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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-04-19 Public Art Commission Agenda Packet IS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54954.2(a) OR SECTION 54956 PUBLIC ART COMMISSION Jim Migdal, Chair Mila Zelkha, Member Ben Miyaji, Vice-Chair Amanda Ross, Member Hsinya Shen, Member Nia Taylor, Member Loren Gordon, Member City Council Liaison: Liz Kniss Elise DeMarzo: Public Art Program Director Nadya Chuprina: Public Art Program Coordinator Rhyena Halpern: CSD Assistant Director http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/publicart Thursday, April 19, 2018 Community Meeting Room Palo Alto City Hall 7:00 p.m. AGENDA ROLL CALL AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS ORAL COMMUNICATIONS (Members of the public are invited to address the commission on any subject not on the agenda. A reasonable time restriction may be imposed at the discretion of the Chair. Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Public Art Commission after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the City Hall Council Chambers during normal business hour.) APPROVAL OF MINUTES: PAC Regular Meeting – March 15, 2018 ATTACHMENT STAFF COMMENTS ACTION: 1. Acquisition of artwork - Donation of an artwork by Marianne Lettieri in association with the Cubberley Artist Studio Program. ATTACHMENT 2.Highway 101 Bike and Pedestrian Bridge - Staff recommends additional allocation of funds in the amount of $10,000 for the artwork by Mary Lucking to include the artist designed railing. ATTACHMENT NON-ACTION: 3. Stanford Hospital Public Art – Informational presentation of the exterior art program for the new Stanford Hospital. Presentation by Molly Promes Swenson of Stanford Medicine. ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR YOUR CALENDAR: Next PAC Regular Meeting – May 17, 2018 at 7 pm. MINUTES PUBLIC ART COMMISSION MEETING Thursday, March 15, 2018 Palo Alto City Hall Community Meeting Room 7:00 p.m. Commissioners Present: Jim Migdal, Ben Miyaji, , Hsinya Shen, Nia Taylor, Loren Gordon arrived at 7:02 Amanda Ross arrived at 7:04 Commissioners Absent: Mila Zelkha Staff Present: Elise DeMarzo, Public Art Program Director Nadya Chuprina, Public Art Program Coordinator CALL TO ORDER: Chair Migdal called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS – None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 15, 2018 PAC Special Meeting Minutes Moved: Jim Migdal; Second: Nia Taylor. All in favor. STAFF COMMENTS: Staff announced that the City is currently recruiting to fill positions for the Public Art Commission with the application deadline of March 20, 2018 and encouraged the commissioners eligible to re-apply to complete their applications and also reach out to community members interested in serving on the Commission to apply with a deadline of Monday, March19. Staff also announced that the Public Art Program is recruiting volunteers to help artist Konstantin Dimopoulos install his Blue Trees project on King Plaza. The installation process will take place May 14 – 18. Community members interested in volunteering are asked to contact Public Art staff to sign up. ACTION: 1.Downtown Garage –Staff provided an update about the design development status of the Downtown Garage structure and its tentative construction timeline. Staff provided a summary of the artist selection process for the project, presented examples of selected artist Amy Landesberg’s previous artwork, and provided insight into the artist’s conceptual design development process for the artwork to be integrated into the garage. Inspired by the topography of Palo Alto, Landesberg has developed a concept for artwork she currently refers to as Tapestry, to be integrated into the large perforated metal panels above the stairwell and main entrance as opportunity to leverage the art budget and achieve high visibility. Staff demonstrated conceptual sketches of the artwork design to the PAC and noted that the final selection of colors and materials is yet to be determined. Commissioners reviewed the conceptual designs and suggested that the staff provide material samples and detailed renderings of finalized design as the project progresses. The Commissioners also made a suggestion that the artist considers using bolder color pallet and appropriate scale to ensure the artwork is visually impactful. Moved: Chair Migdal moved to approve the artwork concept for the Downtown Parking Garage. Second: Vice Chair Miyaji. All in Favor. 