HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-01-15 Public Art Commission Agenda PacketPUBLIC ART COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Community Meeting Room & Hybrid
7:00 PM
Public Art Commission meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to attend by
teleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while still maintaining
transparency and public access, members of the public can choose to participate from home or
attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the meeting is
located at the end of the agenda. Masks are strongly encouraged if attending in person. The
meeting will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 26, live on
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto, and streamed to Midpen Media
Center https://midpenmedia.org.
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/88627841441)
Meeting ID: 886 2784 1441 Phone: 1(669)900-6833
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Public comments will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to three minutes or an
amount of time determined by the Chair. All requests to speak will be taken until 5 minutes
after the staff’s presentation. Written public comments can be submitted in advance to
pac@PaloAlto.gov and will be provided to the Council and available for inspection on the City’s
website. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are referencing in your subject line.
PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only
by email to pac@PaloAlto.gov at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Once received, the Clerk
will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To uphold strong cybersecurity
management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage devices are not accepted.
Signs and symbolic materials less than 2 feet by 3 feet are permitted provided that: (1) sticks,
posts, poles or similar/other type of handle objects are strictly prohibited; (2) the items do not
create a facility, fire, or safety hazard; and (3) persons with such items remain seated when
displaying them and must not raise the items above shoulder level, obstruct the view or passage
of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting.
CALL TO ORDER
AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS
The Chair or Commission majority may modify the agenda order to improve meeting management.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Members of the public may speak to any item NOT on the agenda.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1.December 18, 2025 PAC Regular Meeting Minutes
CITY OFFICIAL COMMENTS
ACTION ITEMS
2.Election of Officers - The Commission election for the PAC Chair and Vice Chair roles.
3.Deaccession of Artwork – Staff recommends approval of deaccession of Conversation, a
digital media artwork by Susan Narduli.
NON-ACTION ITEMS
4.PAC Annual Retreat and Workplan Discussion – Commissioners and staff discuss the
upcoming Annual Retreat, timeline, and ad-hoc committee for the PAC workplan.
COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR FUTURE MEETINGS AND
AGENDAS
Members of the public may not speak to the item(s)
ADJOURNMENT
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email,
teleconference, or by phone.
1.Written public comments may be submitted by email to pac@PaloAlto.gov.
2.Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the teleconference
meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom-based meeting.
Please read the following instructions carefully.
◦You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in- browser. If using
your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30 ,
Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in
older browsers including Internet Explorer.
◦You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you
identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you
that it is your turn to speak.
◦When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will
activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they
are called to speak.
◦When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be
shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments.
3.Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the
teleconference meeting. To address the Council, download the Zoom application onto
your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID
below. Please follow the instructions B-E above.
4.Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When
you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to
speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the Council.
You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your remarks to
the agenda item and time limit allotted.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 886 2784 1441 Phone: 1-669-900-6833
Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public
programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with
disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary
aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at
(650) 329-2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@PaloAlto.gov. Requests for assistance or
accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or
service.
IS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION
54954.2(a) OR SECTION 54956
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Community Meeting Room & Virtual
7:00 p.m.
Commissioners Participating: Hsinya Shen, Tara de la Garza, Robin Mullery, Simon Tran
Commissioners Absent: Harriet Stern, Amber Smith, Anjana Joshi
City Council Participating: None
Staff Present: Elise DeMarzo, Public Art Program Director, CSD
Nadya Chuprina, Public Art Program Coordinator, CSD
Amanda Deml, Assistant Director, CSD
CALL TO ORDER –Chair Shen called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS – None.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – November 20, 2025 PAC Regular Meeting Minutes: Moved by Commissioner
de la Garza Second by Commissioner Mullery; Commissioners noted to staff that the date on the
distributed November 20 minutes printouts was incorrect and listed September 18 instead. Minutes
moved as corrected. All in Favor.
STAFF COMMENTS –Staff provided an update and shared images of an ongoing installation of a
monumental exterior mosaic artwork by Kyungmi Shin of Shin Gray Studio commissioned by the Sobrato
Organization for the 3200 Park Boulevard public art in private development project.
