selection of artists.
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5.3 PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
Public Art Program staff’s role has expanded significantly since the two full-time positions were
established in 2013-14, with additional oversight by the Assistant Director overseeing the Arts
and Sciences. With changes to the public percent for art and introduction of the private percent
for art, staff is tasked with oversight of the public art collection as well as oversight of a public
art process that involves multiple departments and review bodies. In addition, the increasing
volume of projects, focus on partnerships, new program initiatives and policy changes
recommended in this Public Art Master Plan require a sufficient workforce of experienced and
dedicated staff to achieve success.
There must be a dependable funding source for permanent staff that adequately supports
administrative and project management expenses for costs associated with the administrative
coordination of private on-site projects and for artist selection and project management of
publicly-funded projects, collection management, community outreach and education.
5.3.1 OBJECTIVE 11: Ensure ongoing staff support for successful administration
of the public art program.
5.3.1.1 Short Term Recommendation: Periodically review the percentage of In Lieu funds
allowable for Administration to cover costs of public art program staff and
consultants for public art projects.
Review the In Lieu procedures to ensure funds can be used for appropriate project
purposes such as:
Pay for Public Art Program staff project management;
Hire artists to create artworks and participate in planning efforts;
Fabricate and install artworks;
Maintain artworks created through In Lieu funds; and
Hire consultants to manage municipal public art projects if Public Art Program
staff needs additional staff support.
5.3.1.2 Short Term Recommendation: Continue to include Public Art Program staff at the
earliest levels of inter-departmental planning initiatives.
Public Art Program staff can provide professional expertise to identify future
opportunities for art projects and to:
Define public art goals, guidelines and opportunities that include the
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examination of character, connections, history and land uses;
Outline criteria for placement of public art, including appropriate material and
scale;
Classify high visibility placement opportunities;
Describe programming ideas for temporary public art installations and
performances; and
Recognize City departments that can collaborate with the Public Art Program for
the successful implementation of each public art project initiative.
5.3.1.3 Short Term Recommendation: Consider a periodic review of funding structures
and project management scope of work for public art in private development
projects to ensure that the public art program is following best practices in the
field of public art and serving the needs of the City and developers.
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6 APPENDICES
Appendix 1: List of Meeting Participants
Appendix 2: List of Proposed Public Artwork Locations
Appendix 3: Analysis of Mobile Arts Platform (MAP)
Appendix 4: Public Art Collection Assessment
Appendix 5: Implementation Grid
Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
Meeting Log
Appendix One
Date Person Affiliation Type
2/23/2015 Rob De Geus Community Services Department Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
2/24/2015 Amy French Planning & Community
Environment Department
Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
2/24/2015 Mike Sartor, Brad Eggleston Public Works Department Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
3/13/2015 Ben Miyaji Public Art Commission Meeting: External
Stakeholder
3/27/2015 Matthew Tiews Stanford University Meeting: External
Stakeholder
3/27/2015 John Aikin Junior Museum and Zoo Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
3/30/2015 Oleg Lobykin, Marianne Lettieri,
Paloma Lucas, Mel Day, Barbara
Boissevain, Daniele Archambault,
Jonathan Fisher, Dony Cesera,
Bette Kiernan, Judy Gittelsohn
Artist Focus Group Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
3/30/2015 Annette Glanckopf Midtown Resident Meeting: External
Stakeholder
3/30/2015 Judge Lucky, Lane Pianta Palo Alto Children's Theatre Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
4/1/2015 Karen Kienzle, Lisa Ellsworth,
Fanny Retsek
Palo Alto Art Center Focus Group:
Internal Stakeholder
4/8/2015 Downtown Business and
Professional Improvement
Association
Downtown Business and
Professional Improvement
Association
Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
4/8/2015 Daren Anderson Parks Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
4/14/2015 Emily LaCroix, Amal Aziz, Lacee
Kortsen, MarchlaRina Davis
Community Services Department Focus Group:
Internal Stakeholder
5/14/2015 Jessica Roth, Mora Oomen, Elena
Silverman
California Avenue Business
Representatives
Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
5/14/2015 Bob Bonilla, Catherine Capriles,
Geoffrey Blackshire
Police and Fire Departments Focus Group:
Internal Stakeholder
5/14/2015 Chop Keenan Developer Meeting: External
Stakeholder
5/14/2015 Dina Cheyette Veterans Administration Meeting: External
Stakeholder
5/14/2015 David Harris, Maurina Gorbis Institute for the Future Meeting: External
Stakeholder
Appendix One
Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
Meeting Log
5/14/2015 Amanda Ross, Ben Miyaji, David
Harris, Judy Kleinberg, Linda Gass,
Matthew Tiews, Meera Saxena,
Paula Kirkeby, Rachelle Doorley,
Shagorica Basu, Steve Ferrera,
Yoriko Kishimoto, Joelle Dong
Heller, Sophie Swezey, Deanna
Messinger
Public Art Advisory Committee Public Art Advisory
Committee Mtg.
5/15/2015 Russ Cohen, Barbara Gross, Travis
Nichols
Downtown Business and
Professional Improvement
Association
Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
5/15/2015 Leslyn Leong Leadership Palo Alto Meeting: External
Stakeholder
5/15/2015 Walter Rossman, Eric Bilamoria Budget: City Managers Office Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
5/15/2015 Molly Stump City Attorney Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
5/15/2015 Claudia Keith Economic Development/Our Palo
Alto
Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
6/22/2015 Leslyn Leong, Terry McMahon,
Bobby Fox, Camelia Sutorious,
Nancy Lewis, Stephen McGraw,
Erin Tajime Castelon
Neighborhood Focus Group Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
6/22/2015 Peter Ruddock , Tricia Mulvey,
Jerry Hearn, Bruce Hodge
Environmental Group Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
6/22/2015 Amy French, Sarah Seyed,
Jonathan Lait
Planning & Community
Environment Department
Focus Group:
Internal Stakeholder
6/22/2015 Hillary Gitelman Planning & Community
Environment Department
Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
6/23/2015 Jennifer Hetterly, Lucy Larson,
Peter Jensen, Stacey Ashland,
Alexander Lew, Alex Lew, Tina
Keegan, Kyu Kim, Ben Miyaji
Public Art Boot Camp Boot Camp: Internal
Stakeholders
6/23/2015 Paula Kirkeby, Karen Frankel, Eric
Filseth, Judith Wasserman
Former Commissioners Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
6/23/2015 Tommy Fehrenbach Economic Development Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
6/24/2015 Jackson Kienitz, Jason Pollak Teens Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
Appendix One
Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
Meeting Log
6/24/2015 Ewa Nowicka, Lauren Baines, Julie
Jigour
Performing artists Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
6/24/2015 Tiffany Griego, Whitney McNair Stanford Real Estate Meeting: External
Stakeholder
7/1/2015 MJ Elmore Advisory Committee Member Meeting: External
Stakeholder
7/7/2015 Robin Weiss, David Harris,
Alessandro Voto, Julian Renard,
Karin Lubeck, Andrew Covett-
Booro, Daniel Burnen, Daria Lamb
Palo Alto Commuters Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
7/7/2015 Jill Stanfield, Meimei Pan, Kimberly
Wong, Nalon Ng, Annie Yamashita,
Robert Yamashita
Neighborhood Focus Group Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
7/13/2015 Trish Mulvey, Jerry Hearn, Len
Meterman
Environmental Group Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
7/13/2015 Beth Mostovoy, Susie Peyton,
Betsy Halaby, Pearl Kruss, Mary
Holzer, Roger Stoller, Trina Wilson,
Rob Browne, Sheila Cepero, Mel
Day
Artist Focus Group Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
7/13/2015 Meera Saxena Advisory Committee Member Meeting: External
Stakeholder
7/13/2015 Carolyn Tucher Leadership Palo Alto Meeting: External
Stakeholder
7/14/2015 Steve Ferrera, Esther Tokihiro,
Deanna Messinger
PAUSD Art Teachers Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
7/14/2015 Shagurica Basu Advisory Committee Member Meeting: External
Stakeholder
7/14/2015 Trish Mulvey, Jan Schachter, Ellen
Uhrbrock, Kenneth Hou, Stephanie
Grossman, David Harvey, Sandra
Slater, Phil Faroudja, Barbara
Jacobs
Public Outreach Meeting Public Meeting
7/20/2015 Rhyena Halpern, Amanda Ross,
Elise DeMarzo, Claudia Keith, Ben
Miyaji
Artist Selection: Artist Led
Outreach Project
Artist Selection
Panel: Internal
Stakeholder
8/3/2015 Elise DeMarzo, Peter Foucault,
Chris Treggiari
Artist-Led Outreach Meeting: Artists
9/2/2015 Michael Smit Artist, Former PAC Commissioner Meeting: External
Stakeholder
Appendix One
Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
Meeting Log
9/8/2015 Michael Smit, Anja Ulfeldt, Kathryn
Dunlevie, Mitchell Johnson, Jon
Schachter, Loren Gordon, Alyssa
Levitan
Artist Focus Group Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
9/9/2015 Matthew Tiews, Peggy Phelan, Ali
Gass, Phillipe Cohen, David Lenox,
John Barton, Branislav Jakovljevic
Stanford University Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
9/9/2015 Mike Anderson Art Collector/Developer Meeting: External
Stakeholder
9/9/2015 Monique le Conge Ziesenhenne, Library Department Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
9/9/2015 Amanda Ross, Ben Miyaji, David
Harris, Judy Kleinberg, Linda Gass,
Matthew Tiews, MJ Elmore, Sid
Espinosa, Steve Ferrera, Ewa
Nowicka, Deanna Messinger
Public Art Advisory Committee Public Art Advisory
Committee Mtg.
9/10/2015 Sid Espinosa Microsoft Meeting: External
Stakeholder
9/10/2015 Peter Pirnejad Development Services Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
9/10/2015 Mila Zelkha, Oleg Lobykin, Raj
Bhargava, Rashmi Bhargava,
Elizabeth Lada, Mary Holzer
Public Outreach Meeting Public Meeting
9/24/2015 David Bower, Beth Bunnenberg,
Patricia Di Cicco, Roger Kohler,
Michael Makinen, Margaret
Wimmer
Historic Resources Board Historic Resources
Board: Internal
Stakeholder
10/5/2015 Marc Berman, Patrick Burt, Tom
DuBois, Eric Filseth, Karen Holman,
Liz Kniss, Greg Scharff, Greg
Schmid, Cory Wolbach
City Council Study Session City Council Study
Session: Internal
Stakeholder
10/14/2015 Jim Keene, Rob De Geus, Rhyena
Halpern, Elise DeMarzo
City Manager Meeting: Internal
Stakeholder
1/28/2016 Ben Miyaji, David Harris, Matthew
Tiews, MJ Elmore, Yoriko
Kishimoto, Deanna Messinger,
Steve Ferrera
Public Art Advisory Committee Focus Group:
External Stakeholder
*The consultants had multiple meetings with Public Art Director Elise DeMarzo and Assistant Director,
Arts and Sciences Rhyena Halpern throughout
PUBLIC ART COLLECTION MAP
This map offers a summary view of the existing permanently installed public art projects, murals, public art in
private development as well as suggested locations and transit corridors for the future placement of permanent
and temporary public art projects.