2. Collection Maintenance – Staff provided an overview of the current condition and previous maintenance and conservation treatments for the sculpture Nude in Steel by Hans Wehrli permanently installed at the northern entrance to Rinconada Library. A water sprinkler located behind the sculpture sprays the metal sculpture on a daily basis which accelerates the sculpture corrosion and paint loss. Staff wishes to replace the existing sprinkler with a drip irrigation system and introduce a new landscape around the sculpture. Additionally, staff is currently in the process of identifying a metal specialist to perform maintenance to remove rust and recoat the sculpture. Moved: Commissioner Shen moved to approve funding in the amount of $7,000 for the irrigation and landscaping project for Nude in Steel. Second: Vice Chair Miyaji. All in Favor. 3. 429 University Ave – Final Review for art in private development project associated with the 429 University Ave. project. Developers Jaime and Elisabeth Wong and project architect Peter Ko presented selected sculpture by artist Albert Dicruttalo, to be placed on the exterior corner of the building facing Kipling Street and Lane 30 on the second floor level. Additionally, they shared the artist’s previous work, sketches of the proposed artwork and renderings showing the artwork location, and addressed methods of attachment of the suspended artwork outside the glass wall of the stairwell. Commissioners reviewed the presented slides and packet. Several expressed overall concerns about the selected placement for the sculpture, noting that the artwork seems ill fitting in the proposed location. Two Commissioners suggested the developers consider contributing to the Public Art Fund in-lieu of installing the artwork onsite. Moved: Vice Chair Miyaji moved to approve the art plan for 429 University Ave. Second: Commissioner Shen. Motion passed: 4-2. Migdal, Taylor abstained. NON-ACTION: 4. Discussion regarding sites available for viewing examples of public art – Staff updated the Commission on a number of online resources for examples of public art projects and artist registries, best practices and services related to public art. The provided list of resources is available on the Public Art Program website and as part of the packet for private developers commissioning art of site in Palo Alto. ANNOUNCEMENTS – Commissioner Gordon made an announcement about the upcoming lecture titled “The Art of Making Space Public” by Barbara Goldstein at Canter Art Center on April 25, 2018. Gordon also announced an upcoming artist talk by Judy Chicago at Bing Concert Hall at Stanford on April 23, 2018. CALENDAR: Next PAC Regular Meeting – April 19, 2018 at 7 PM at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. MEETING ADJOURNED at 8:30 PM by Chair Migdal. City of Palo Alto Staff Report to Public Art Commission April 12, 2018 RE: Agenda Item 1 Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Public Art Commission accept the donation of artwork titled Architect by Cubberley Artist Studio Program (CASP) artist Marianne Lettieri into the City collection. Discussion: This generous gift is being offered by CASP artist Marianne Lettieri. This is a second and voluntary donation of artwork by Lettieri. According to the CASP Guidelines, all CASP artists are expected to donate one of their artworks in their first (4-year) residency term to the City’s Public Art Program. Preferably the artworks offered have been developed during the residency at Cubberley. Lettieri previously donated an artwork titled The Waters in 2013. The artwork titled Architect currently offered for donation is a mixed media embellished collage is mounted in a buff colored shadow box. The background is an illustration from The Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam, Tirantis Edition, Vol. III, London, John Tiranti and Co., Architectural Publishers, 1931. The illustration is “Plan of the Principal Story of Sion House.” A bird image (acquired in Certaldo, Italy), rusted tin can lid (found near Chloride, AZ), and an industrial spool of blue thread (acquired in Monterey, CA) are mounted over the floor plan. Lettieri will be leaving the Cubberley Artist Studio Program in September, 2018 at the conclusion of her second four-year term