HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-07-16 Public Art Commission Agenda Packet
IS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION
54954.2(a) OR SECTION 54956
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
Ben Miyaji, Chair
Ian Klaus, Member Loren Gordon, Vice-Chair Amanda Ross, Member
Jim Migdal, Member Nia Taylor, Member Hsinya Shen, Member
City Council Liaison: Liz Kniss
Elise DeMarzo: Public Art Program Director Nadya Chuprina: Public Art Program Coordinator
Kristen O’Kane: Director of Community Services Department
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/publicart
Thursday, July 16, 2020
7:00 pm
Pursuant to the provisions of California Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20, issued on March 17, 2020,
to prevent the spread of Covid-19, this meeting will be held by virtual teleconference only, with no physical
location. The meeting will be broadcast on Midpen Media Center at https://midpenmedia.org. Members of
the public who wish to participate by computer or phone can find the instructions at the end of this agenda.
To ensure participation in a particular item, we suggest calling in or connecting online 15 minutes before
the item you wish to speak on.
https://zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 98442706881 Phone: +1 669 900 6833
AGENDA
ROLL CALL
AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Members of the public may address the Commission on any subject not on the agenda. A reasonable time
restriction may be imposed at the discretion of the Chair. The Commission reserves the right to limit oral
communications period to 3 minutes.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: PAC Regular Meeting – June 18, 2020 ATTACHMENT
STAFF COMMENTS
ACTION:
1. Cultural Equity – Discussion of the resources and best practices to advance cultural and racial
equity in the field of public art and approval of funds to engage a consultant to work with the
Public Art Commission and staff on evaluation of policies and procedures related to cultural and
racial equity.
2. Temporary Public Art at the Palo Alto Art Center – Staff recommends approval of funding in the
amount of up to $10,000 for the temporary public art by Susan O’Malley in partnership with the
Palo Alto Art Center and the Palo alto Art Center Foundation along Embarcadero Road.
NON-ACTION:
3. Discussion regarding upcoming Council Agenda Items related to Public Art– Follow-up
discussion of the Council report on Boards and Commissions, proposed changes to the number of
Public Art Commission members, and budget discussions.
PUBLIC LETTERS: ATTACHMENT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOR YOUR CALENDAR:
Next PAC regular meeting – Thursday, August 20, 2020
MINUTES
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
MEETING
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Virtual teleconference via Zoom
7:00 p.m.
Commissioners Present: Ben Miyaji, Loren Gordon Nia Taylor, Hsinya Shen, Ian
Klaus
Commissioners Absent: Amanda Ross, Jim Migdal
Staff Present: Elise DeMarzo, Public Art Program Director
Nadya Chuprina, Public Art Program Coordinator
Kristen O’Kane, CSD Director
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Miyaji called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS – None
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 20, 2020 PAC Meeting Minutes Moved: Commissioner Shen;
Second: Commissioner Taylor. All in favor.
STAFF COMMENTS: Staff announced the opening of Fire Station 3 and unveiling of a permanent public
artwork by Portland-based artist Pete Beeman. The artwork, titled Welcome Wagon is a kinetic bench
installed along the sidewalk on Newell Rd.
ACTION:
1. Election of Officers - Staff provided an overview of the protocol for the election of new Chair
and Vice-Chair. Chair Miyaji opened the floor to nomination for the position of Chair. Vice Chair
Gordon nominated incumbent Chair Miyaji for Chair. Miyaji accepted the nomination.
Commissioner Klaus nominated Commissioner Taylor for Chair. Taylor accepted. Moved: Vice
Chair Gordon made a motion to close the nomination. Second: Commissioner Klaus. All in
Favor. Commissioners submitted their votes for the position of Chair to staff via text. Staff
announced the votes: Chair Miyaji won the Chair vote (Miyaji – 3 votes; Taylor 2 votes).