Appendix 2
This view shows the placement of 42 existing permanently installed public art pieces and 15 murals.
This map offers a summary view of proposed artwork locations. These artwork locations were identified in focus groups, community
meetings, Mobile Art Platform project and interviews with City department representatives and external stakeholders. The map is
intended to be a resource for consideration by the Public Art Program and Commission in the context of developing annual work plans.
Permanently
Installed Art
Murals
Art in Private
Development
Proposed Sites for
Permanently
Installed Art
Proposed Sites for
Temporary
Installed Art
Proposed Art for
Bike Lanes
Proposed Art for
Downtown Alleys
Downtown Palo Alto – detailed view featuring existing permanently installed public art projects, murals, public art in private
development as well as suggested locations and transit corridors for the future placement of permanent and temporary public art
projects.
California Avenue, Palo Alto – detailed view featuring existing permanently installed public art projects, murals, public art in private
development as well as suggested locations and transit corridors for the future placement of permanent and temporary public art
projects.
Permanently
Installed Art
Murals
Art in Private
Development
Proposed Sites for
Permanently
Installed Art
Proposed Art for
Bike Lanes
Proposed Art for
Cal. Ave. Alleys
Proposed Art for
Transit Corridors
Mitchell Park and Cubberley, Palo Alto – detailed view featuring existing permanently installed public art projects, murals,
and suggested locations and bike lanes for the future placement temporary public art projects.
Permanently
Installed Art
Murals
Proposed Art for
Bike Lanes
Proposed Site for
Temporary
Public Art
Instalaltion
Around Rinconada Park, Palo Alto – detailed view featuring existing permanently installed public art projects,
and a proposed location for temporary public art projects.
Permanently Installed Art Proposed Sites for Temporary Public Art
Research Park and Charleston – Arastradero Transit Corridors, Palo Alto – detailed view featuring existing permanently installed public
art projects, murals, and suggested bike lanes and transit corridors for the future placement of permanent and temporary public art
projects.
Permanently
Installed Art
Murals
Proposed Art for
Bike Lanes
Proposed Art for
El Camino and
Research Park
Transit Corridors
Baylands, Palo Alto Golf Course and Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto – detailed view featuring existing permanently installed public art
projects, murals, and suggested bike lanes and transit corridors for the future placement of permanent and temporary public art
projects.
Permanently
Installed Art
Murals
Proposed Art for
Bike Lanes
Proposed
Locations for
Permanently
Installed Public
Art
Proposed Public
Art Projects
Across Byxbee
Park
Palo Alto Public Art Collection - Map Legend
Downtown Palo Alto
Permanently Installed Public Art
Mannino Joseph Rock 'n Roll Sculpture-sitedDowntown Library - Courtyard, 270 Forest Ave
Abramovitz Carrie Separation Sculpture-sitedDowntown Library, 270 Forest Ave
Alavi Seyed Forgotten Languages Sculpture-sitedCivic Center - 1st Floor, Lobby, 250 Hamilton Ave
Narduli Susan Conversation
Varella / Maltz Adriana / Nilton Digital DNA Lytton Plaza, 202 University Ave, at Emerson St
Murals
Utility Box Mural Multiple locations
Brown Greg Garbage Man 136 Hamilton Ave
Brown Greg Lady Watering 526 Waverley St
Brown Greg Boy with Fishing Pole US Post Office, 380 Hamilton Ave, at Gilman
Brown Greg Man Puching Cat in Stroller 281 University Avenue, Palo Alto CA
Art in Private Development
Donahue Scott Untitled 400 Emerson Street, Palo Alto CA
Jacinik Marek Tree of Life 325 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto CA
Donahue Scott Untitled Archway 390 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto CA
Proposed Artwork Locations
Public Parking Structure - Permanent Public Art
University Ave Circle - Gateway Public Art
King Plaza Temporary Public Art Installations
Lytton Plaza Temporary Public Art Installations
University Ave Pedestrian Tunnels Temporary Public Art Installations
California Avenue
Permanently Installed Public Art
Steinman Susan
California Avenue, California
Native California Ave at El Camino Real
Madden / Reed Jennifer / Jeffrey Sunflowers 440 S. California Ave near Mimosa Ln
Wareham William Love Spoken Here 408 S. California Ave, at Ash
Thoma Marta Go Mama California Ave at Ash
Hunnicutt Fred Jungle Jane California Ave at Birch St
Wang Po Shu Untitled (El Palo Alto)California Ave at Birch St
Szabo Michael Confluence California Avenue Plaza
Goreniuc Paul Tangents To L2 Sarah Wallis Park, 202 Ash St
Thoma Marta Rrrun Bowden Park, 2380 High St/Alma St at Oregon Expy
Slater Gary Cube Construction Bowden Park, 2380 High St/Alma St at Oregon Expy
Benton Fletcher Tilted Donut #5 Corner of El Camino Real and Page Mill Rd
Nybeck Beth Wild Hoover Park
Murals
Soumah Mohamed Under The Sun 440 S. California Ave at Mimosa Ln
Huffman David Untitled 341 California Ave
Johanson Christopher Untitled 341 California Ave
Piziali Joey Untitled 341 California Ave
Consigny Noel Mayfield Train Station 310 S. California Ave, at Birch St
Art in Private Development
Goggin Brian Body of Urban Myth Sheridan Plaza, 200 Sheridan Ave, Palo Alto, CA
Proposed Artwork Locations
Public Safety Building Project - Permanent Public Art - 275 Forest Ave
Cal Ave - New Mayfield Alley 1- Public Art in Alleys Project
Cal Ave - Park Blvd 1 - Public Art in Alleys Project
Cal Ave - Birch Blvd 2 - Public Art in Alleys
Cal Ave - Mayfield Ln Alley 2 - Public Art in Alleys Project
Cal Ave -Jacaranda Ln Alley - Public Art in Alleys Project
Cal Ave - Mayfield Ln Alley 3 - Public Art in Alleys Project
Cal Ave - Jacaranda Ln Alley 3 - Public Art in Alleys Project
Cal Ave - Jacaranda Ln Alley 4 - Public Art in Alleys Project
El Camino Real (Sand Hill - San Antonio) Transit Corridor
Park Blvd Bike Lane
Mitchell Park and Cubberley
Permanently Installed Public Art
Beasley Bruce Arpeggio V Mitchell Park Library Entrance
Oldham Brad Whimsy and Wise Mitchell Park Library & Community Center
Stoller Roger Cloud Forest Mitchell Park Library Entrance
Hunnicutt Fred Push Mitchell Park, 600 East Meadow Ave
Szabo Michael Arch Cradle Mitchell Park, 600 East Meadow Ave
Johnson Bruce After the Fire Mitchell Park - 3700 Middlefield Rd, near tennis courts
Murals
Verlander Mark Follow Your Heart Mitchell Park Community Center
Brown Greg The Ornidontist 2741 Middlefield Rd (faces back parking lot)
Proposed Artwork Locations
Cubberley Community Center Temporary Public Art Projects
Charleston Rd Bike Lane
Ross Ave Bike Lane
JLS - E. Charleston Bike Lane
Bryant Blvd Bike Lane
San Antonio Bike Lane
Rinconada Park
Permanently Installed Public Art
Wagner Gale Albuquerque Art Center, 1211 Newell Rd, facing Embarcadero Rd
Toki John Student Mural Art Center - Exterior Auditorium
Oliveira Nathan Universal Woman Art Center - Sculpture Garden, 1313 Newell Rd
Shire Peter Skyhook Boca Raton Art Center - Sculpture Garden, 1313 Newell Rd
Kirk Jerome Homage to Silence Art Center - Sculpture Garden, 1313 Newell Rd
Coleman Brian Excel Art Center - Exterior Main Entry, 1313 Newell Rd
Criative Machines (O'Connell / Hanckock)Brilliance Rinconada Library, 1313 Newell Road
Rand Steven Jay Movement IV Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Rd
Proposed Artwork Locations
Art in Parks across Palo Alto - Temporary and Permanent Public Art
Research Park and Charleston – Arastradero Transit Corridors
Permanently Installed Public Art
Bui Thai Needed El Camino Real at Adobe Creek
Murals
Bricca / Schultz /
community Morgan / Jennifer Apricot Tree of Life Juana Briones Park, Clemo Avenue at Arastradero Road
Proposed Artwork Locations
Research Park Transit Corridor
Arastradero - E.Charleston Bike Lane
Bol Park Bike Lane to Gunn High School
Matadero Ave Bike Lane
Baylands, Palo Alto Golf Course and Embarcadero Rd
Permanently Installed Public Art
Gold Betty Kaikoo V Municipal Golf Course, 1875 Embarcadero Rd
Webb Martin Riding the Currents Palo Alto Water Quality Control Plan
Sobel Ceevah Streaming 2027 E. Bayshore Rd
Zalenski Joan From Sea To Shining Sea Greer Park, 1098 Amarillo Ave
Moore James Bliss in the Moment Outside Byxbee Park
Flores Gene Filaree Greer Park
Murals
Webb Martin Currents Water Quality Control Plant
Proposed Artwork Locations
Adobe Creek Bike / Pedestrian Bridge Project - Permanent Public Art
Friendship Bridge Project
Newell / Woodland Ave Bridge Project
Byxbee Park - Public Art Projects across the park
Embarcadero Rd Transit Corridor
1
APPENDIX 3: City of Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
Mobile Art Platform – What’s the Big Idea? Report
One month long interactive public art work, integrated into the
Public Art Master Plan Process
September through October 8, 2015
Number of Participants: 350
Locations and Meeting Dates
Thursday September 10th:
Midtown Shopping Center @ Walgreens
King Plaza / City Hall
Saturday September 12th:
Rinconada Park
Sunday September 13th:
California Avenue Farmers Market
Hoover Park
Thursday September 17th:
Gunn High School
Mitchell Park Community Center
Friday September 18. 2015:
Palo Alto Art Center
Thursday September 24, 2015:
Town & Country Village
Antonio’s Nut House
Friday September 25, 2015h:
Baylands Athletic Center
Saturday September 26, 2015:
Cubberley Community Center
Mitchell Park Library
Thursday October 1, 2015:
Magical Bridge Playground
Lytton Plaza
Saturday, October 3, 2015:
Stanford Shopping Center
City of Palo Alto Appendix 3: Analysis of Mobile Art Platform February 26, 2016
2
Thursday October 8, 2015h:
Cogswell Plaza / Avenidas
Meet the Street Event, Downtown Palo Alto
Ideas for Locations and Artwork Types:
California Ave:
Connect to the history and character of the neighborhood. Current public art does
not “fit in” with the neighborhood.