with CASP. Maintenance and care considerations: As a framed piece behind glass, staff is confident we can adequately store and display the artwork with minimal risk of damage. Marianne Lettieri Artist Statement: I create art with found objects and everyday items that embody, preserve, and challenge social systems and individual identity. I want my work to elicit reflection and conversation around how people move through the world and mark time. As physicality becomes increasingly irrelevant to human activities in the digital age, artifacts once central to daily rituals and work routines become imbued with a sense of humanity that forms bridges to imagination. I present these castoff materials in new configurations, reinforcing the interconnectedness of people and communities through time and the shared human desire to remember. The art process behind many of my mixed media constructions begins at estate sales, antique markets, and salvage yards. I comb through the offered contents of people’s belongings, considering the personal history, instrumentality, and aesthetic qualities of each object. I look for symbols that reveal shifts in culturally shared values and practices. Through alteration, recontextualization, and unexpected modes of presentation, the objects come to be known in the present with a physical marker of their past. The Architect, 2017 by Marianne Lettieri 15(h) x 12(w) inches Mixed media construction for wall display Value: $400 Marianne Lettieri • www.mariannelettieri.com • mariannelettieri@yahoo.com ! ARTIST STATEMENT I am interested in how objects and people move through time. Obsolescence, temporality, visual allegory, and memory – these ideas motivate and challenge my art making. AWARDS and RECOGNITION • SVLaureates Award from Silicon Valley Creates in the Off the Wall category (2017) • Invited to contribute a book from my personal library to Archive of Creative Culture (2017) • Resident Artist of CASP, juried residency sponsored by City of Palo Alto, CA (2010-2018) SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS • Museum of Quilts and Textiles - San Jose, CA • Oracle Corporate Art Collection - multiple sites worldwide •City of Palo Alto, California • International Museum of Collage, Assemblage and Construction - Santa Fe, New Mexico EDUCATION MFA Spatial Arts, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA (2013) BFA Drawing and Printmaking, University of Florida - Gainesville, FL (1971) SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2017 Museum of Craft and Design San Francisco, CA Marianne Lettieri: Reflections 5 month 2016 Monterey Peninsula College Monterey, CA Marianne Lettieri: Strings Attached 1 month 2015 Peninsula Museum of Art Burlingame, CA House | Work 3 month Telegraph Hill Gallery San Francisco, CA Relics and Ruins (2-person show) 1 month Mohr Gallery at Finn Center Mountain View, CA Metaphor and Memories (2-person show) 6 week 2014 Doug Adams Gallery Berkeley, CA Mining the Collection: Evidence of Life 3 month 2013 San Jose State University San Jose, CA Death and Life of an Object 1 week 2012 Oshman Family JCC Palo Alto, CA Dressing Up 1 month 2011 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA Changing Context 1 month Pacific Grove Art Center Pacific Grove, CA Memory Palace 1 month 2009 Center for Performing Arts Mountain View, CA The Sum of Parts 1 month 2008 The Main Gallery Redwood City, CA Outside Inside 1 month 2007 The Main Gallery Redwood City, CA This Place Called Home 1 month SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2018 LUZ Art Space Los Angeles, CA Heaven On Earth 2 month 2017 Telegraph Hill Gallery San Francisco, CA Retrofit 1.0 1 month Singularity University Mountain View, CA Demo Faire 2017 1 night 2016 Asbury University Art Gallery Wilmore, KY Making Goods (7 artists) 1 month Santa Clara Convention Cntr. San Jose, CA Anne & Mark’s Art Party 1 week Art Ark Gallery San Jose, CA Home is Where the Heart Is 1 month 2015 Los Altos History Museum Los Altos, CA Reflect+Create 5 month 2014 Art Ark Gallery San Jose, CA Cubberley Diaspora 1 month CIVA Touring Exhibit 18 U.S venues Picturing the Parables 4 year 2013 Meridian Gallery San Francisco, CA By Mainly Unexpected Means 2 month Los Altos History Museum Los Altos, CA Moving Art Forward 5 month White Stone Gallery Philadelphia, PA Summer Group Exhibit 2 week New Coast Studios Palo Alto, CA Line and Color 1 