Chair Miyaji opened the floor to nomination for the position of Vice Chair. Chair Miyaji
nominated incumbent Vice Chair Gordon for the position of Vice Chair. Gordon accepted the
nomination. Commissioner Klaus nominated Commissioner Taylor for Chair. Taylor accepted the
nomination. Commissioners submitted their votes for the position of Chair to staff via text. Staff
announced the votes: Vice Chair Gordon won the Vice Chair vote (Gordon – 3 votes; Taylor – 2
votes).
2. Temporary Public Art Initiatives - Staff presented a rational for the project initiative to the
PAC. The project idea of commissioning up to 8 local artists to create original artworks exploring
themes of resiliency, community, diversity and inclusion for temporary murals originally came
out as a response to COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement to draw the public
to commercial corridors of downtown and California Ave. The temporary murals will be printed
on recyclable aluminum material. As a pilot project staff requested that PAC approve funding in
the amount of $32,000 to cover stipends for eight artists, fabrication and installation.
Commissioners provided input regarding inclusive language in the call for artists, longevity and
geography of temporary installations. Moved: Vice Chair Gordon moved to approve funding in
the amount of $32,000 for the temporary pilot project. Second: Commissioner Klaus. All in
Favor.
3. Black Lives Matter Mural – Staff provided background information regarding Council’s
directive to explore creating a temporary mural in front of Palo Alto City Hall and shared some
visual examples of other BLM murals created in other parts of the US. Staff reached out to
Commissioner Taylor and community member and former PAC commissioner Dr. Ally Richter
to co-lead the project. The co-leads would get the word out to their networks about the open call
and make decisions regarding which artists are commissioned and assigned which letters. Each
artist will be assigned an individual letter to create original artwork and paid a stipend in the
amount of $700 to cover materials and artist fees. Community member Stefania Pomponi who
initiated a community petition to bring the BML mural to Palo Alto addressed the PAC to
highlight the importance of the project and urge its fast completion. Community member and
former PAC Chair Ally Richter also addressed the PAC in support of the community-led BLM
mural project. Commissioners expressed support of the project and approved funding in the
amount of up to $20,000 to complete the mural. Moved: Commissioner Shen Second: Vice Chair
Gordon. All in Favor.
NON-ACTION:
4. California Ave Public Art Master Plan – Staff articulated the purpose for the California
Avenue Master Plan and provided an update on the research, stakeholder and community
outreach efforts by the consultant. Barbara Goldstein and Associates made a presentation to
provide a summary of the community engagement strategy and introduced coUrbanize, a public
outreach and engagement website to gather diverse input that will inform the Art Plan. There was
some discussion about the need to reconsider the nature of public engagement in the post-COVID
environment.
5. Discussion regarding upcoming Council Agenda Items related to Public Art– PAC Chair led
a discussion regarding the City Council report on Boards and Commissions and proposed changes
to the number of Public Art Commission members, as well as budget discussions. PAC
unanimously expressed a concern over the proposed downsizing of the number of Public Art
Commissioners and discussed ways to provide input to City Council.
6. Code:ART2 Update – Staff updated the Public Art Commission on the selection process and
presented conceptual proposals of 6 Urban Interventions for Code:ART. Six Bay Area and
international artists and teams were awarded $6,000 commissions to create new media, sound and
light based, interactive installations to be displayed at several locations in downtown Palo Alto
during Code:ART. There was some discussion about the need to refine the initial concepts to
satisfy social distancing and low touch requirements as preventative measures in light of COVID-
19 virus pandemic. Staff also noted that there is a possibility that the public art festival might be
postponed to October 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.
7. Temporary Public Art for King Plaza – Staff updated the Public Art Commission on the status
of design development of the temporary installation titled Arbor by artist Adam Marcus. The
data-driven installation visualizing the City’s database of over 45,000 trees in Palo Alto will be
fabricated in Summer 2020 to be displayed on King Plaza later in the fall for a period of up to 12
months.