Place art inside of some of the vacant storefronts.
Sponsor more day/night events on California Avenue including visual art and music.
Downtown:
Place more murals on the buildings, especially closer to University Ave. Younger
participants favored urban/graffiti art and older residents respond to the established
murals of Greg Brown.
Sponsor more day/night events on California Avenue including visual art and music.
Create nighttime projections on buildings in the downtown area.
Create “street art zones” -- designated walls where artists can create street art.
Make this a rotating program featuring different artists and events.
Parks:
Commission more sculptures that people can touch, climb on and interact with.
Create engaging public artworks that address the history of this area.
Commission public art that engages children and youth. Build them in safe,
touchable, durable materials
General comments:
Integrate technology and digital media into the public art, reflecting Silicon Valley as
the technology capital of the world.
Include more diversity in the selection of public artists and commission artworks
that reflect diversity in their content and aesthetics.
Engage local artists.
Quotes:
“Integrating tech into the public art. How can we utilize the technology.”
“Art in unexpected places…especially downtown.”
“Making art more interactive! I want to be able to touch it, sit on it, feel it.”
“Walking/bike tours of public art in Palo Alto.”
City of Palo Alto Appendix 3: Analysis of Mobile Art Platform February 26, 2016
3
MAP Palo Alto Grant Synopsis, “What’s the Big Idea?”:
By Peter Foucault and Chris Treggiari
From September to early October 2015, Mobile Arts Platform (MAP) artists Peter
Foucault and Chris Treggiari completed “What’s the Big Idea?” - an interactive pop-up
art project that asked residents of Palo Alto what they would like to see the future of art
in Palo Alto to look like. For this project MAP designed two custom-built bicycles that
pulled mobile trailer units, which could arrive on-site and pop-up into a portable art-
making and idea-generating space. The goal of the project was to directly engage
residents in a creative and fun way and gather their thoughts on how artists might make
Palo Alto a more vibrant or livable city. All components of this project were powered by
two rechargeable electric generators so it required no outside power source and left no
carbon footprint.
Throughout the project MAP received more than 250 written responses and over 300
photographs documented in the field. Over the course of the project we engaged over
350 participants through conversations about public art and its future in Palo Alto. In
general everyone was extremely interested in talking to us and at least discussing how
they would improve their neighborhoods and the current and future state of Public Art.
Project Description
MAP created an interactive, hand-screen-printed poster that was designed as an “Idea
Patent” referencing a technical blueprint schematic complete with an image of the
Edison lightbulb. The posters had write-in dialog spaces that asked participants three
questions. The first question – “I would improve my community by____” – served as a
lead-in question to begin their thought process and respond to a more general and
broad topic.
From here people were invited to dive in deeper and respond to the questions: “Where
would you like to see art is Palo Alto?” and “How can artists make Palo Alto a more
livable city?” Once the idea patent was filled out they were approved by hand stamping
a “Yeah!” rubber stamp in a designated space on the poster. Participants were then
invited to hold up their “Idea Patent” and have a photo taken of their response on an
iPhone. Once the photo was taken a perforated bottom portion of the poster paper was
folded and torn off.
This bottom portion contained questions #2 and 3, which was collected and given to the
Palo Alto Public Art staff to process. The rest of the poster was given to participants as a
free take away from the interaction. The photos were printed in real time via a small
wireless printer and included in a photo archive display that was mounted on one of the
trailers and grew over the course of the project. People really enjoyed looking through
these photos to see what others’ responses were and it served to spark further
City of Palo Alto Appendix 3: Analysis of Mobile Art Platform February 26, 2016
4
conversation on these topics. The posters included a web address where people could
get further information on the project and access a list of upcoming set up locations.
In addition to the photo montage, two LCD ticker boards were installed on the sides of
the mobile carts. MAP displayed responses to the three questions and scrolled them
across the screens to further share content from the project back with the community.
These were particularly successful when set up at night and served as a visual lure to
invite people to see the project from a distance and come in closer to investigate. MAP
also installed battery powered LCD light cords to further illuminate the installation when
set up at night.
As a further interactive component MAP designed to allow the bikes and trailers to be
activated while in transit between locations where two “Honk if You Like Public Art”
signs that were installed in prominent and easy to read locations above the awning
spaces on the trailers. Commuters in cars really seemed to get a kick out of this and we
got around 30 “Honks” as responses.
Artist/Community Interactions
MAP set up this project at 19 different locations across the city that were selected to
allow the greatest reach in terms of demographics of participants and geographic areas
in the city. The most successful locations were the larger events we engaged with,
including the California Ave Farmers Market, The Moonlight Run, the Mayor’s “Meet the
Street” event downtown, and our lunchtime set up at Gunn High School. We really
enjoyed these locations because of the large number of participants and overall interest
from the audience we received. In these cases it was important to be embedded in the
event, which made people more open to approach the project and less suspicious of our
agenda in asking questions and collecting information. Another great location was the
Avenidas Senior Center because we were able to interact with an older demographic
that had a rich collective knowledge of local public artworks around the city.
Some less successful locations were in front of City Hall and near the Magical Bridge
Playground. In both cases we were trying to catch participants who were in transit from
point A to B. While set up at City Hall, people were on their way home and had no time
to stop and engage. In the case of the Magical Bridge Playground it was hard to get
parents to invest time in the project because their kids where rushing off into the
playground. Transitory spaces can be challenging but not impossible, it often just takes
engaging at the right time and being positioned in a location that has a steady flow of
pedestrian traffic. Even being set back from a pedestrian corridor by a short distance
can detour people from coming up and being curious. In many of the downtown
locations we found that around 5-6 PM was most successful in terms of getting the most
participation, a time when people were off of work and out on the town for dinner and
entertainment. In the end however we really enjoyed all of the locations we popped-up
in, providing us unique experiences and audiences with each spot.
City of Palo Alto Appendix 3: Analysis of Mobile Art Platform February 26, 2016
5
The Palo Alto Public Art Commission was very helpful in implementing these
installations and was on hand at 10 different locations to help interact with participants
and directly engage community members. This was particularly helpful in answering
specific questions the public had about artworks in Palo Alto, the history of public art in
the City, and details about the current and future Public Art Master Plan. The
commissioners and the staff were also of great assistance in giving us a hand when we
had a large amount of participants interacting with the project. In the end they were
important for the success and quality of the engagements we had with the community.
Analysis of Community Interactions
Some trends we discovered were people’s interest in more free public events in the
form of film screenings, music events, pop-up art shows, and street festivals. There was
interest in more murals on underutilized buildings using street art techniques and styles.
Participants also talked about the idea of having more Public Art that directly addresses
the history of Palo Alto, Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. Some criticisms we received
voiced concerns that some of the public art currently installed around the city does not
resonate with the culture and mindset of Palo Alto residents. We also received
responses that asked for more support of local artists so they can sustain their practice
in such an expensive economic climate, and showcasing the diversity in the arts and
artists in the area. In the end, people were excited to participate in the project but
sometimes were not as informed about local public arts, or have the time to get
involved on a deeper level.
Conclusion
MAP really enjoyed our month-long engagement with the diverse residents and
locations in Palo Alto. We were embraced and encouraged by our participants, the
Public Art staff, and the Art Commission which allowed us to create and operate a
successful platform. A project like this takes time to invest in a community and the
month-long timeframe was a great start. As with all community engagement projects
momentum is good for the visibility and sustainability. It was great to create a buzz
where we could begin to see people we recognized around the City (through previous
participation) in multiple locations and have many of our upcoming locations be spread
through word of mouth bringing along their friends and family to take part. It began to
create a feeling of family and acceptance in a community where we were transplants,
and where we were able to create an impact for a period of time. Through these
interactive tactics the public can further their perspective of the parameters public art
can manifest in. We hope the Commission will continue supporting this type of work in
the community. From what we experienced from this project over the course of the
month, the public was supportive and interested!
APPENDIX 4: City of Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
Public Art Collection Assessment Report
The City of Palo Alto owns a permanently-sited public art collection that dates back to 1976,
excluding any historical artworks that may not be in the Public Art database. There are 44
permanently-sited artworks listed in the database, 38 murals and 262 portable artworks,
totaling a value of more than $2 Million. The artworks were acquired in a variety of ways: a) as
commissions through public funding, b) as gifts of art and c) as public/private acquisitions.
The permanently-sited artworks in the collection fall into several categories:
Free-standing sculpture
Site-integrated artworks
Functional artworks
Murals
The small-scale “portable” artworks in the collection include both two- and three-dimensional
works and are located in a variety of City venues. These artworks are in generally good
condition. In addition to the permanently-sited and portable artworks, the Program has
commissioned temporary artworks which are being documented for historical purposes.
The condition of the permanently-sited artworks in the collection is generally good with a few
notable exceptions. These should be evaluated by a qualified conservator and considered for
either conservation or deaccession. These include artworks that were made of materials that
are not suitable for outdoor display and artworks that are not structurally sound. Based on the
conservator’s recommendation, these works should be repaired in place, repaired and
relocated to a more suitable location, or deaccessioned.
Vulnerable Artworks
Architectural Resources Group (ARG), art conservation specialists selected by city staff, has
conducted a thorough conservation assessment for a selected group of artworks in the
collection, and will complete an evaluation of all of the artworks in the collection by September
2016. The assessment includes conservation recommendations and costs for these artworks.
The following is an assessment of artworks observed by the Public Art Master Plan consultants
with recommendations regarding their disposition.
California Avenue, California Native: This environmental artwork has been severely
compromised by retrofits to the streetscape that have taken place since its original 1997
installation. Because the work is subject to the Visual Artists Rights Act, it is imperative
that the City of Palo Alto continue to discuss the status of the artwork with the artist
and determine whether it should be removed. The Public Art Program should consider
City of Palo Alto Appendix 4: Public Art Collection Assessment February 26, 2016
2
commissioning the artist to create a new artwork that repurposes the elements of this
artwork in a more suitable location on a trail or adjacent to a creek.
Digital DNA: This artwork, constructed on a fiberglass base, is damaged and may be
structurally unstable. It is covered with small, flat computer components that were
screwed into the fiberglass shell. The coatings have peeled off and the existing boards
are faded and some are breaking. Some of these have been pried off or are in danger of
being removed. ARG has assessed it and recommended suitable repairs. However, the
artwork is not suitable for outdoor display due to the nature of the materials and, if
relocated to an indoor venue, will require substantial repair. Deaccession is
recommended unless repairs are completed and a suitable indoor location can be
found.