ACTION:
1. Downtown Murals – Staff provided a detailed summary of the murals project background
including its funding source, timeline to-date, selection process, communications with the
commissioned artists and site hosts. Artists Mona Caron, Nigel Sussman, and Harumo Sato were
the highest ranked applicants, and each was approved by the property owners. The three artists
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were approved by the PAC and signed contracts to create site-specific designs and paint murals
in June 2024. However, the projects were put on hold due to an unexpected, statewide general-
contractor licensing issue. In 2025, Senate Bill 456 was introduced and enacted, exempting
artists who paint or restore murals from the previous requirement to hold a contractor’s license.
Staff presented digital renderings of the artists’ conceptual designs to the Commission and
shared artists’ statements about proposed murals. Motion: Commissioner de la Garza moved to
approve conceptual designs for temporary murals by artists Nigel Sussman for the alley wall of
the Pacific Art League at 668 Ramona Street and Mona Caron for the alley wall at Mac’s Smoke
Shop at 534 Emerson Street to be painted by the artists in winter – spring 2026. Second:
Commissioner Tran. All in Favor.
2. Acceptance of Donation of Artwork – Staff presented a digital image of artwork titled Self-
Portrait as Athena by CASP artist Martha Sakellariou offered by the artist to the City in
accordance with the Cubberley Artist Studio Program (CASP) agreement. The offered artwork is
part of The Golden Homes project launched by Sakellariou n 2019 in Athens, Greece, as a series
of photo-based and improv performance acts that focus on the idea of home, transition,
memory and loss. Motion: Commissioner Mullery moved to accept the donation of artwork to
the City’s public art collection. Second: Commissioner Tran. All in Favor.
3. ArtLift Grants 2026 – Staff provided a summary of the ArtLift Grants program, its history,
funding source, types of projects eligible, as well as application and selection process. The
program is guided by the PAC 2024/25 Building Community priority to develop public art that
encourages engagement, belonging, and community participation, and that promotes shared
experiences in and around Palo Alto Neighborhoods and commercial corridors. ArtLift Grants
2026 intend to fund ten $5,000 temporary projects across various commercial corridors and
neighborhoods of Palo Alto, centering on Downtown, California Avenue, and Cubberley
Community Center. Should funding be approved, staff intends to launch the call early January
2026, complete the selection process by the end of March, award grants in April for the projects
to take place between April – December 2026. Motion: Chair Shen moved to approve funds in
the amount of up to $50,000 for the next series of ArtLift Grants 2026 from the City's Art in
Public Places CIP fund. Second: Commissioner Tran. All in Favor.
4. On-Call Engineering Services for Public Art – Staff requested that PAC approve allocation of
additional funds in the amount of $10,000 to add to an existing professional services agreement
with Hohbach-Lewin Inc to provide on-call structural engineering services to support temporary
public art projects. Moved: Commissioner de la Garza moved to approved funds. Second: Chair
Shen. All in Favor.
COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, OR FUTURE ITEMS: Staff announced the dates for the
PAC Annual Retreat scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, 5-9 pm at the Palo Alto Art Center.
CALENDAR: PAC Regular Meeting – January 15, 2026, at 7 pm.
MEETING ADJOURNED: at 7:35 pm by Chair Shen.
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Public Art Commission
Staff Report
From: Elise DeMarzo, Manager Community Services Sr Programs
Meeting Date: January 15, 2026
Report #: 2601-5816
TITLE
Deaccession of Artwork – Staff recommends approval of deaccession of Conversation, a digital
media artwork by Susan Narduli at the Palo Alto City Hall lobby.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Public Art Commission approve deaccession of the digital media
artwork titled Conversation by artist Susan Narduli installed at the Palo Alto City Hall lobby in
accordance with the City’s Deaccession of Artwork Policy 1-59/CSD.
BACKGROUND
Commission History: In 2014, a city hall renovation project provided a percent for art allocation
for public art. A national call for artists interested in being considered for a possible commission
of interactive media artwork in the lobby of City Hall was released in 2014. The intention for the
commissioned site-specific artwork at the City Hall lobby was to bring the public into this civic
space and engage them in a meaningful interactive way. Besides having a highly interactive
element, other requirements for the artwork included durability in an indoor public setting, the
ability to show City content, and minimal maintenance. A large wall in the lobby facing the
visitors as they enter the space was identified as a primary potential location for the interactive
digital artwork.