8. Temporary Public Art at the Palo Alto Art Center – Staff provided an update on the status of
a temporary public art project initiative in partnership with the Palo Alto Art Center to produce a
series of large scale artworks by late artist Susan O’Malley along Embarcadero Road near the
Palo Alto Art Center. Staff will return to the Commission with a funding request in the upcoming
months.
ANNOUNCEMENTS – None.
CALENDAR: Next PAC Regular Meeting – July 16, 2020 at 7 pm.
MEETING ADJOURNED at 9:22 pm by Chair Miyaji.
From:Tina Bartolome
To:PAC
Subject:Black Lives Matter mural
Date:Sunday, July 12, 2020 10:34:16 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Palo Alto Public Art Commission,
I am writing to applaud you in your decision to not censor the Black Lives Matter temporary mural featuring Assata Shakur’s
image and to urge you to stand firm on this decision, especially in the face of the pressure you are currently facing by the
National Police Association and their censorship campaign.
We are in a historical moment that is trying to reckon with centuries of systematic violence and repression of Black
communities and activists to maintain white supremacy. Now is the time to stand firmly on the side of history that brings
justice, humanity and visibility to Black lives.
Assata Shakur is a beloved movement leader, whose story is emblematic of this systematic violence and repression. Even the
slightest digging will reveal that she has always maintained her innocence against charges of murdering a New Jersey State
Trooper, that she was shot during that incident while her hands were up, she was given an unfair trial, convicted by an all-
white jury and suffered incredible torture during her six years in prison that followed.
It is well documented that the FBI’s COINTELPRO targeted and persecuted the Black Panther Party in order to neutralize it;
Assata Shakur is one of many of Black Panther Party members who were persecuted, jailed, framed, murdered, by this
program.
The police continue to murder and terrorize Black and brown people with impunity, but Assata Shakur’s life, writing and
activism has politicized a generation of young people who are now demanding justice and accountability from law
enforcement. It is not a surprise that the campaign to capture and dehumanize her is still active almost 50 years later, but it is
not acceptable.
It is not acceptable that the police officers who murdered Breonna Taylor in her home are still walking around without any
arrest or charges, which is why Breonna Taylor is also represented in this mural. The National Police Association will never
circulate a petition to bring justice for Breonna Taylor and hold those officers accountable, which speaks plainly of what side
of history they represent and uphold.
Hands off Assata!
Thank you,
Tina Bartolome
From:Kelly Ding
To:PAC
Subject:In support of Cece Carpio"s artwork
Date:Sunday, July 12, 2020 12:33:37 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Public Art Commission,
I have been informed that there is an immediate censorship issue regarding a temporary mural
that depicts a painted image of a black liberation movement leader, Assata Shakur, currently
on the street in front of the Police Station. There is no reason to censor this mural simply
because Assata's likeness is involved. First, regardless of what differing opinions people may
have on Assata, to the black community and many others, she represents a voice of freedom,
equality, survival and leadership, and artists should be able to express her heroism and the
injustice placed upon her in peaceful protest such as this mural by Cece Carpio.
Second, artists like Cece should be able to express and engage in art as free speech without
being censored or silenced by the state. The National Police Association's actions attempt to
do just that. If the local government assents to the NPA's demands to remove the mural, it is
engaging in content-based discrimination, and likely viewpoint discrimination, in violation of
the First Amendment. Violating Cece's constitutional rights in this way will expose the City of
Palo Alto to liability and potential suit. This is a political art intervention and deserves no
censorship. Doing so here is not in the City's best interests.
As the Public Art Commission, please support Cece's artwork and right to expression in her
symbolic images of Assata Shakur. The mural is an important piece of work to those in our
local community supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as those fighting for
Black Americans' human rights in the United States and globally. It is not the government's
place, nor do they have the power, to erase works in this manner. The PAC needs to support
Cece in this matter and do everything it can to ensure City Council understands that the
community expects it to support Cece as well.