Environmental Works at Byxbee Park: These environmental artworks are not listed in
the City’s Public Art Database because they were originally integrated into the design of
the park which is a land art installation. Many of the artist-designed mounds have
deteriorated and been removed and the oyster shell pathways have not been
maintained. While there are certain elements of the land art that remain relevant (the
poles) the City does not intend to restore other elements of the composition. The Public
Art Program should create signage at the site explaining the original land art design and
the changes at the site that led to its removal.
From Sea to Shining Sea: This artwork appears to be fabricated in concrete and inset in
a sloping lawn where it has been vulnerable to damage by lawnmowers, weather and
vandalism. It should be assessed by a conservator with a view toward deaccession.
Go Mama: This artwork is a figure balanced on one foot. Artworks of this type should
not be displayed in an outdoor location because of their structural vulnerability. This
specific artwork is top-heavy and balanced on one point on a low pedestal. Its condition
has been assessed by ARG, which has proposed conservation and fencing surrounding
the sculpture. Because fencing the sculpture will compromise both the streetscape and
the work; and because the artwork is poorly fabricated, it should be considered for
deaccession.
Nude in Steel: This artwork, typical for its time period, appears to have been brush
painted as a means of preventing rust. ARG has completed an assessment and the work
can be restored. Once repairs have completed the artwork should be moved to a
suitable indoor location such as the auditorium at Cubberley Community Center.
Rrrun: While this artwork is similarly top-heavy like Go Mama, it appears to be more
structurally stable. ARG has assessed it and recommended conservation treatment.
Because the artwork is fabricated from fiberglass which is not intended to be a long-
lasting outdoor material its condition should be periodically reassessed and it should be
considered for relocation to an indoor location or deaccessioned if a suitable location
cannot be found.
City of Palo Alto Appendix 4: Public Art Collection Assessment February 26, 2016
3
Student Mural: This ceramic artwork adjacent to the entrance of the Palo Alto Art
Center auditorium appears to have been vandalized in the past. A conservator should
assess its condition and recommend conservation or deaccession.
Skyhook Boca Raton: This artwork is in fairly stable condition however the enamel steel
elements are beginning to show signs of deterioration. ARG has assessed it and
recommended appropriate repairs.
All of the artworks in the collection should be regularly maintained. Fortunately, it appears that
most of the artworks are in stable condition, that most required maintenance is routine in
nature, and that maintenance can be conducted by properly-trained City staff.
A maintenance manual for the entire permanent collection should be created that includes
maintenance instructions created by the original artist, fabricator, or instructions created by a
conservator where instructions do not exist. Instructions should include detailed information
about the materials used in the artworks, methods of fastening, how the artwork is anchored,
specifications for paint and/or other surface treatment, and cleaning instructions. The artist
should also provide the City with scale drawings of the artwork, if available and, in the case of
artworks that include lettering or images, the artist should provide the City with digital files.
Aesthetics:
The artworks in the collection are uneven in quality. This can be attributed to the way that they
were acquired. Up until the last several years the Public Art Program was led largely by a
changing group of Public Art Commissioners with the support of the Community Service
Department staff. Because there was no clear vision for the collection, and because the
program was being managed mainly by volunteers, the collection lacks a consistent aesthetic
character and uniform vision. Variety is a strong point in a collection, just as it is in a library
with books of certain character. That said, in the future, it is worth considering a few specific
points:
Diversity: The public art collection includes multiple works by the same artists and
multiple works in the same material. While this can be strength if the goal is to
establish a specific aesthetic character, it is also a weakness because it inhibits diverse
voices.
Recommendation: Except in the case of works that are specifically meant to be serial
in nature, such as Greg Brown’s downtown murals, the City should strive to include a
more diverse range of artists and avoid collecting additional works by artists who are
already well represented by more than three permanently-sited artworks in the
collection. It should also place a moratorium on artworks constructed in Cor-ten steel
which is difficult to maintain and already well represented in the collection.
Materials: Certain materials are more durable than others. Steel is more durable than
wood; bronze is more durable than fiberglass. Artworks constructed of materials, such
as fiber glass, that have a short life when exposed to the elements, should be
City of Palo Alto Appendix 4: Public Art Collection Assessment February 26, 2016
4
commissioned as temporary artworks and the contracts written for them should specify
the lifespan. Two artworks in the collection that currently fall into this category are
Digital DNA and Rrun. Murals (see bullet point 4) also fall into this category.
Recommendation: Contract with a qualified conservator to evaluate all artworks in the
collection that are constructed of volatile materials and request that an appropriate
lifespan be determined. Consider relocation of smaller scale, volatile works to sheltered
or indoor locations.
Construction methods: Permanently-sited, free-standing sculptural works can be prone
to structural failure if poorly constructed or installed. While most of the sculpture in the
collection appears to be stable, a conservation assessment will assess the safety of
existing works, starting with the ones named in this report.
Recommendation: Hire a conservator to assess free-standing artworks in the collection
and recommend stabilization or deaccession. Require all artists commissioned who
create permanent free-standing or site-integrated artworks to work with a certified
engineer who can sign off on the safety of the artwork construction and installation.
Murals
The murals range in age starting with work created in 1976. None of the outdoor murals, with
the possible exception of the Victor Arnautoff frescoes in the Roth Building, in the City’s
collection are mosaic which indicates that all are likely to fade and deteriorate over time. Three
main factors affect the condition of painted murals like those in the City collection: the
direction the wall faces, the condition of the wall, and the paint used to create the work. All of
the murals in the collection require assessment by a conservator to determine their condition
based upon these factors.
Another concern with murals is the likelihood that the buildings they occupy may be
demolished or other buildings may be constructed that block the work. This is of particular
concern with the much-beloved Greg Brown murals in the downtown area.
Recommendation: Create high resolution photo documentation of all the murals in the City’s
collection so they can be reproduced on portable materials such as canvas or vinyl if the
buildings they occupy are demolished. Review all artists’ contracts to determine the legal status
of the murals and prepare to contact muralists or their estates to determine the lifespan and
eventual disposition of these artworks. Have a conservator evaluate and make
recommendations regarding the condition and long term care for the 1920’s Victor Arnautoff
frescoes at the Roth Building and ensure that they are protected during the upcoming
construction.
Portable Works
The City’s portable artworks collection consists of purchases, gifts and student works. The
City of Palo Alto Appendix 4: Public Art Collection Assessment February 26, 2016
5
collection consists of professional artists who have a connection to Palo Alto or have
exhibited at the Palo Alto Art Center. Professional artists are defined in Municipal Code
Section 2.25.010 (2). Not all of the works are of a uniform quality and their method of
acquisition is not always clear. Resources are needed in order to respectfully collect and
maintain a portable artwork collection: storage space, workspace to repair and reframe
artworks, staff to manage installation, de-installation and record keeping.
Recommendation: Adopt the proposed policy for the acquisition of artworks and estimate the
cost of managing a portable collection. Consider a moratorium on acquisition of new portable
artworks until such a policy and budget are developed.
1
APPENDIX 5: City of Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
Implementation Grid
ST = Short Term (within one year) MT = Mid Term (two to five years) LT = Long Term (six to ten years)
• The cost estimates are minimal cost estimates for the implementation of projects in 2016 dollars. Amounts are not inflation adjusted.
OBJECTIVE ST MT LT RECOMMENDATION TOTAL EST. COST POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCE
1 Locate art in unexpected
places.
Identify a total of six (6) alleys in
downtown University Avenue and
downtown California Avenue and solicit
proposals for individual temporary
artworks.
$45,000 - $75,000
In Lieu Percent for Art Funds
Palo Alto Zero Waste
Business associations
Commission an artist/artist team to
create one unique design for new
benches planned for the University
Avenue downtown shopping district.
$12,500 In Lieu Percent for Art Funds
Department of Public Works CIP
Palo Alto Downtown
Commission temporary artwork at
University Avenue Caltrain Tunnel.
$55,000-$150,000 In Lieu Percent for Art Fund
Palo Alto Downtown
Private business sponsorship
Showcase the work of artists and
university MFA students on Caltrain
fencing, platforms, tunnels, walkways,
etc. on a changing basis.
$15,000-$55,000
annually
Caltrain
California Avenue Business Association
Private business sponsorship
Neighborhood associations
Commission an artist/historian team to
celebrate the unique music history of
California Avenue with temporary art.
$7,500-$12,500
per artwork
In Lieu Percent for Art Funds
Private business sponsorship
2 Integrate impactful,
permanently-sited public
art in business areas.
Employ an artist to be on the design
team in upcoming downtown garages
and the new Public Safety Facility and
Garage.
$100,000-
$200,000
CIP Percent for Art
In Lieu Percent for Art Funds
*In Progress – subject to Municipal
Percent for Art
Commission artist-designed gateways on
University Avenue at Alma and
Middlefield.
$120,000-
$520,000
CIP Percent for Art
In Lieu Percent for Art Funds
Private business sponsorship
3 Install public art in
neighborhoods.
Select four (4) neighborhoods to pilot
the creation of temporary, rotating
artworks in right-of-ways, bulb-outs, and
traffic circles.
$5,000 per
artwork plus
footings and
lighting
CIP Percent for Art
City of Palo Alto Appendix 5: Implementation Grid
June 1, 2016
Commission serial art experiences in
pedestrian-oriented areas.
$5,000-$10,000
per artwork
In Lieu Percent for Art Funds
Private donations
Commission artist-designed directional
and informational elements and seating
areas at City shuttle stops and bike
corridors that can be easily
manufactured.
$10,000 CIP Percent for Art
Transportation Division CIP
Integrate art into the design of the Junior
Museum and Zoo.
$100,000-
$160,000
CIP Percent for Art
In Lieu Percent for Art
*In Progress- Subject to Municipal
Percent for Art
Commission art that invites climbing and
physical interaction for placement in
public parks, school grounds, and
walking and bike paths.
$60,000 – 150,000
per artwork
CIP Percent for Art
Integrate art into Rinconada and Byxbee
Parks.
$120,00-$200,000
per artwork
CIP Percent for Art
4 Use art to promote
environmental
stewardship and
sustainability.
Embed an artist in the Environmental
Services Division of the Public Works
Department.
$20,000 per
residency
CIP Percent for Art
Environmental Services
Integrate art into future development of
the San Francisquito Creek
environmental projects.