Out of the 107 artists who submitted their qualifications in response to the RFQ, a selection
panel of artists, arts professionals, city staff, and community stakeholders identified 5 artists
who were provided a stipend to create conceptual proposals for the artwork. The selection
panel chose LA-based artist Susan Narduli who proposed concept for an interactive media
artwork Conversation for the commission. The Public Art Commission approved Susan Narduli’s
proposal in Summer 2014, and the artist contract was approved by City Council in December
2014. In early 2015 Narduli initiated community engagement to further inform the artwork
concept and traveled to Palo Alto to conduct community meetings to gather input and direction
on the project. In March 2015, the Public Art Commission approved the final concept for
Conversation (ATTACHMENT B). The site-specific digital artwork invited participants to interact
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with it in person via an input kiosk, or remotely via the project website or Twitter. The final
artwork was installed and unveiled in early 2016. The artist contract stipulated that the
artwork’s reasonable lifespan was expected to be 10 years or more permitting the City to be
able to remove the artwork 10 years after its completion, in accordance with the City’s
Deaccession Policy. The contract also included a maintenance provision requiring the artist to
provide maintenance and upgrades to the digital artwork on an on-call basis for an additional
service fee.
DISCUSSION
Artwork intended functionality, condition concerns, repairs and ongoing maintenance and
support: Conceptually, Conversation, an ever-changing visual narrative of the faces, places, and
discussions taking place in Palo Alto and beyond, was designed to celebrate an open discourse
in the civic space of City Hall. Color coded Twitter feeds from local (green circles), national
(blue), and global news (lavender) feeds populate the screens of the video wall along with
comments and images submitted by the public from the adjacent kiosk, online at
www.conversationpaloalto.org, or via Twitter. The background images of Palo Alto appear and
change throughout the day, and the input cells had different behaviors with each background,
offering a unique experience for each visitor.
Conversation, and its
behavior. Some ongoing technical challenges were based on issues with monitor connectivity
and the monitors themselves, others on issues when switching between City mode and the Art
mode. Multiple monitors required replacement and routine monitoring by staff. The artwork
program also started having issues, causing the artwork to freeze, requiring staff (Public Art and
IT) to manually reboot the artwork onsite. The Public Art team worked closely with the Narduli
Studio team to resolve hardware issues causing the PC to crash or display error messages,
including upgrades to a more robust processor for the Art PC. While trying to address the
hardware issues, the artist team also observed persistent programming issues, such as not
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properly updating news and twitter feeds, not displaying public comments or images submitted
onsite or remotely, preventing the visitors from fully engaging with the artwork the way it was
intended. To address ongoing functional challenges, the artist’s studio performed software
maintenance between 2015 and 2020 to update and improve various aspects of the custom
code for the artwork.
Conversation by preventing it from pulling and displaying news
feeds. This required additional, significant updates to the existing code to restore the artwork’s
intended functionality.
Conversation, the digital nature of the artwork requires continual upkeep of its support
platforms and various subscription-based services, such as the website domain and a cloud-
based application that manages the artwork’s underlying infrastructure. These maintenance
tasks have been coordinated by staff with the continued support of the artist’s team.
Conversation, including its conceptual design development,
implementation of software and hardware, installation and launch in 2015 was $174,477. Staff
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estimates that expenses associated with the subsequent maintenance and repair of the artwork
between years 2015 to date are approximately $20,664, including:
$3,038 - Hardware repairs and replacement
$10,356 – Kiosk redesign, installation, and development support
$6,280 - Software development repairs and maintenance
$990 - Website domain and cloud support
Conversation from the City’s permanent art collection for the
following reasons:
The Artwork has exceeded its expected lifespan.
The Artwork requires excessive maintenance or has faults in design, materials, or
workmanship, and repair or remedy is impractical or unfeasible;
The Artwork has deteriorated, and repair is impractical or unfeasible;
Updates since PAC’s approval to initiate a formal deaccession request to initiate deaccession
proceedings for Conversation on September 18, 2025: In September 2025, following the
guidelines and procedures of the City’s Deaccession of Artwork Policy 1-59/CSD,
staff submitted a Deaccession Request Report to the PAC. The staff report (2509-5203)
provided detailed overview of the commission history and intended functionality of the
artwork, condition concerns, repairs and ongoing maintenance and support1. The Public Art
Commission unanimously approved that staff proceed with a deaccession evaluation process.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
1 Public Art Commission, September 18, 2025; Agenda Item #3; SR #5203,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/viewer/preview?id=0&type=8&uid=84e2c8b0-df7c-4fe8-b405-70a07b860f83
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removal of the art computer units offsite, in accordance with the City’s deaccession policy and
offer them to the artist. The bank of monitors will remain in the lobby.