month IMCAC-Cecil Touchon Pagosa Springs, CO Collage/Assemblage Centennial 1 month Marianne Lettieri Resume April 2018 Pro Arts Gallery Oakland, CA Transport 1 month 2012 Triton Museum of Art Santa Clara, CA Poetics of Disposability 1 month Hartnell College Salina, CA ReModified 1 month Caldwell Gallery Redwood City, CA Mixed Media 2 month 2011 Museum of Quilts & Textiles San Jose, CA Scrap ART 1 month Biola University Library La Mirada, CA Matter and Spirit 2 month 2010 Palos Verdes Art Center Palos Verdes, CA Dark Inheritance: Purposeful Dislocation 1 month Art Ark Gallery San Jose, CA Modified 1 month Rengstorff House Mountain View, CA Genealogy, Family & Memory 1 month Pacific Art League Palo Alto, CA Art Outside the Box 1 month Climate Gallery Long Island, NY Putting It All Together 1 month 2009 A&E Ministries Los Angeles, CA An Evening of Arts & Entertainment 1 day University of Texas Arlington, TX Thinking Inside the Box 1 month Sebastopol Center for Arts Sebastopol, CA Bibliophoria 1 month Galleria Tonantzin San Juan Bautista, CA Passion for Trees–Women Coast to Coast 1 month Fine Arts Museum Longview, TX Under the Influence 1 month Sanchez Art Center Pacifica, CA Angels: Artists Imagine the Invisible 1 month 2008 The Crystal Cathedral Garden Grove, CA Succor 6 week Artisans Gallery San Rafael, CA Americana 1 month Beauchamp’s Gallery Topeka, KS Small (but wondrous!) Works 1 month SOCIAL PRACTICE ART PROJECTS Emptied and Consumed With a commission from NYC-based Spark & Echo Arts, I created an art installation in the Woodside Village Chapel, which was photographed for an Internet archive. (2014) Artist in the House! I transformed a 3,000 sq. ft. courtyard into an 8-room house during a community- sponsored open studios event, which examined notions of home ownership. (2013) Extreme Poverty I designed and worked with a team of artists to build large sculptural works in four San Francisco Peninsula venues to raise awareness of global extreme poverty. (2013) SELECTED BOOKS, CATALOGS, ARTICLES Placemaking and the Arts by Jennifer Allen Craft, InterVarsity Press, 2018 “Tech workers embrace aesthetics for whole-brain life,” Climate Magazine, Issue 13: May 2016 Seeing the Unseen by Sandra Bowden and Marianne Lettieri, published by CIVA Publications, 2015 “Marianne Lettieri: Desire to remember,” (cover story) Ruminate Magazine, Issue 37:Winter 2015 The Sand Hill Review, Vol. XV, published by Martin F. Sorensen – cover image and 10 art reproductions, 2014 “100 Years of Excellence,” artist profile in Content Magazine (Issue 5.1–Sight and Sound), Spring 2013 “Assembling Art,” artist profile in Palo Alto Weekly, 4/27/12 Dark Inheritance, catalog published by Seeds Fine Arts with funding by Los Angeles County Cultural Affairs, 2010 “Her art is the sum of parts,’” by Jane Knoerle, lifestyles editor, The Almanac, 7/15/10 Under the Influence, exhibition catalog by Cecil Touchon, 2009 Art Making, Collections and Obsessions: An Intimate Exploration of the Work of 35 Artists by Lynne Perrella, 2008 SELECTED PUBLIC LECTURES 2018 BIOLA University Arts Symposium, La Mirada, CA – “Universal Travail: Gestures of Longing” 2017 Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, CA – “Mesmerizing and Metaphoric Artifacts” 2016 Cascadia Worship and Arts Converence, Bellevue, WA – “Creating a Church Gallery” 2015 Mountain View Public Library/Los Altos History Museum, CA – “Death and Life of an Object” CIVA Biennial Conference at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI – “Contemporary Art in the Local Church” Art NXT Level, podcast interview by Sergio Gomez – “Defining Success and Goals for an Art Practice” 2014 Art League of Menlo Park, CA – “Found Obect Art” 2012 Hartnell College, Salinas, CA – “Object as Visual Metahor” 2010 Palo Alto Art Center, CA – “Transformed: Turning Found Objects into Fine Art” Los Altos Art Club, CA – “The Art of Assemblage” 2009 Little House Activity Center, Menlo Park, CA – “Shimmering Fragments” Marianne Lettieri Resume April 2018 ________________________________________________________________________ Title: The Architect Inventory #: 483 Dimensions: 15(h) x 12(w) x 2(d) inches Medium: mixed media construction for wall display Date: 2017 Value: $400 Description: An embellished collage is mounted in a buff colored shadow box. The background is an illustration from The Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam, Tirantis