$15,000-$40,000 CIP Percent for Art
Environmental Services
San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers
Authority
*In Progress- Subject to Municipal
Percent for Art
Employ an artist to participate on the
design team for the new Highway 101
Pedestrian-Bike Bridge.
$80,000 CIP Percent for Art
*In Progress-Subject to Municipal Percent
for Art
5 Commission specific
public art plans for areas
of Palo Alto where
intense development is
taking place.
Solicit detailed public art plans for the
Embarcadero Corridor, downtown
University Avenue, and Stanford
Research Park.
$15,000 per plan
for a total of
$45,000 for all
three.
In Lieu Percent for Art
Solicit detailed public art plans for El
Camino Real, California Avenue
downtown and the Charleston
Arastradero Corridor.
$15,000 per plan
for a total of
$45,000 for all
three.
In Lieu Percent for Art
City of Palo Alto Appendix 5: Implementation Grid
June 1, 2016
Provide developers with the option to
contribute In Lieu toward the realization
of an artwork included in the completed
public art plan specific to the area in
which the development is located.
None NA
Commission specific artworks identified
in the public art development district
plans as funding accumulates.
TBD In Lieu Percent for Art
6 Use available tools to
engage the public in the
Public Art Program.
Increase use of mobile platforms and
social media as a means of promoting
the Public Art Program.
None NA
Refine the standard public art
presentation to be used in a range of
community settings.
None NA
Create ‘fun facts’ about public art for
display on Palo Alto’s shuttles, for Palo
Alto Online and for inclusion in the
recent public art project media
installation in the lobby of City Hall.
None NA
7 Engage partners in
educational initiatives.
Strengthen the connection between the
Public Art Program and other
Community Services Department
programs and initiatives.
None NA
Engage cyclists and walkers with public
art by creating tours and maps that
showcase public art on their routes.
None NA
Build stronger connections with Stanford
University.
None NA
Partner with Stanford University to
create volunteer opportunities for
students.
None NA
Host Public Art Program presentations
and events at Institute for the Future
and other business locations.
None NA
Explore the Library’s role in supporting
and promoting public art.
None NA
City of Palo Alto Appendix 5: Implementation Grid
June 1, 2016
8 Employ the skills of
regional and national
artists to enhance the
work of the City.
Promote inclusion of artists in the City’s
planning processes such as City boards
and commissions.
None NA
Provide public art training to local artists.
Embed artists in City Departments,
starting with the Transportation Division
and Environmental Services Division.
$15,000-$30,000
per residency
In Lieu Percent for Art
9 Ensure that artwork
maintenance,
conservation, and
collection review occur
with regularity.
Refine and update Deaccession of
Artwork Policy for the removal and
disposition of artwork.
None NA
Provide ongoing financial and staffing
support for public art collection
management and conservation.
None NA
10 Apply national standards
and best practices in the
field of public art for
added transparency and
accountability.
Adopt new policies and update existing
policies, ordinances, and guidelines to
reflect best practices in the public art
field.
None NA
11 Ensure ongoing staff
support for successful
administration of the
public art program.
Periodically review the percentage of in-
lieu funds allowable for administration to
cover the costs of program staff and
consultants.
None NA
Continue to include public art program
staff at the earliest levels of inter-
departmental planning initiatives.
None NA
Periodically review funding structures
and project management scope of work
for public art in private development
projects to ensure that the program is
following best practices in the field and
best serving the needs of the City and
developers.
None NA
City of Palo Alto
City of Palo Alto Public Art Program
Deaccession of Artworks Policy
PUBLIC ART PROGRAM VISION
Public art reflects Palo Alto’s people, diverse neighborhoods, the innovative and global
character of its businesses and academic institutions, and the beauty of its natural
environment.
INTRODUCTION
The Public Art Program (PAP) maintains the City of Palo Alto’s (City) collection of Artwork for
the benefit of Palo Alto citizens. Removing an Artwork from the collection (deaccessioning) is a
sensitive matter and should be managed according to clear criteria. The policies outlined below
are subject to periodic review by the PAP; from time to time, with the input of the Public Art
Commission (PAC), the PAP may update this policy to include additional guidelines or
procedures as it deems appropriate. Except in the case of a safety emergency, no Artwork in
the collection will be deaccessioned until the policies set forth below have been observed. This
policy applies to permanent Artworks in the City’s collection; it is not intended to apply to
“Temporary Artworks,” which are the subject of a separate policy.
POLICY
1. Any proposal for removal or destruction of an Artwork shall be submitted to PAP staff and
reviewed by the PAC according to the policies and procedures contained herein; review
shall be deliberate and independent of political pressures, fluctuations in artistic taste,
popularity, and public opinion. Where appropriate and at the discretion of the PAP, the
procedures in this Deaccession of Artworks Policy may be applied to a site-specific
permanent Artwork that is retained in the collection and relocated to another site.
2. Deaccession shall be a seldom-employed action that is taken only after issues such as
Artists’ rights, public benefit, censorship, copyrights, and legal obligations have been
carefully considered. The final decision with respect to deaccession of Artworks owned by
the City shall rest with the PAP Director upon approval by the PAC.
3. At regular intervals, the City’s Artwork collection shall be evaluated by the PAP and reported
to the PAC to determine the condition of each Artwork and determine whether there is
Artwork recommended for deaccession.
DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Policy, the following definitions apply.
ARTIST: An individual generally recognized by critics and peers as a professional practitioner of
the visual arts as judged by the quality of the professional practitioner’s body of work,
educational background and experience, past public commissions, sale of works, exhibition
record, publications, and production of Artwork.
City of Palo Alto Deaccession of Artwork Policy Date: ____ 2016
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ARTWORK: Works in any style, expression, genre and media created by an Artist and owned by
the City of Palo Alto in the permanent collection, whether functional or non-functional. Artwork
may be stand-alone and integrated into the architecture, landscaping, or other site
development if such are designed by an Artist as defined herein.
The following are not considered Artwork:
1. Reproductions, by mechanical or other means of original Artwork, except in cases of Film,
video, photography, printmaking, theater, or other media arts;
2. Art objects that are mass produced (excluding artist-created, signed limited-edition works),
ordered from a catalog, or of a standard design, such as playground sculpture or fountains;
and
3. Directional or other functional elements such as signage, supergraphics, color coding, or
maps unless specifically designed as artworks.
DEACCESSION: The procedure for the removal of an Artwork owned by the City and the
determination of its future disposition.
DEACCESSION NOTIFICATION: A written letter to the artist or donor referencing the applicable
condition(s) of the Artwork and describing reasons why the deaccession review needs to be
undertaken.
GUIDELINES
Any Artwork owned by the City shall be eligible for deaccession with the exception of an
Artwork that is accompanied by verified legal stipulations that the Artwork may not be
deaccessioned. During the review process, the Artwork shall remain accessible to the public in
its existing location unless it poses a threat to public safety.
Artwork may be considered for review toward deaccession if one or more of the following
conditions apply:
1. The condition or security of the Artwork cannot be reasonably guaranteed;
2. The Artwork requires excessive maintenance or has faults of design, materials or
workmanship, and repair or remedy is impractical or unfeasible;
3. The Artwork has been damaged or has deteriorated, and repair or remedy is impractical or
unfeasible;
4. The Artwork’s physical or structural condition poses a threat to public safety;
5. The Artwork is proved to be inauthentic or in violation of existing copyright laws;
6. The Artwork is not, or is only rarely, on display because the City lacks a location for its
display;
7. No suitable site is available for relocation or exhibition, or significant changes in the use,
character, or design of the site have occurred which affect the integrity of the Artwork;
City of Palo Alto Deaccession of Artwork Policy Date: ____ 2016
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8. Changes to the site have significantly limited or prevented the public’s access to the
Artwork;
9. The site where the work is located is undergoing privatization;
10. Deaccession is requested by the Artist;
11. If there are more than six works (excluding editions of prints) by the same artist in the
portable collection, or more than three permanently installed works on public display in the
City or in Private Development, PAP staff may recommend to PAC that the City retain only a
representative selection of that artist’s work.
12. If the Artwork has been lost, stolen, or is missing, the PAC may approve formally
deaccessioning it from the collection while retaining a record in the collection database
showing that the work has been deaccessioned.
Artwork may be reviewed for deaccession at any time at the initiative of PAP staff or PAC
members. Review also may be initiated by the Artist regarding the Artwork she/he created, by
that Artist’s designated heir(s), or by legally recognized representative(s).
PROCEDURES
Deaccession shall begin with a formal Deaccession Request which can be initiated by the PAC,
by PAP staff, the Artist, the Artist’s designated heirs or legally-appointed representative. The
Deaccession Request shall be submitted to PAP staff and shall describe the applicable
condition(s) outlined in the Guidelines above, and the reasons why the deaccession review
should be undertaken. A Deaccession Request must also contain information about the
requestor’s relationship to the Artwork and stake in deaccessioning the Artwork.
Deaccession Requests shall be reviewed by PAP staff, who shall make every reasonable effort to
contact the Artist who created the Artwork named in the Deaccession Request, and any other
known parties with a vested interest in the artwork. When permanently-sited Artworks are
proposed for deaccession, staff shall convene a publicly-noticed meeting to discuss the reasons
deaccessioning is being considered and to gather comments on the deaccession proposal. Staff
shall then present a deaccession recommendation to the PAC which may decide to convene an
ad hoc committee comprised of practicing conservators, art appraisers, registrars, and/or other
visual arts professionals to review and advise the PAC on the Deaccession Request.
In presenting the Deaccession Request, PAP staff will provide all available relevant
corresponding materials to the PAC, including, but not limited to:
1. Artist’s name, biographical information, samples of past artwork, and resume.
2. A written description and images of the Artwork.
3. Artist’s statement about the Artwork named in the Deaccession Request.
4. A description of the selection/acquisition process and related costs that was implemented
at the time the Artwork was selected.
5. If available, a formal appraisal of the Artwork provided by a qualified art appraiser.
City of Palo Alto Deaccession of Artwork Policy Date: ____ 2016
4
6. Information about the origin, derivation, history, and past ownership of the Artwork.
7. A warranty of originality of the Artwork.
8. Information about the condition of the Artwork and the estimated cost of its conservation
provided by a qualified visual arts conservator.
9. Information about and images of the Artwork’s site.
10. For permanently-sited Artwork: information about how community feedback about the
Artwork was collected and the outcome of that feedback.
11. Feedback from the Director of the City department responsible for operating and
maintaining the Artwork site.
12. A detailed budget for all aspects of conservation, maintenance, repair, installation,
operation, insurance, storage, and City staff support.
13. The Artist’s contract with Donor or comparable legally binding document with Proof of Title.
14. Deed of gift restrictions, if any.
PAP staff shall present a Deaccession Recommendation, including information about the artist
and stakeholder feedback to the PAC at a regularly scheduled and noticed public meeting.