ATTACHMENTS
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Public Art Commission
Staff Report
From: Elise DeMarzo, Manager Community Services Sr Programs
Meeting Date: September 18, 2025
Report #: 2509-5203
TITLE
De-accession of artwork – Initiation of de-accession evaluation process for Conversation, a
digital media artwork by Susan Narduli at the Palo Alto City Hall lobby.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Public Art Commission approve a formal deaccession request to
initiate deaccession proceedings as outlined in the City’s Deaccession of Artwork Policy 1-
59/CSD (ATTACHMENT 1) in accordance with the policy’s process and conditions for the digital
media artwork titled Conversation by artist Susan Narduli installed at the Palo Alto City Hall
lobby.
BACKGROUND:
In 2014, a city hall renovation project provided a percent for art allocation for public art. A
national call for artists interested in being considered for a possible commission of interactive
media artwork in the lobby of City Hall was released in 2014. The intention for the
commissioned site-specific artwork at the City Hall lobby was to bring the public into this civic
space and engage them in a meaningful interactive way. Besides having a highly interactive
element, other requirements for the artwork included durability in an indoor public setting, the
ability to show City content, and minimal maintenance. A large wall in the lobby facing the
visitors as they enter the space was identified as a primary potential location for the interactive
digital artwork.
Out of the 107 artists who submitted their qualifications in response to the RFQ, a selection
panel of artists, arts professionals, city staff, and community stakeholders identified 5 artists
who were provided a stipend to create conceptual proposals for the artwork. The selection
panel chose LA-based artist Susan Narduli who proposed concept for an interactive media
artwork Conversation for the commission. The Public Art Commission approved Susan Narduli’s
proposal in Summer 2014, and the artist contract was approved by City Council in December
2014. In early 2015 Narduli initiated community engagement to further inform the artwork
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concept and traveled to Palo Alto to conduct community meetings to gather input and direction
on the project. In March 2015, the Public Art Commission approved the final concept for
Conversation (ATTACHMENT B). The site-specific digital artwork invited participants to interact
with it in person via an input kiosk, or remotely via the project website or Twitter. The final
artwork was installed and unveiled in early 2016. The artist contract stipulated that the
artwork’s reasonable lifespan was expected to be 10 years or more permitting the City to be
able to remove the artwork 10 years after its completion, in accordance with the City’s
Deaccession Policy. The contract also included a maintenance provision requiring the artist to
provide maintenance and upgrades to the digital artwork on an on-call basis for an additional
service fee.
DISCUSSION
Conversation, an ever-changing visual narrative of the faces, places, and
discussions taking place in Palo Alto and beyond, was designed to celebrate an open discourse
in the civic space of City Hall. Color coded Twitter feeds from local (green circles), national
(blue), and global news (lavender) feeds populate the screens of the video wall along with
comments and images submitted by the public from the adjacent kiosk, online at
www.conversationpaloalto.org, or via Twitter. The background images of Palo Alto appear and
change throughout the day, and the input cells had different behaviors with each background,
offering a unique experience for each visitor.
Conversation, and its
behavior. Some ongoing technical challenges were based on issues with monitor connectivity
and the monitors themselves, others on the settings switching between City mode and the Art
mode. Multiple monitors required replacement and routine monitoring by staff. The artwork
program also started having issues, causing the artwork to freeze, requiring staff (Public Art and
IT) to manually reboot the artwork onsite. The Public Art team worked closely with the Narduli
Studio team to resolve hardware issues causing the PC to crash or display error messages,
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including replacing a more robust processor for the Art PC. While trying to address the
hardware issues, the artist team also observed persistent programming issues, such as not
properly updating news and twitter feeds, not displaying public comments or images submitted
onsite or remotely, preventing the visitors from fully engaging with the artwork the way it was
intended. To address ongoing functional challenges, the artist’s studio performed software
maintenance between 2015 and 2020 to update and improve various aspects of the custom
code for the artwork.
Conversation by preventing it from pulling and displaying news
feeds. This required additional, significant updates to the existing code to restore the artwork’s
intended functionality.
Conversation, the digital nature of the artwork requires continual upkeep of its support
platforms and various subscription-based services, such as the website domain and a cloud-
based application that manages the artwork’s underlying infrastructure. These maintenance
tasks have been coordinated by staff with the continued support of the artist’s team.
