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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-18 Public Art Commission Summary Minutes IS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54954.2(a) OR SECTION 54956 PUBLIC ART COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES Thursday, June 18, 2026 Community Meeting Room & Virtual 7:01 p.m. Commissioners Participating: Hsinya Shen, Robin Mullery, Simon Tran, Amber Smith, Anjana Joshi, Tara de la Garza, Harriet Stern Commissioners Absent: None City Council Participating: George Lu (joined at 7:02 pm) Staff Present: Elise DeMarzo, Public Art Program Director, CSD Amanda Deml, Assistant Director, CSD Nadya Chuprina, Public Art Program Coordinator, CSD CALL TO ORDER –Chair Shen called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS – None. IN-PERSON PUBLIC COMMENT - None APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 16, 2026 PAC Regular Meeting Minutes: Moved by Commissioner de la Garza. Second by Vice Chair Stern All in Favor. STAFF COMMENTS –Staff announced the award of a grant from the County of Santa Clara’s Historical Heritage Commission in the amount of $235,000 for the Phase II Arnautoff Frescoes Restoration project. The onsite project will take place in 2027 and will focus of the restoration of the grisaille fresco panels. Staff also updated the Commission on recently installed and ongoing ArtLift Grant projects and shared a schedule for upcoming community engagement workshops across Palo Alto. NON-ACTION: 1. Public Art in Private Development – Staff introduced developer Gary Johnson with Acclaim Companies who made a presentation for the initial review for public art in private development associated with the 762 San Antonio Road project. The developer shared architectural drawings of the for-rent multifamily complex. The proposed project is 85 feet in height and eight stories, with an approximate art allocation of $805,870. Johnson indicated potential areas for integration of public art, including a vertical privacy screen on the façade of the building. The Developer also shared that the project team is considering engaging UK-based artist Giles Miller to create iconic public art for the development. The company is already working with the same artist for 3150 El Camino Real development project. Commissioners reviewed the plans and provided some considerations for integration of public art, including considering appropriate scale and visibility of artwork from San Antonio Road, given general public will not be able to access the complex. Commissioners also recommended considering more than one wall or utilizing the ground level to maximize the footprint of the artwork and its accessibility. The project team will return to the PAC for the final review and approval of their public art plan in the future months. No action taken. ACTION: 2. Sherman Ave Parking Garage Temporary Mural - Staff provided a brief overview of the project history and presented a digital rendering of the conceptual design and statement by artist Phillip Hua for a temporary mural to be printed on a mesh banner material for the Sherman Ave Parking Garage façade wall. Conceptually, the artwork is centered on the idea of change and transformation, depicting a butterfly and also featuring Hua’s signature iconography. Commissioners reviewed the design and provided comments regarding various aspects of the design. Commissioners recommended that the artist consider refinements to certain design elements, noting that the proposed text and font treatment could present interpretive challenges for some viewers. Staff will convey the Commission's comments to the artist and work with him on refining the design. Motion: Commissioner Mullery moved to approve the proposed conceptual design for the temporary mural. Second: Chair Shen. Motion passed: 5:2 (Commissioners de la Garza and Tran opposed) 3. University Avenue Underpass Mural Project – Staff presented an opportunity to integrate a new mural into the University Ave Underpass. The University Ave transit hub is the second most frequented station on the Caltrain line and is used by thousands of pedestrians and cyclists daily. The site has never incorporated public art due to the low lighting levels and challenges with water penetration within the walls. Staff was recently notified that the tunnel electrical conduit was replaced, the lighting was upgraded, and the walls were repainted. These upgrades and improved conditions present an opportunity to integrate artwork into this key arrival point to downtown Palo Alto and Stanford University. In June 2026, staff submitted a VTA Transit Oriented Communities grant application to help support the cost of the project and has reached out to Stanford University colleagues to discuss options for the murals. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the project timeline and provided input on possible types and murals and appropriate visual styles to be integrated into the underpass to create an impactful and iconic type of art. Should the City be successful in securing grant funding in the amount of $25,000 from VTA, the project would take place in spring – summer 2027. Staff then requested that the PAC approve the allocation of funds in the amount of up to $65,000 for the mural project. Motion: Vice Chair Stern moved to approve funding in the amount of $65,000 for the University Ave mural. Second: Commissioner Smith. All in Favor. 4. Acceptance of Gift of Artwork – Staff presented information about artwork by Bay Area-based ceramic artist Richard Shaw – a glazed porcelain tabletop sculpture – offered as a gift for the City’s public art collection, following its recent display as part of the Clay Sustains exhibition at the Palo Alto Art Center. Richard Shaw is widely recognized as a leading figure in contemporary ceramic sculpture. The City’s Public Art Collection already includes one work by Shaw, a monotype self-portrait that was donated to the collection by the late Paula Kirkeby. Acceptance of Watercolor Palette and Ink would further strengthen the representation of this significant California artist within the City’s collection. Motion: Commissioner de la Garza moved to accept the gift of artwork offered by Richard Shaw into the City’s Collection. Second: Commissioner Tran. All in Favor. 5. Approval of Promised Gift of Artwork – Staff shared an image and presented information about artwork by artist Viola Frey, a large-scale ceramic sculpture titled Seated Man Foot Poised on World (2004) offered as a promised gift into the permanent collection of public art by a private donor. The sculpture depicts one of Frey’s iconic monumental male figures, often referred to as the “Everyman” or “Blue-Suited Man.” The larger-than-life figure is seated in a slightly hunched posture, with one foot resting on a globe. Like many of Frey’s signature works, the sculpture explores themes of power, identity, and the human condition through exaggerated scale and expressive form. Measuring approximately 6 feet high by 6 feet wide by 6 feet deep, the work exemplifies Frey’s distinctive contribution to contemporary ceramic sculpture. Her work is represented in the collections of major museums throughout the United States and internationally. The artwork was valued at $90,000 at the date of purchase to the owner in 2005. The artwork is currently located at the donor’s private residence. To evaluate the condition of the sculpture, staff engaged Preservation Arts, a Bay Area conservation firm with extensive experience treating Viola Frey’s outdoor ceramic sculptures. Preservation Arts conducted an on-site assessment and provided a condition report and treatment recommendations estimated at $14,000 – 16,000. Staff is currently considering placement of the sculpture within the Palo Alto Art Center Sculpture Garden. Should the Public Art Commission approve the acceptance of Seated Man Foot Poised on World (2004), staff will work with the donor to finalize a Deed of Gift Agreement and establish a timeline for the transfer of ownership, conservation treatment, transportation, and installation of the artwork. Motion: Commissioner Mullery moved to approve promised gift of sculpture by artist Viola Frey by a private donor into the permanent collection of public art. Second: Commissioner Joshi. All in Favor. COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, OR FUTURE ITEMS: Commissioner Tran announced his upcoming art show at David Brower Center. Staff announced that the PAC regular meeting in July has been canceled. PUBLIC COMMENT – None CALENDAR: PAC Regular Meeting – August 20, 2026, at 7 pm. MEETING ADJOURNED: at 8:38 pm by Chair Shen.