DEACCESSION CRITERIA
In addition to the condition and security of the Artwork as stated above, the review criteria for
Deaccession Requests include, but are not limited to:
1. ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE: Qualifications and professional reputation of the Artist;
craftsmanship, conceptual content, style, form.
2. VALUE OF ARTWORK as determined by a professional appraiser, if available.
3. RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING COLLECTION OF ARTWORK: Style, form, scale, diversity,
quantity, quality, longevity, and compatibility with the existing collection of Artwork and
goals of the Public Art Program.
4. AVAILABILITY OF CITY SUPPORT: The availability of necessary funding for conservation,
maintenance, and/or repair; exhibition and storage space; real property for siting Artwork;
and staff support.
5. RELATIONSHIP TO SITE: Accessibility, public safety, and social, cultural, historical, ecological,
physical, and functional context of the Artwork in relation to the site, both existing and
planned.
6. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: Issues related to liability, insurance, copyright, warranties,
ownership, theft, vandalism, loss, indemnification, and public safety. The City Attorney shall
review the recommendation of the PAP staff and PAC to determine whether there are any
known legal restrictions that would prevent deaccessioning the object. The City Attorney's
approval must be obtained prior to deaccessioning an object.
7. TIMING: Safety or hazard emergencies, relevant construction schedules, and the allowance
of sufficient time for a normal review process.
8. ACQUISITION PROCESS: Method by which the Artwork was acquired and accessioned into
the collection of artwork (i.e. donation, loan, commission).
City of Palo Alto Deaccession of Artwork Policy Date: ____ 2016
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9. COMMUNITY FEEDBACK: Community feedback about the Artwork, its site, and its condition
solicited via a publicly-noticed meeting or placed on the agenda of the Public Art
Commission.
10. RESTRICTIONS: Any recognized restrictions associated with the Artwork.
Members of the PAC may request to view the actual Artwork during the Deaccession Review
process.
The PAC shall approve, with or without conditions, or reject the Deaccession Request based on
the review criteria described in this policy.
The deaccessioned Artwork shall be removed from the collection of Artwork through methods
administered by the PAP. In all cases, the Artist or the Artist’s designated heir(s), or legally
recognized representative(s) shall be given, when possible and within a reasonable time frame,
the opportunity to purchase the Artwork for the fair market value (as determined by a qualified
art appraiser), or, if the Artwork is determined to be of negligible value, the Artist shall be given
the opportunity to claim the Artwork at the Artist’s own cost.
When the Artist does not purchase or claim the deaccessioned Artwork, the methods which
may be utilized to remove Artwork include, but are not limited to:
1. Sale. Proceeds from the sale shall be deposited into the Public Art CIP Budget. Written
acknowledgement by Budget to place revenues from the sale of deaccessioned Artwork into
the Public Art CIP Budget, must be obtained. Legal public notice regarding the sale shall be
published in local newspapers.
a. The Artist/donor shall be given the right of first refusal to reacquire the work at fair
market value, original price, or nominal value, depending on the recommendation of the
PAC. The cost of removal of the work may be reflected in the amount set.
b. Sell the work through a dealer.
c. Sell the work through sealed bidding or public auction.
2. Trade or exchange of a deaccessioned Artwork for another by the same Artist.
3. Donation of deaccessioned Artwork to a non-profit organization, institution, or agency.
4. Destruction. This method shall only be used in the following instances:
a. The entire Artwork has been damaged or has deteriorated, and repair or remedy is
impractical or unfeasible.
b. Most of the Artwork has been damaged or has deteriorated, and repair or remedy is
impractical or unfeasible, and any remaining intact parts of the Artwork are deemed to
have negligible value, and the Artist is not willing to claim the remaining parts at the
Artist’s own cost.
c. Public safety can be protected only by destroying the Artwork.
City of Palo Alto Deaccession of Artwork Policy Date: ____ 2016
6
d. Every effort to locate the Artist, kin, or donor has failed.
When possible, the method for removing the Artwork from the collection of Artwork shall be
selected to ensure that the highest reasonable price is received. Any profits received by the City
through the sale, trade, or auction of a deaccessioned Artwork shall be deposited into the
Public Art CIP Budget administered by the PAP.
Pursuant to the California Resale Royalties Act, Civic Code Section 986, if a deaccessioned work
is sold or exchanged, 5% of the sale price or exchange value of any work over $1,000 will be
given to the artist who created the work, provided that the artist can be located by reasonable
means. If the artist cannot be found, the Resale Royalties shall be transferred to the California
State Arts Council, a state agency. [Note: In April 2016 this statute was invalidated by a federal
district court (Estate of Robert Graham v Sotheby’s Inc., et al., 2:11-cv 8604); the matter is not
final as of this writing. If it becomes final and the statute is invalid, this policy will not be
applied.]
PAP staff shall remove acquisition numbers and labels from the Artwork and coordinate its
physical removal from the City's collection.
PAP staff shall report on the sale or exchange of Artwork at the next regularly scheduled
meeting of the PAC, following receipt of all funds or the completion of the sale, exchange, or
donation.
PAP staff shall transmit a report informing City Council of the removal of the Artwork from the
City's collection.
Staff shall maintain a Deaccession File that includes individual files on each deaccessioned
Artwork. These files shall include all documentation regarding the Artwork.
Artworks may not be sold, traded, or donated to current employees of the City of Palo Alto,
their business partners, or their immediate family members. Current elected officials, PAC
members, their business partners, and their immediate family members may not buy, receive
or own any Artwork which has been deaccessioned from the collection of Artwork.
Nothing in these guidelines shall limit the City’s ability to take appropriate action to protect
public health and safety in the event of an emergency.
City of Palo Alto Appendix 7: Gifts of Artwork Policy
City of Palo Alto Public Art Program
Gifts of Artwork Policy
PURPOSE
A. From time to time, private individuals, organizations and agencies desire to donate Artwork
to the City of Palo Alto (City). This policy outlines the procedures that the City shall follow in
accepting donations of Artwork.
Memorials, whether Artworks or other forms of recognition, shall not be considered an
Artwork for purposes of this policy; a Memorial is defined as an item, object or monument
established to preserve the memory of a deceased person or an event that occurred in the
past.
B. Acceptance of an Artwork into the City’s collection shall imply a commitment to its long-
term care and preservation. Therefore, the acceptance of such donations must be
deliberate, must maintain high aesthetic standards, and must further the goals of the Public
Art Program.
Recognizing that Palo Alto’s public spaces are a valuable and limited public resource, each
proposed Artwork must add significant and long-term value to the space in which it is
proposed to be located.
C. The purpose of this policy is to:
1. Provide uniform procedures for the review and acceptance of donations of Artwork to
the City;
2. Vest in the Public Art Program the responsibility of insuring the management and
long-term care of donated Artwork;
3. Facilitate planning for the placement of Artwork on City-owned property;
4. Preserve the City’s public spaces for the greatest enjoyment of the citizens and
visitors;
5. Maintain high aesthetic standards for Artwork displayed or installed in City facilities;
6. Provide for appropriate recognition for donors of Artwork to the City; and
7. Further the goals of the City’s Public Art Program.
DEFINITIONS
A. ARTIST. An individual generally recognized by critics and peers as a professional
practitioner of the visual arts as judged by the quality of the professional practitioner’s
body of work, educational background, experience, past public commissions, sale of works,
exhibition record, publications, and production of Artwork.
B. ARTWORK. Works in any style, expression, genre and media created by an Artist as
defined herein that may be permanent, temporary, and functional, may be stand-alone
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and integrated into the architecture or landscaping if such are designed by an Artist as
defined herein. For the purposes of this policy, the following are not considered Artwork:
1. Reproductions, by mechanical or other means of original Artwork, except in cases of
film, video, photography, printmaking, theater, or other media arts and limited
editions of sculpture;
2. Art objects that are mass produced, ordered from a catalog, or of a standard design,
such as playground sculpture or fountains; and
3. Directional or other functional elements such as signage, supergraphics, color coding,
or maps.
C. CONSERVATION. The activities required to repair, restore, and conserve a damaged or
malfunctioning Artwork, including treatment that returns the Artwork to its original
condition.
D. DONATION. A gift of an Artwork.
F. MAINTENANCE. All activities required to conserve, repair, or preserve the integrity of the
Artwork and setting within which the art work is located. Routine maintenance is limited to
the basic day-to-day care of the Artwork.
G. RESTRICTED DONATION. A donation to the City for a specified purpose, or for which there
are conditions or limitations by the donor as to the current or future use.
H. UNRESTRICTED DONATION. A donation to the City without any restrictions or limitations
being placed by the donor as to its current or future use.
POLICY
Any time a donation of an Artwork is proposed for placement on City-owned property, the City
department that operates or maintains the site of the proposed Artwork (City department)
shall consult with the Public Art Program. The Public Art Commission shall review and
recommend acceptance or rejection of the donation.
GUIDELINES
A. When a donation of an Artwork has been proposed, the City department receiving the
proposal shall notify the Public Art Program whose staff shall contact the prospective donor
to inform the donor of the City’s donation policy and gather information about the proposal.
B. Prior to consideration of a donation of Artwork to the City, the following criteria must be met
by the donor:
1. OWNERSHIP. Any site recommended for the placement of Artwork must be owned by
the City of Palo Alto.
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2. VISIBILITY. Any site recommended for the placement of Artwork must be visible to a
broad, public audience.
3. SAFETY. Any site recommended for the placement of Artwork must not pose any hazard
or threat to public safety and must meet the safety standards of the City’s Risk
Manager.
4. MAINTENANCE. Any site recommended for the placement of Artwork must be easily
maintained by City staff in a routine manner and with standardized equipment.
5. ACCESSIBILITY. Any site recommended for the placement of Artwork must comply with
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
6. CONTEXT. Any site recommended for the placement of Artwork must be socially,
culturally, historically, ecologically, physically, and/or functionally appropriate.
7. DEPARTMENTAL SUPPORT. Any site recommended for the placement of Artwork must
have the support of the City department that is responsible for operating and
maintaining the site, as well as any advisory bodies that are responsible for making
recommendations concerning the use of City-owned property.
8. COMMUNITY SUPPORT. The Public Art Commission will agendize any donations of
Artwork under consideration, in order to inform the community and receive feedback
about accepting the work into the collection and about the recommended site for a
donation of any outdoor permanently-sited Artwork.
C. The prospective donor shall meet with Public Art Program staff and prepare written and
visual documentation on the proposed donation (Donation Request). The Donation Request
shall include, at a minimum, the following:
1. Contact information for the donor and the artist.
2. Artist’s name, biographical information, samples of past artwork, and resume.
3. A written description and images of the Artwork.
4. Artist’s statement about the Artwork.
5. If available, a certified formal appraisal of the Artwork provided by a qualified art
appraiser.