Edition, Vol. III, London, John Tiranti and Co., Architectural Publishers, 1931. The illustration is “Plan of the Principal Story of Sion House.” A bird image (acquired in Certaldo, Italy), rusted tin can lid (found near Chloride, AZ), and an industrial spool of blue thread (acquired in Monterey, CA) are mounted over the floor plan. Papers are treated with matte UV varnish. Bird is mounted onto foam core. The tin and bird image rest on wood supports attached through acid-free illustration board to masonite and cloth-covered foam core. Note: Keep the artwork upright or laid face-up so thread does not move. Exhibition: Facebook Pop Up Store, Menlo Park, CA - October 2017 DOCUMENTATION www.MarianneLettieri.com mariannelettieri@yahoo.com MARIANNE LETTIERI City of Palo Alto Staff Report to Public Art Commission April 16, 2018 RE: Agenda Item 2 Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Public Art Commission amend contract C17167868 with artist Mary Lucking to approve additional funding in the amount of $10,000 to fund the artist designed railing for the upcoming Highway 101 bike and pedestrian bridge. Background: The Highway 101 Pedestrian Overpass Project at Adobe Creek will replace an existing underpass that is available only half the year (on average) due to seasonal flooding. It would also complement an existing, although Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) deficient, overpass that is 1.25 miles north. The new overcrossing will also include a 0.13 mile Class I trail connection along an existing Santa Clara Valley Water District maintenance road. In the heart of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto (along with its neighbor to the south, Mountain View) is home to hundreds of technology and research-based companies, including a number of major employers such as Google, Intuit, and Space Systems Loral that have clustered in close proximity to Highway 101 and the Bay Trail. To better link these growing job centers with regional trails and bicycle facilities, and improve access to superb recreation opportuniti es like the Baylands, Palo Alto has prioritized the funding and construction of a new, year -round bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing over Highway 101 at Adobe Creek near the City’s southern border. Bridge Project Status The Bridge design submissions received during the design competition were not selected due to budget constraints. The City sought design teams through a Request for Proposal process resulting in a design team selection by Council in May 2016. The design team, Biggs Cardosa and Associates (BCA) developed a 15% design for Council consideration in early November 2016. Council accepted a bird-friendly Bowstring Bridge Concept design presented by BCA for a 12-foot wide bridge to meet the $14 million project budget. The Artist Selection Process: Staff pulled artists from the prequalified pool who have experience in transportation projects for consideration for this commission. Of the 61 artists with transportation experience, a pre - panel of staff brought the number down to 23 to be considered by a selection panel. The selection panel was made up of: Claudia Guadagne – FMG Architects Judith Wasserman –Served on original Bike Bridge Panel, former ARB and PAC member Mila Zelkha – Public Art Commissioner Mel Day – Artist, Cubberley Artist Studio Program Selene Foster – Palo Alto Art Center Curator Jerry Hearn –Environmental Advocate Lee Lippert – Cyclist, former ARB member The selection panel chose five artists to give presentations about their previous work and their design development process. One of those finalists dropped out of the project, and the remaining four made presentations to the panel January 25, 2017. Panelists were asked to score the artists in three categories: 1- artistic excellence and strength of their previous body of work 2-Suitability to the bridge project based on previous work 3- Artist’s approach to the concept development and process. After the interviews, the panelists scored the artists, and Mary Lucking was the highest ranked artist. Mary Lucking was approved by the Public Art Commission as the project artist in February 2017. Lucking’s contract was approved by City Council March 27th , 2017. The artist traveled to Palo Alto in April 2017 to meet with the design team, tour the area in which the bridge will be sited, and gathered