Best,
Kelly Ding
--
Kelly Ding
JD | Harvard Law School
BA in International Relations | Stanford University
From:Mariko Drew
To:Council, City; PAC
Subject:Support of Assata mural
Date:Saturday, July 11, 2020 5:18:30 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council of Palo Alto and the PA Public Arts Commission,
It came to my attention that there is an immediate censorship issue regarding a temporary
mural that depicts a painted image of a black liberation movement leader, Assata Shakur,
currently on the street in front of the Police Station. As a reminder, Assata was acquitted for
the crimes she was charged for 50 years ago and her innocence was proven in a court of law.
SHE WAS PROVEN NOT GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW even with a blatantly racist jury
and judge, they could not prove that she killed officer Foerster. In fact, Assata was shot 2
times during her arrest and brutally beaten by the police who questioned her because they
themselves didn’t know who shot the cop. In 1973, Assata was falsely accused by the media
propaganda for murdering a cop and she suffered the consequences unjustly by torture, abuse,
trauma, solitary confinement and 6 years in prison. The only crime she committed was her
escape from prison where she shouldn’t have been to begin with and where her life was in
grave danger.
Placing her on the FBI’s most wanted list 40 years after she fled the US, was a bargaining chip
that the racist political right pressed for when Obama lifted sanctions off of Cuba in 2013.
The political right media continues to misrepresent her as a “Cop killer” in order to perpetuate
fear among people in the Black Lives Matter movement and to justify the abuses committed
by police to this day.
Assata Shakur represents a voice of freedom, equality, survival and leadership in the black
community and artists should be able to express her heroism and the injustice placed upon her
in peaceful protest such as this mural by Cece Carpio. This is a political art intervention and
deserves no censorship.
Given the evil injustice Assata endured, at the very least, we demand that you keep your hands
off of symbolic images of Assata Shakur, the artists who believe her, and work to support the
Black Lives Matter movement.
Let's be on the right side of history and keep this mural up.
Thanks,
Mariko Drew
From:Marya, Rupa
To:PAC; Council, City
Subject:Hands Off Assata
Date:Saturday, July 11, 2020 4:08:49 PM
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Dear City Council of Palo Alto,
I was born and raised in the South Bay, going to high school at Castilleja. Palo Alto is located in
Ramaytush Ohlone land. I have a great deal of love for that place and hope to see a society of
justice and goodness evolve there and throughout our Bay Area.
I now practice medicine on faculty at UCSF and am an artist highly engaged in the arts scene in
the Bay Area and beyond. I want to ask you to not censor the beautiful art piece by Cece
Carpio that was painted in Palo Alto. I have seen the news articles about the police feeling
upset that Assanta Shakur is depicted in the mural. They are calling her a cop killer. This
couldn't be further from the truth.
In the same way that SF police said Mario Woods was a threat before they killed him or the
Vallejo police said Sean Monterrossa was a threat and video footage showed how they
executed him, while he was on his knees and his hands were above his waist, we have every
reason to be suspect of police narratives around the culpability of Black and Brown people.
Assanta was never found guilty of killing a police officer. She was a victim of a racist legal
system that tried and failed to convict her. The medical reports and testimony from physicians
at that time countered the narrative the police were trying to advance. It was anatomically
impossible for her to shoot a weapon, as she was injured from the police shooting her.
It is of utmost importance that we uphold narratives that expose the depth of violence white
supremacy in our country if we are ever going to move beyond them, into a more balanced
society where all may thrive. We must not cave in to requests to silence or rewrite our
histories. They must be told, and the beauty and grace with which Cece Carpio depicts them is
powerful.
Please do not change or alter this important work of art you have commissioned. It is powerful
and inspiring. I am excited to come home with my own children to see it.