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Staff estimates that expenses associated with Conversation to commission, repair, and maintain
the artwork between years 2015 to date is $192,121.00, including:
•$174,477 – Artist contract for design development, build, and installation of artwork;
•$3,038 - Hardware repairs and replacement
•$10,356 – Kiosk redesign, installation, and development support
•$6,280 - Software development repairs and maintenance
•$970 - Website domain and cloud support
Conversation from the City’s permanent art collection for the
following reasons:
•The Artwork has exceeded its expected lifespan.
•The Artwork requires excessive maintenance or has faults in design, materials, or
workmanship, and repair or remedy is impractical or unfeasible.
•The Artwork has deteriorated, and repair is impractical or unfeasible.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
ATTACHMENTS
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Public Art Commission
2024-2025 Workplan
Staff Liaison: Elise DeMarzo, Public Art Program Director, Nadya Chuprina, Program Coordinator
Lead Department: Community Services / Arts & Sciences
About the Commission
The Public Art Commission is composed of seven (7) members. The terms are three (3) years in length and commence on
's
ermanent public art programs. The Commission's primary duties are:
●To advise the city in matters pertaining to the quality, quantity, scope, and style of art in public places
●To periodically review the capital improvement program with the staff for inclusion of works of art in various projects
●To devise methods of selecting and commissioning artists with respect to the design, execution, and placement of art in
public places and to advise staff on the selection and commissioning of artists, and the amounts to be expended on art
in public places
●To advise and assist staff in obtaining financial assistance for art in public places from private, corporate, and
governmental sources
●To review plans for the installation of art in public places and review the inventory of art in public spaces
Current Commissioners
Loren Gordon (Chair)
Hsinya Shen (Vice Chair)
Approved by City Council on October 7, 2024
MOTION: Council Member Burt moved, seconded by Mayor Stone to
approve the Public Art Commission Fiscal Year 2025 Workplan and the
additional direction to pursue a plan for extensive artistic activation of the
Cubberley space in collaboration with the artists.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
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Mission Statement
The Palo Alto Public Art Program promotes the highest caliber of artwork, commissioning memorable public artworks and
and
place.
PAC’s 2024/25 Adopted Priorities are:
Building Community Priority: Develop public art that encourages engagement, belonging, and community participation, and
corridors.
Social Justice Priority: Develop public art projects that will continue to advance empathy, ethnic and cultural inclusion, and
Public Art Education Priority: Widen and strengthen education and advocacy for public art, including through the roll-out and
of the California Avenue District Master Plan and the Baylands’ Art Plan, and PAMP long-term goals, while
ing a wider network of artists.
s at least two of its three adopted priorities
community members.
● Building Community Priority: The design and building process involves diverse groups of multi-stakeholders
representing the community. From artist selection and fact-finding through community dialogue to the
of the final artwork, this ensures the art resonates with local neighborhoods and commercial corridors.
● Public Art Education Priority: Engaging artists with the local community during the design process helps artists
understand the community a
educational goals and enhancing advocacy for public art.
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Prior Year
Accomplishments
1.Code:ART 2023: The City of Palo Alto Public Art Program launched its third interactive media art festival, Code:ART, a
three-evening event that re-imagines Palo Alto’s underutilized plazas, alleys, and public spaces through interactive
light, sound, and motion. The festival featured a major interactive media artwork anchoring the festival and six Urban
Interventions activating or reimagining downtown storefronts, alleys, parking lots or blank walls in new and inventive
ways. The artworks invited play and participation, engaging area locals in an event that outwardly reflects the creative
community and culture that thrives here.
2.California Avenue Murals Festival 2023 - During the summer of 2023 the Palo Alto Public Art Program commissioned
artists Olivia Losee-Unger, Nicole Ponsler and Paz de la Calzada to paint vibrant temporary murals in the California
Avenue District. Bloom by Nicole Ponsler can be found at Palo Alto Central on 149 California Avenue. Moonflowers for
Georgia by Olivia Losee-Unger is located at Izzy’s Brooklyn Bagels on 477 California Avenue. The third streetscape
mural called Quercus 650 by Paz de la Calzada is located on the ground at the intersection of California Avenue and
Ash Street. Artist Paz de la Calzada invited volunteers from the community to participate in the painting process.
3.King Artist Residency: Artist Kirti Bassendine served as the 2023 Artist-in-R esidence beginning February 2023. The
Artist’s Residency project focused on diverse underserved communities residing and/or working in Palo Alto and
experiencing socio-economic or housing instability. Her resulting photographs are displayed on King Plaza.