as much information about the project as possible. Due to the scale of the project and the limited art budget, the opportunities for public art integration are somewhat limited. While Mary was here, we explored numerous opportunities for art integration into the bridge, including the trail split at the western approach to the bridge, the railing at various places on the bridge, the scenic overlook, and the roundabout at the eastern approach to the bridge. While the design team really wanted to hav e the artwork integrated throughout the structure, the limited budget, strong industrial truss design, and stringent safety regulations associated with the project made the smaller elements get lost in the larger project and the team felt they would not be as impactful. The artist proposed concentrating her artwork at the scenic overlook, creating an environment for reflection on the beautiful Baylands that can be viewed from that space. This is the only space along the bridge where visitors can step away from bike and pedestrian traffic. Discussion: The Conceptual design was reviewed and approved by the Public Art Commission on August 14, 2017. Inspired by the wetlands and the many creatures that live below, Lucking proposed creating sculptures for the overlook that can double as creative seating. More traditional benches, interpretive signage, and bike racks will be available nearby. The cast aluminum pieces will have a brushed finish and sculpted texture that will make them visually engaging and interesting to touch. The pieces currently planned will range in scale from 32” x 32” x 36” to 32” x 24” x 18”, but may have to scale slightly up or down as the bridge design is finalized and we must leave enough clearance for ADA regulations. The three pieces can be cast and installed and still leave some funding available to put toward an artist designed railing at the overlook area, but not enough to fully fund the railing. At the time that PAC approved Mary Lucking’s design for the seating elements and railing, the commission expressed strong support for the artist designed railing and inquired if additional funding could be allocated for this purpose. Staff informed the PAC that since we do not have enough information yet to determine the additional cost, that staff would return to the PAC once we have determined the amount of additional funding necessary and make the request. Because the Bike Bridge is in a marine environment, a very corrosive-resistant alloy is necessary for the artist-designed railing panels. After consultation with multiple fabricators, artists, and public art project managers experienced with commissioned sculptures in similar environments, it was determined that 316L stainless steel was the most appropria te alloy for Mary Lucking’s bridge railing design. This material is costly, but would provide the durable corrosion resistance needed for this location. There is $10,000 set aside for contingency in the contract. The cost for this stainless steel material is $11,920. Staff requests that the PAC approve a contract amendment to contract C17167868 to add $10,000 to the Bike Bridge public art project to cover this expense and still leave a little bit of contingency funding in place . Timeline: The contract amendment will have to go to Council for final approval. The bridge project is currently under review by various review bodies and staff hopes that project construction will begin early 2019 and is scheduled to be completed in 2020 pending permitting and available funding. Attachment A: Concept renderings of the railing and cast seating element placement. Art Element Locations Art Rail 0 s PAC afoot- JoAr Vie O ?1,64-1 fhyua6P 1I'I�on CffateRIN 77Y Cast seating elements tUNT e y� e tN wn PL4RP , 0-1t.i/DA4_ Tarp The project consists of two elements: sculptural seating and a cut patterned railing. Cast aluminum sculptural seating Each piece has a different soft, biomorphic form, and is textured to echo the variety of natural textures found in the baylands: native grasses, sand, water ripples, pebbles. *Renderings are conceptual and may change as the project proposal evolves Scale mock-up of rail and cast elements The art railing surrounding the seating area will set it apart, reinforcing the feeling of being in nature, scaled down, among the grasses and stones. * Renderings are conceptual and may change as the project proposal evolves