6. Information about the origin, derivation, history, and past ownership of the Artwork.
7. A warranty of originality of the Artwork.
8. If available, Information about the condition of the Artwork provided by a qualified
visual arts conservator.
9. A maintenance plan for routine care and long-term conservation, including estimated
costs.
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10. Information about and images of the proposed Artwork site.
11. For permanently-sited outdoor artworks: information about the methods used for
collecting community feedback about the Artwork and the outcome.
12. A detailed budget for all aspects of design, fabrication, installation, operation,
conservation, maintenance, insurance, and staff support. Depending on the
characteristics and condition of the Artwork, the donor may be asked to provide an
endowment for the routine maintenance and long-term conservation of the Donation
for the duration that the donation is owned by the City.
13. If available, detailed plans for the design, fabrication, installation, operation,
maintenance, conservation, insurance, display, and storage of the Artwork.
14. Conditions or limitations on the donation requested by the donor.
D. Artwork Donation Requests shall be reviewed by Public Art Program staff, and then
presented to the Public Art Commission for a recommendation at a regularly scheduled and
noticed public meeting.
E. Public Art Program staff, as needed, shall solicit input from other City department advisory
commissions and/or committees.
F. The Public Art Commission shall review the donation proposal and, approve or deny
acceptance of the donation. The Public Art Commission shall consider the following criteria
in making their decision:
1. ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE. Qualifications and professional reputation of the Artist;
craftsmanship, conceptual content, style, form, condition, and value of the Artwork.
2. RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING COLLECTION OF ARTWORK. Style, form, scale, condition,
diversity, quantity, quality, longevity, and compatibility with the existing collection of
Artwork and goals of the public art program.
3. AVAILABILITY OF CITY SUPPORT. The availability of necessary funding for conservation,
maintenance, and/or repair; exhibition and storage space; real property for siting
Artwork; and staff support.
4. RELATIONSHIP TO SITE. Accessibility, public safety, and social, cultural, historical,
ecological, physical, and functional context of the Artwork in relation to the site, both
existing and planned.
5. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS. Issues related to liability, insurance, copyright, warranties,
ownership, theft, vandalism, loss, indemnification, and public safety.
6. TIMING. Safety or hazard emergencies, relevant construction schedules, and the
allowance of sufficient time for a normal review process.
G. Members of the Public Art Commission may request to view the actual Artwork during the
Donation Review process.
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H. Public Art Program staff shall obtain a legal instrument of conveyance of title. Any
conditions the City or donor places on a donation shall be stated in writing and attached to
the instrument of conveyance.
I. Once the Donation of Artwork has been accepted and the City becomes the legal owner, the
Public Art Program staff shall coordinate all processes relating to the installation,
maintenance, removal or relocation of the Artwork on City-owned property. If a specific City
department operates and maintains the site of the Artwork, the Public Art Program staff
shall consult with the City department to discuss the financial and practical responsibilities
of maintaining or operating the Artwork.
J. The Public Art Program staff, working with the department head and the donor, shall
provide for appropriate recognition of the donor’s contribution to the City.
K. City departments shall:
1. Direct all parties wishing to donate Artworks to the City to the Public Art Program.
2. Provide routine maintenance of the donated or loaned Artwork, upon advice from the
Public Art Program staff, and perform maintenance work in a manner that is consistent
with requirements supplied by the donor.
3. Be responsible for reporting to Public Art Program staff any damage to a donated
Artwork.
4. Not intentionally destroy, modify, relocate or remove from display any donated Artwork
without prior consent from the Public Art Commission and Public Art Program Director
in accordance with the Policy for Deaccession of City-Owned Artwork.
5. Not cause any non-routine maintenance or repairs to donated Artworks without prior
consent from the Public Art staff.
EXCEPTION
Gifts of state presented to the City by foreign governments or by other political jurisdictions of
the United States – municipal, state or national – which may be accepted by the Mayor, City
Council, or City Manager shall not be considered part of the Public Art Collection and will
remain in the care of the City Clerk’s Office.
City of Palo Alto Public Art Program
Temporary Artwork Policy
Purpose
The City of Palo Alto’s Temporary Artwork Program is intended to activate publicly-owned
spaces in parks, plazas, streetscapes, and other City-owned property. Temporary artworks
enliven communities, provoke conversations and refresh the public realm. The City of Palo
Alto commissions temporary artworks through its Public Art Program and also acts as a
conduit for temporary projects initiated by artists and non-profit organizations.
Temporary artworks are approved by the City of Palo Alto and constitute government
speech. In permitting temporary artworks the City is not creating public forum for free
speech activity.
The Temporary Artwork Policy establishes criteria and guidelines for the consideration
and installation of temporary artworks in parks, plazas, streetscapes and similar City
property. The policy and procedures are intended to complement Municipal Code
Section 2.26, Visual Art in Public Spaces, and Municipal Code Section 16.61, Public Art for
Private Developments, in order to insure a consistent approach to placing art in the
public realm.
Goals
1. To encourage the temporary placement of thought-provoking, innovative works of high
artistic merit that connect people to place;
2. To contribute to Palo Alto’s sense of identity and pride;
3. To build on Palo Alto’s identity as a diverse community and a global center for
innovation;
4. To engage artists in projects that stimulate and encourage community interaction;
5. To create pilot projects in potential locations for permanent artworks;
6. To provide opportunities for emerging and established artists.
Scope
The focus of this policy is on temporary art works located in the City of Palo Alto.
Temporary public art is defined as any art, including visual artworks, performances,
projections, digital media, virtual reality, and other artistic media, that is not intended to
be permanent and is not made a part of the permanent public art collection. Temporary
public art is generally displayed twelve months or less. Temporary projects may be artist-
initiated, commissioned by the City of Palo Alto, or commissioned by a Palo-Alto-based
non-profit community or cultural organization, and may include community-based art
that builds upon the diverse cultural traditions of Palo Alto residents and provides a
space for reflection. This policy should be employed whenever the City, through its
Public Art Program, commissions temporary art and when the City facilitates temporary
artwork proposed by others.
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Public Art Project Types and Artwork Considerations
Temporary artworks are allowed on any City-owned property provided that the City
Department responsible for that site is willing to allow the temporary placement of art.
Temporary art may include display of existing works of art as well as artworks and art
experiences that are created specifically for the site.
Physical artworks must be constructed to withstand outdoor placement during the City-
designated display period. All approaches and media for public art will be considered. These
include, but are not limited to artworks that consist of or include sculpture, light, social
practice/community art, performance, sound, projection art and other artistic media.
Temporary artworks and experiences must not create a nuisance in the community where
the artwork is proposed, especially when employing light or sound. Artwork must not
present any public safety hazards or violate City laws or codes. Physical artwork selected for
temporary placement may require stamped engineering drawings and have specific
insurance requirements, and environmental review may be required. All temporary
artworks must be removed by the artist, who must restore the site to its original condition
upon completion of the display.
Procedures and Program Management: City Funded Projects
The Public Art Program will include the commission of City-funded temporary artwork
projects in its Annual Public Art Work Plan. The project description should include the
proposed location/s and goal of the commission and artist selection methods. The Public
Art Program will issue an RFP to solicit artists to develop original project proposals or
submit artworks to be placed on loan. The artist’s contract will include the artist’s cost for
design, fabrication, installation, maintenance and de-installation of commissioned
temporary artwork created for the Program; or a fee for the loan and maintenance of pre-
existing artworks.
Temporary artwork projects that are funded by the City of Palo Alto may be commissioned
by the City’s Public Art Program or commissioned by a nonprofit arts organization or
curator contracted by the City. When a contracted arts organization or curator is chosen by
the City to implement the temporary artworks, the City’s Public Art Program staff must be
represented in the artist selection process as well as on the project team that reviews
design development and implementation. Projects implemented by the Public Art Program
or by a partner organization may be selected through an open Request for Proposal (RFP)
process, limited invitation or by a curatorial process that invites artist proposals. The City
will employ its list of available sites for soliciting proposals. The RFP or invitation will
indicate the available sites for art placement, the duration of the display, and the City’s
requirements for insurance, liability, safety, etc.
City-funded projects will be selected by a panel, usually comprised of three arts
professionals, two community representatives, one Public Art Commissioner and one
representative of the appropriate City Department/s. The exact makeup of the selection
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panels may shift depending on the location, scale and purpose of the artwork. If possible,
community representatives will be knowledgeable about the arts.
Artists or commissioning organizations submitting artwork for consideration shall submit
the following information:
Artist’s resume
A minimum of two photographs of the work
A written narrative describing the artwork
In the case of physical artworks, a description of the construction materials and
methods of fabrication and anchoring details
Selection criteria will be defined in advance by the Public Art Program based on the goals
articulated in the annual Public Art Work Plan. In general, selection criteria will include:
Artistic merit
Appropriateness to site and goals articulated for the project
Community engagement
Feasibility and durability
Compliance with City codes
Artist contracts for original, commissioned artworks shall include the cost of fabrication,
installation, routine maintenance, artwork removal and restoration of the site. The City
shall be responsible for any necessary site preparation including footings, permitting, and
lighting. In the event of unanticipated vandalism or severe environmental damage, the
Artist will assume the additional costs of artwork maintenance.
Artist contracts for loaned works shall include an honorarium for the loan and adequate
funding to cover the cost of installation, routine maintenance, artwork removal and
restoration of the site. The City shall be responsible for any necessary site preparation
including footings, permitting, and lighting. In the event of unanticipated vandalism or
severe environmental damage, the Artist will assume the additional costs of artwork
maintenance.
The Public Art Commission will review and approve, deny, or suggest revisions to temporary
artwork proposals. Performance based projects of less than 24-hour duration may be
reviewed and approved at staff level.
Process for Placement of Self-Funded Artist- or Arts-Organization Initiated Temporary Art
Projects
The point of contact for review and approval of self-funded artist- or community-initiated
projects is the Public Art Program Director who will insure that appropriate City staff
approves the proposed location of the work and addresses and public safety concerns. A
City employee or elected official who is contacted regarding temporary placement of an
artwork must direct the sponsor to the Public Art Program Director who will consult with
the relevant City Department regarding appropriateness of location before initiating the
artwork review process.
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Applications for placement of temporary art must include a detailed narrative describing
the project and the artist creating it and drawings or other graphic representation of the
artwork being proposed and a preliminary budget. In addition, the structural description of
the proposed temporary artwork should include, but not be limited to the medium,
dimensions (H x W x D and weight), required power sources, detailed information regarding
installation method, anchoring procedure, and any necessary maintenance to be provided.