4.Maintenance: Each year the Public Art Program receives funding from the City to maintain and care for the City’s
growing permanent art collection. The staff is diligent about maintenance, examples include protecting and restoring
the Victor Arnautoff Frescoes at the Roth Building, Susan Zoccola’s refabrication, updated software programming for
Susan Narduli’s Conversation at City Hall, comprehensive cleaning and maintenance of Charles Sowers’ Sway at the
JMZ, conservation treatment of Jerome Kirk’s Homage to Silence, repair of Brian Coleman’s Excel, and the
refabrication and installation of midtown community’s Poetry Wall mural.
5.Cubberley Mural: Artist Cameron Moberg completed a mural at Cubberley that reflects the creative community that
frequents the site. His design was informed by feedback from Cubberley stakeholders about what they cherish about
Cubberley.
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PROJECT/GOAL 2 : Based on the successful roll out of mural program in 2023, Staff is continuing with several mural projects throughout Palo
Alto:
●Three Murals in Downtown to be painted October 2024: Artists Harumo Sato, Mona Caron and Nigel Sussman have
been selected to design and paint three temporary murals on privately owned walls in downtown Palo Alto, animating
an important commercial corridor
●
PROJECT/GOAL 1 :
Alma Landeta, current artist-in-residence (AIR), has begun community outreach in a variety of ways: Queeries Hotline, portrait
and open studios. Alma Landeta is focusing on the lived experiences of the LGBTQAI+ community members residing
alo Alto with the goal of sparking conversations about inclusion, equity, a sense of belonging and bringing
opefully a temporary installation on King Plaza in late 2024. PAC and staff will evaluate launching
BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES
NEEDED
MEASURE OF
SUCCESS
STATE MANDATED /
LOCAL LAW /
COUNCIL-
APPROVED
percent for art Municipal funds.
Staff resources and time is used
for artist call and the selection
processes. Staff will work with the
artist during the research, design
development and
implementation. Artist will use a
committed to a platform for
ongoing conversations about
equity, inclusion, and belonging
a result, the King Artist
Residency Program was
established. Community
HIGH
PRIORITY
LOWER
PRIORITY DIRECTED
High priority for social justice, building community and public art education. Yes
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●Fire Station 5 Mural – Bodeck Luna, artist and community organizer, organized outreach to the Barron Park neighbors
and broader Palo Alto community for input on his mural to be painted in August or September
●Digitally Printed Artwork at the California Avenue Parking Structure is planned for late 2024
BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES
NEEDED
MEASURE OF
SUCCESS
STATE MANDATED
/ LOCAL LAW /
COUNCIL-
APPROVED
This project promotes two of
the PAC 2024 priorities:
Building Community Priority
and Public Art Education
Priority.
summer and fall of 2024. percent for art Municipal funds.
Staff resources and time will be
used for artist calls and the
selection processes. Staff will
work with the artists during the
design development and
feedback
HIGH
PRIORITY
LOWER
PRIORITY DIRECTED
POLICY
Building community in various Palo Alto neighborhoods, wayfinding,economic development, and enlivening public space
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PROJECT/GOAL 3 : ●Fire Station 4: Located in Midtown on the corner of Middlefield and East Meadow, this new building will be near
Mitchell Park and Palo Alto Little League. It is highly visible to the community. Artist Stephen Galloway’s approved art
design was rooted in his research into the role of the fire station in Palo Alto, and the history of this site. He is working
on detailed design development.
●Public Safety Building: Artist Peter Wegner has completed fabrication and the artworks have been installed at the
PSB, are protected in place, and awaiting the public opening of the facility.
●Boulware Park Public Art Project: The PAC has approved the artwork by Los Angeles-based award-winning art and
design studio UrbanRock Design for the Boulware Park Public Art Project. The artist team visited Palo Alto and
conducted meetings with the community to inform their design development. Installation is estimated for fall 2024.
BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES
NEEDED
MEASURE OF
SUCCESS
STATE MANDATED
/ LOCAL LAW /
COUNCIL-
APPROVED
Enhancing new buildings, and
public parks with art.