Thank you,
Rupa Marya
_____________________
Rupa Marya, MD
Associate Professor
Do No Harm Coalition, Co-Founder
Co-Investigator The Justice Study
Physician Advocate, The Mni Wiconi Health Clinic and Farm
Commissioner, Healthy California for All Commission
Division of Hospital Medicine
Department of Medicine
UCSF
From:Elizabeth Boubion, MFA
To:PAC; Council, City
Subject:Hands off Assata
Date:Saturday, July 11, 2020 2:05:03 PM
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Dear City Council of Palo Alto,
It came to my attention that there is an immediate censorship issue regarding a mural that
depicts a painted image of a black liberation movement leader, Assata Shakur, currently on the
street in front of the Police Station. As a reminder, she was acquitted for the crimes she was
charged for 50 years ago and her innocence was proven in a court of law. SHE WAS
PROVEN NOT GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW even with a blatantly racist jury and judge,
they could not prove that she killed officer Foerster. In fact, Assata was shot 2 times during
her arrest and brutally beaten by the police who questioned her because they themselves didn’t
know who shot the cop. In 1973, Assata was falsely accused by the media propaganda for
murdering a cop and she suffered the consequences unjustly by torture, abuse, trauma, solitary
confinement and 6 years in prison. The only crime she committed was her escape from prison
where she shouldn’t have been to begin with and where her life was in grave danger.
Placing her on the FBI’s most wanted list 40 years after she fleed the US, was a bargaining
chip that the racist political right pressed for when Obama lifted sanctions off of Cuba in
2013. The political right media continues to misrepresent her as a “Cop killer” in order to
perpetuate fear among people in the Black Lives Matter movement and to justify the abuses
committed by police to this day.
Assata Shakur represents a voice of freedom, equality, survival and leadership in the black
community and artists should be able to express her heroism and the injustice placed upon her
in peaceful protest such as this mural by Cece Carpio. This is a political art intervention and
deserves no censorship.
Given the evil injustice this woman endured, at the very least, we demand that you keep your
hands off of symbolic images of Assata Shakur, the artists who believe her, and the Black
Lives Matter movement.
In solidarity,
Elizabeth Boubion
--
Liz Duran Boubion, MFA, RSMT
www.lizboubion.org
www.flaccdanza.org
Director, Piñata Dance Collective
Co-Founder, Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers !FLACC!
From:Desi Mundo
To:PAC; Council, City
Subject:Hands Off Assata
Date:Sunday, July 12, 2020 12:43:11 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council of Palo Alto,
It came to my attention that there is an immediate censorship issue regarding a temporary
mural that depicts a painted image of a black liberation movement leader, Assata Shakur,
currently on the street in front of the Police Station. As a reminder, Assata was acquitted for
the crimes she was charged for 50 years ago and her innocence was proven in a court of law.
SHE WAS PROVEN NOT GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW even with a blatantly racist jury
and judge, they could not prove that she killed officer Foerster. In fact, Assata was shot 2
times during her arrest and brutally beaten by the police who questioned her because they
themselves didn’t know who shot the cop. In 1973, Assata was falsely accused by the media
propaganda for murdering a cop and she suffered the consequences unjustly by torture, abuse,
trauma, solitary confinement and 6 years in prison. The only crime she committed was her
escape from prison where she shouldn’t have been to begin with and where her life was in
grave danger.
Placing her on the FBI’s most wanted list 40 years after she fleed the US, was a bargaining
chip that the racist political right pressed for when Obama lifted sanctions off of Cuba in
2013. The political right media continues to misrepresent her as a “Cop killer” in order to
perpetuate fear among people in the Black Lives Matter movement and to justify the abuses
committed by police to this day.
Assata Shakur represents a voice of freedom, equality, survival and leadership in the black
community and artists should be able to express her heroism and the injustice placed upon her
in peaceful protest such as this mural by Cece Carpio. This is a political art intervention and
deserves no censorship.
Given the evil injustice Assata endured, at the very least, we demand that you keep your hands
off of symbolic images of Assata Shakur, the artists who believe her, and work to support the
Black Lives Matter movement.
I would also add that since you gave Miss Carpio permission to paint this component of the
mural, censoring her after the fact and destroying her work may be a violation of her VARA
and CAPA rights. It is illegal to destroy an artist's work without their consent, regardless of
who owns the property that it is painted on.