The Public Art Program Director will convene a Temporary Artwork Review panel consisting
of arts professionals, City Department representatives, and community stakeholders to
evaluate the viability, appropriateness, durability and safety of the proposal.
In general, selection criteria will include:
Artistic merit
Appropriateness to site and goals articulated for the project
Community engagement
Feasibility and durability
Compliance with City codes
Recommendations from the Temporary Artwork Review Panel will be forwarded to the
Public Art Commission for final review and approval.
Once the proposed project has received Final Approval, the Public Art Program Director will
issue a contract between the City of Palo Alto and the applicant regarding placement,
duration, maintenance and installation of the work or project. The proposer will be
required to sign, submit proof of insurance to the City of Palo Alto and meet all other
obligations as outlined in the agreement including date and method of removal of the
artwork. The City Department must receive and provide written notification of approval of
deliverables to the applicant before the applicant can install artwork on City property.
Acceptance Conditions
1. The City reserves the right to manage its own property including the removal of the
artwork when it poses a public safety risk, has been left on City property beyond the
agreed terms, or is damaged beyond repair.
2. If an artwork is not completed within the timeline originally approved by the Public Art
Commission, or if changes in content, materials, form, presentation, or financing of the
artwork occur, the artwork must be reviewed again by the Public Art Program Director
and Public Art Commission.
3. In accepting a temporary artwork, the City of Palo Alto requires that the responsible
parties enter into an agreement for the duration of the display that outlines the
maintenance responsibilities and agreement to remove the work at the agreed upon
conclusion of the display, leaving the site in its original condition or better.
4. Neither the Public Art Commission, nor the City of Palo Alto, nor any of its agents, will
be held liable for any damage or state of disrepair of a temporary artwork.
Legal Requirements
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Copyright: The artist retains the copyright for the artwork and must grant the City the right
to use images of the temporary artworks for municipal purposes.
Ownership and maintenance: Temporary artworks commissioned by the City of a
contracted arts organization remain the property of the artist who will be responsible for
maintaining the work during the duration of its display. The artist or contracted arts
organization is responsible for removing the artwork and restoring the site to its original
condition.
Removal: The City of Palo Alto reserves the right to remove or relocate temporary artwork
that deteriorates beyond repair, poses a public safety challenge or results in a
neighborhood nuisance, as determined in the sole discretion of the Public Art Program
Director. All attempts will be made to coordinate relocation of the work with the artist, but
if the City must remove the art, it may bill the artist for the removal and storage costs.
Documentation
Upon completion of the project, Public Art Program Staff shall create documentation
includes the following information:
Artist’s resume
A minimum of two photographs of the work
A written narrative describing the artwork
In the case of physical artworks, a description of the construction materials and
methods of fabrication
Mention and/or reviews of the artwork in local press
City of Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan
Artist Selection Guidelines
GOALS
The overarching goal of artist selection is to acquire artwork of the highest quality. Success
depends on selecting an artist whose skill, experience, style, commitment to collaboration and
community facilitation skills match the project’s needs. The specific goals of the selection
process are to:
Encourage the highest level of creative engagement and vibrant thinking in creating free-
standing or site-integrated artworks;
Select an artist or artists whose existing public artworks or past collaborative efforts have
maintained a high level of quality and integrity;
Further the mission and goals of the Public Art Program and the City;
Identify the optimal approach to public art that is suitable to the demands of the particular
project;
Select an artist or artists who will best respond to the distinctive characteristics of the site
and the community it serves;
Select an artist or artists who can work successfully as members of an overall project design
team; and
Ensure that the selection process represents and considers the interests of all parties
concerned, including the public, the arts community and the City.
ARTIST SELECTION PANEL: PUBLICLY FUNDED PROJECTS
The Artist Selection Panel is responsible to review artist submittals for publicly funded art
projects and make recommendations of finalists to the Public Art Commission. The Artist
Selection Panel generally should be comprised of no fewer than three arts professionals
selected on the basis of expertise, a representative of the project design team, the client City
department, and at least one panel member representing the community in which the artwork
will be located. Public Art Commissioners may serve on the panel in the capacity of community
members or arts professionals, if appropriate, or may participate on the artist selection panel as
observers. Panel recommendations shall be based upon consensus.
METHODS OF ARTIST SELECTION: OPTIONS
Private Percent for Art Projects
The developer and the developer’s public art consultant are responsible for artist solicitation
and selection for privately-funded on-site projects. The method of artist selection and the
rationale for this method, shall be articulated in the plan created by the public art consultant
when the project is presented to the Public Art Commission for review.
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Public Percent for Art Projects
The Public Art Commission reviews and makes suggestions regarding staff’s recommendation
for the method for identifying artists that best reflects the project goals and offers the best
chance of finding the best artist for the project.
The Public Art staff defines the method for artist selection for each project for the Commission
to review, taking into account the nature and needs of the specific project, including:
Size of the budget available for artwork;
Interest in working with emerging and/or established artists;
Geographic restrictions on artists’ eligibility;
Preferences concerning the nature of the artwork (i.e. medium, form); and
Potential locations for the work and limitations or opportunities presented by the site.
TYPES OF ARTIST SOLICITATION
There are several standard methods of artist selection that may be used for either public or
private percent for art projects. Typically, public projects, as reflective of standard government
bid processes, use an openly advertised solicitation process. Privately-funded projects tend to
use more direct methods of selection.
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Request for Qualifications (RFQ) can be an effective and efficient method to issue a Call for
Artists. RFQs require minimal expenditures of time and money from artists. RFQs primarily rely
upon examples of an artist’s previous work and typically include an artist’s vita, selected
references, and a statement of interest about the project. When RFQs are written thoughtfully
and applicants’ materials are subsequently reviewed, considered, and evaluated by arts
professionals and the commissioning organization, a short-list of qualified artists to interview
for a proposed project may be easily accomplished.
The outcome of this process creates opportunities for in-person interviews or offering a
reasonable fee to compensate development of conceptual ideas for the project. The RFQ
process does not anticipate that artists prepare or present specific ideas based on limited
information provided in the Call. Instead, conceptual artwork proposals for the project are
developed only after learning more about the project through site visits and interactions with
project personnel and constituent interests. It is expected that short-listed artists be
compensated for travel expenses when invited to interview.
Request for Proposals (RFP)
If the design process is sufficiently advanced and a context has been established to which the
artists can respond, each of the finalists may be asked to develop a preliminary artwork
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proposal. Request for Proposals (RFP) can be an effective way to consider and evaluate the
appropriateness of an artist when a limited number of artists are invited to participate in a
selection process, the criteria for selection is explicit and uniform, and there is a stipend paid to
the artist for each submission. Commissioning bodies recognize that artists will not have
sufficient time and information to develop site specific proposals that are informed by
substantial client interaction unless the proposals and competition affords at least four to six
weeks of preparation time.
Proposals are requested only when the commissioning agency is prepared to consider the
proposal as a conceptual approach to the project and not the final design. The commissioning
body should pay for the proposals, and the commissioning agency recognizes that all ideas
presented for the project, including copyright, belong to each artist.
Open Competition
In an open competition, any artist may submit her/his credentials, subject to requirements
established by the Public Art Program. The Call for Artists must be sufficiently detailed to
permit artists to determine whether their work is appropriate for consideration. An open
competition allows for the broadest range of possibilities for a site and can bring in new,
otherwise unknown, and emerging artists. This method sometimes discourages established
artists who prefer to respond to limited competitions and to be directly selected for projects.
Limited Competition
In a limited competition several artists are pre-selected and invited to submit qualifications.
Limited competitions are more appropriate for projects with extremely aggressive schedules,
where there is consensus around an artist or list of artists to be considered, and where a high-
level or specific type of expertise is required for the project.
The list of pre-selected artists can be developed by the Public Art Staff with input from the
Public Art Commission; local, national and international arts professionals; project partners;
and a curator or consultant advising on the projects.
Direct Selection
Direct selection is a method that is most often used in private development projects although
developers may choose to select an artist through other methods described here. Direct
selection may be appropriate on projects where an urgent timeline, limited budget or specific
project requirements exist.
Direct Purchase
At times the Public Art Commission may elect to recommend a direct selection in which it
contracts with a specific artist for a particular project or decides to purchase a portable
artwork. This may occur for any reason, but generally is used when circumstances surrounding
the project make either an open or limited competition unfeasible (i.e. project timeline,
community or social considerations, client demand) or a specific artwork is needed due to the
exacting nature of the project.
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Pre-Qualified Artist Directory
As a resource to assist artist selection processes for projects that are time sensitive and where
specific skills may be required, a juried pool of prequalified artists may be employed by the
Public Art Staff. The Prequalified Artist Directory may also be used by the Public Art staff, Public
Art Commission, and consultants to identify artists for specific public art project opportunities.
Artists working in a variety of media and artistic approaches, especially in durable and easily
maintained materials (i.e. metal, concrete, glass, stone, ceramic tile), and who have prior public
art experience would be encouraged to apply. This juried roster should be developed based on
a comprehensive review of credentials by an artist selection panel and renewed annually.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
ARTIST QUALIFICATIONS
The Public Art Commission will use the following criteria to review the selection of artists for
the acquisition of artwork:
1. Meets the definition of artist, as defined in the Public Art Program Ordinance.
2. Demonstrates artistic excellence, innovation and originality as represented in past work and
supporting materials.
3. Demonstrates capacity for working in media and with concepts that are appropriate to the
project goals and site.
4. Demonstrates interest and capability in creating public artwork in collaboration with the
City, Public Art Program, the design team (if applicable) and other project partners.
5. Demonstrates experience in successfully completing works of similar scope, scale, budget
and complexity, or ability to articulate how he or she would be able to bring the necessary
artistic and technical skills to this project.
6. Demonstrates interest in and understanding of the project.
7. Is available to perform the scope of the work in a timely and professional manner.
8. Builds the diversity of the City's public art collection.
9. If applicable, demonstrates a cohesive team.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING ARTIST CONCEPT AND SCHEMATIC PROPOSALS
The Public Art Commission will use the following criteria to review Artist Concept Proposals:
1. Clearly responds to the project goals.
2. Meets the definition of artwork as defined by the Public Art Program Ordinance.
3. Demonstrates excellence in aesthetic quality, workmanship, innovation, and creativity.
4. Demonstrates appropriateness in scale, form and is of materials/media suitable for the site.
5. Demonstrates feasibility in terms of budget, timeline, safety, durability, operation,
maintenance, conservation, legal and ethical issues related to possession and use of
proposed artwork, security, and/or storage and siting.
6. Builds the diversity of the City's public art collection.