Collaborating with the public
on the location, interactivity
of the projects and inspiration
collaboration with Public
Works, architects, and key
stakeholders.
feedback
HIGH
PRIORITY
LOWER
PRIORITY DIRECTED
POLICY
Building Community - the artists have engaged the public for theirinput on Boulware Park, Fire Station 4, and the Public Safety
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PROJECT/GOAL 4: Public Art in Private Development
The City of Palo Alto enacted the Art in Private Development Ordinance in January 2014. This ordinance mandates that
over 10,000 square feet either commission artwork on their site or contribute to the Public Art Fund.
s of current private developments include:
●3200 Park Blvd Public Art Project: The 3200 Park Blvd project provides an opportunity to honor Thomas Foon Chew,
founder of the Bayside Canning Company, and the Cannery’s legacy of community building and ethnic and cultural
inclusion. Through multi-stakeholder engagement, the current proposal includes both an external mosaic that includes
individuals, communities, past and future, as well as an internal educational wall for historical education.
●Castilleja School: The Castilleja School development project involves modernizing the school by replacing old buildings
with a new academic building and facilities. The commission has been supporting the project by providing feedback on
the art selection process, placement, and design.
●660 University: This significant project at University and Middlefield Road will have artwork coming for Commission
review this fall.
BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES
NEEDED
MEASURE OF
SUCCESS
STATE MANDATED /
LOCAL LAW /
COUNCIL-
APPROVED
These types of projects may
promote all three of the PAC
2024 priorities.
Art Fund, collaboration with
multiple city departments and
community stakeholders.
feedback
HIGH
PRIORITY
LOWER
PRIORITY DIRECTED
Often times, these projects have high visibility and since they are private developments, PAC staff and commission often provide ce with the Public Art for Private
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PROJECT/GOAL 5 : Code:ART 2025
The Code:ART events draw larger audiences each year we present the festival. 2025 will be the largest yet, with more ambitious
Allocation of funds and calls to artists are anticipated to go out in the next few months.
BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES
NEEDED
MEASURE OF
SUCCESS
STATE MANDATED /
LOCAL LAW /
COUNCIL-
APPROVED
Code:ART brings the community
together to play, interact and
collaborate while supporting
es in the University and
venue downtown
exhibits.
installation on King Plaza, and up
to six additional installations
nearby. Collaboration between
many city departments, local
businesses and volunteers is
necessary. Funds from both the
Municipal percent for art funds
and the private percent for art
funds are used for these festivals.
surveys are collected for each
Code:ART event to gather
feedback and metrics.
HIGH
PRIORITY
LOWER
PRIORITY DIRECTED
Building Community, Public Art Education N/A
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PROJECT/GOAL 6:
Ongoing . With a collection of more than 300 artworks, preventative maintenance
and restoration of these valuable City assets are an essential part of a public art program, including
Charleston/Arastradero Corridor re-fabrication for sculpture destroyed by an accident, deep cleaning of the Jerome Kirk
sculpture at the Art Center, and the protection and comprehensive restoration of the historically significant Arnautoff frescoes
at the Roth Building.
BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES
NEEDED
MEASURE OF
SUCCESS
STATE MANDATED
/ LOCAL LAW /
COUNCIL-
APPROVED
This project promotes two of
the PAC priorities: Building
Community Priority and Public
Art Education Priority.
Ensuring that these valuable
assets are maintained
properly and reflect well on
the City.
allocation of $32,000 is spent
down each year. Staff oversees
the contractors and work being
performed
Additional funding was
committed by the County for
the restoration of the Arnautoff
frescoes. A conservator has
been hired for this project.
reflect well on Palo Alto and
have not fallen into such
disrepair that more costly
repairs are necessary or the
artwork cannot be saved.
fall into disrepair
may leave the
City open to
legal action by
the artists under
the Visual Artists
Rights Act.
HIGH
PRIORITY
LOWER
PRIORITY DIRECTED
POLICY
Public Art Education N/A
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Code:ART 2023 - The City of Palo Alto Public Art Program launched its third interactive media art festival, Code:ART, a three-evening event that re-imagines Palo Alto’s underutilized plazas, alleys, and public spaces through interactive light,
sound, and motion. The festival featured a major interactive media artwork anchoring the festival and six Urban Interventions activating or re-imagining downtown storefronts, alleys, parking lots or blank walls in new and inventive ways.
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Code:ART - The artworks invited play and participation, engaging area locals in an event that outwardly reflects the
creative community and culture that thrives here.
Images (clockwise): Visitors interacting with Interactive Flow Fields by Steven Wallace; Ripple by Jeffrey Yip
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Cod:ART 2023 - Impact Metrics
- Approximately 13,000 people attended the festival
- 21 Bay Area, national, and international artists
- 7 interactive new media installations
Data from Survey Responses:
- 98% of visitors surveyed would love more events like
this in Palo Alto
-73% of attendees visited a downtown business
during the festival
- 88% of business visitors made a purchase
- 70% of the business visitors spent up to $150
- 60% of visitors came to downtown specifically for
Code:ART
Image: Helix Seats by Pneuhaus in Lytton Plaza
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California Avenue Murals Festival 2023 - During the summer of 2023 the Palo Alto Public Art Program commissioned artists Olivia Losee-Unger, Nicole Ponsler and Paz de la Calzada to paint vibrant temporary murals in the California
Avenue District. Bloom by Nicole Ponsler can be found at Palo Alto Central on 149 California Avenue. Moonflowers for Georgia by Olivia Losee-Unger is located at Izzy’s Brooklyn Bagels on 477 California Avenue. The third streetscape mural
called Quercus 650 by Paz de la Calzada is located on the ground at the intersection of California Avenue and Ash Street. Artist Paz de la Calzada invited volunteers from the community to participate in the painting process.
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In January 2023, Public Art staff initiated a public-private partnership pilot program and opened a Call for Walls to
identify privately owned walls to host murals along California Avenue as part of the pilot mural event for the
California Avenue District. Staff was successful in securing two locations on California Avenue: an exterior wall of the
Izzy’s Brooklyn Bagels at 477 California Avenue, and an exterior wall at California Avenue Central HOA located at 161
California Ave. Additionally, the intersection of California Avenue and Ash Street, which is currently closed to vehicular
traffic, was identified for a ground plane mural.
At the conclusion of the Murals Festival on June 11, Public Art staff led a public tour of the three newly painted murals,
with the participating artists, volunteers, site hosts, and many members of the public in attendance.
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King Artist Residency: Artist Kirti Bassendine
served as the 2023 Artist-in-Residence. The
Artist’s residency project focused on diverse
underserved communities residing and/or
working in Palo Alto and experiencing socio-
economic or housing instability. Her resulting
photographs are displayed on King Plaza.
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Collection Care and Maintenance:
Historic frescoes titled Modern and Ancient
Medicine, 1932 by Victor Arnautoff at the Roth
Building at 300 Homer Ave.
To ensure the restoration of the frescoes would
coincide with the rehabilitation of the building, the
Public Art staff is working with teams of fine art
conservators to protect and restore these
significant artworks.
Images: Left - Atthowe Fine Art team is installing
rigid protections in August 2023 prior to the
commencement of the building construction
project.
Right - Fine art conservator Anne Rosenthal, a
highly reputable expert of frescoes by Diego Rivera
and Victor Arnautoff is working on a Grisaille
fresco panel in April 2024.
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Maintenance: Each year the Public Art Program receives funding from the City to maintain and care for the City’s growing
permanent art collection.
Images: In May 2024, a team of art conservators from Preservation Arts completed a condition assessment and detailed
conservation treatment of a permanently-sited kinetic sculpture tiled Homage to Silence, 1981 by artist Jerome Kirk.
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Maintenance: Each year the Public Art Program
receives funding from the City to maintain and care
for the City’s growing permanent art collection.
Image: Sway, 2020 by Charles Sowers at the Junior
Museum and Zoo at 1451 Middlefield Road is an
architecturally integrated kinetic sculpture. It
receives an annual inspection and detailed
maintenance treatment by the artist.
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Cubberley Mural: In June 2024, Artist Cameron Moberg completed a mural titled Generations at Cubberley that reflects the creative community that frequents the site. His design was informed by feedback from Cubberley stakeholders
about what they cherish about Cubberley.
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Cameron Moberg's design was inspired by the history and community activities taking
place on Cubberley campus .
The artist states: “As I walked through the halls of Cubberley, inspiration was coming at
me around every turn, the music, the art, the learning, but what struck me most was the
generations of people I met. I heard stories from how a woman’s mother took her to
Cubberley as a child and now she takes her daughter. It wasn’t just one story like that,
there were multiple. I wanted to capture this in the hands representing different stages
of life. The butterflies represent the change and beauty that this can bring to the world
and the key and keyhole connecting the two walls – like a portal opening up into
learning, opportunities and the future”.
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