CRP stands with Cece Carpio and Assata Shakur. We will do everything within our power to
support this artwork.
In solidarity,
Desi Mundo
Founder and Director,
Community Rejuvenation Project
www.CRPBayArea.org
www.AliceStreetFilm.com
(510) 551-1096
From:Robert Liu-Trujillo
To:Council, City
Cc:PAC
Subject:Letter about Assata on the BLM Mural
Date:Sunday, July 12, 2020 12:32:34 PM
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To whom it may concern,
My name is Robert Liu-Trujillo. I'm a Bay Area resident from Oakland California. I'm a
fellow artist and I'm writing to voice my support for keeping the mural of Assata Shakur on
the "Black Lives Matter" mural painted in Palo Alto by my sister Cece Carpio. I commend the
city for allowing such a strong message to be painted on your streets. It sends a strong
message of solidarity and support to Black folks in the US who have continuously and
historically been terrorized by police nationally, and whose struggle for human and civil rights
have either gotten more rights for all people of color or inspired movements for freedom
worldwide.
Seeing that a national police association is asking you to remove the portion of the mural that
features Assata or mentions The Black Panther Party I wanted to again voice my support for
keeping the image intact. The association's racist and ridiculous logic is not only factually
wrong, but insulting.
Murals are a demcratic art form that you can see without paying tuition or buying a streaming
subscription. Assata's name and face will give people information that would otherwise be
silenced. This is especially true for Black stories, which is why the Police association want to
silence any mention of her. When they brand her a cop killer they are hoping you will not do
your research to find out forensic evidence proves Assata's innocence. They hope you will not
be intelligent enough to make the connection between today's violence against black children,
women, men, and people and the COINTELPRO program which targeted her and countless
other Black activists who sought not to murder cops or kill white folks, but to defend Black
people from being murdered, jailed, poisoned, exploited, and to have self determination for
their Black people in their respective hoods across the US, etc.
Assata was not added to the FBI wanted list because people died, she's on that list because she
and the Panther Party believed in protecting Black people's lives, and that is why she was
granted political asylum by Cuba.
I ask you, do your research and listen to your community. See beyond the headlines to make
white racist officers angry. Understand how pivotal a position you now can play in advancing
the current historic reckoning and discussion on racism and police brutality. And if the police
officers truly care about all the people in Palo Alto, let them also do some research and learn.
Then take some of their salaries which are going to suburban communities outside of the city
and use it to benefit the health and well being of people who actually live in the city. I hope to
see you on the right side of history.
Sincerely,
Robert Liu-Trujillo
Trust Your Struggle Collective
--
Robert Liu-Trujillo
Sign up for my newsletter!
bit.ly/RobsNews
Buy artwork here:
bit.ly/EtsyArtRob
From:read more
To:Council, City
Cc:PAC
Subject:Mural of Assata Shakur
Date:Saturday, July 11, 2020 4:20:38 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
________________________________
I’m writing to express my gratitude for Cece Carpio. Her beautiful portrayal of my friend Assata
Shakur is heartwarming. I’m fortunate enough to have spent time with Assata and know first hand
what an amazing, warm and loving woman she is.
For historical context, Assata was a target of the Counter Intelligence Program (CoIntelPro) of J
Edgar Hoover’s FBI. She wasn’t found guilty in any of the six trials she endured prior finally being
convicted in a sham trial. The government recognized her power and was determined to neutralize
the threat she posed to the existing power structure.
Assata was doing her part to liberate Black people from the oppressive conditions that plague(d)
Black communities in the US. She is a freedom fighter motivated by her deep love for justice and
liberation.
The mural of her should serve as a motivation for folks to inquire about her life‘s story and learn the
truth about the modern day hero that Assata Shakur truly is.
Sincerely,
Liam Flynn-Jambeck
From:Giselle Nobleza
Cc:Council, City; PAC
Subject:Support Mural Depicting Assata Shakur
Date:Saturday, July 11, 2020 3:02:55 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
To Whom It May Concern:
I'm writing to express my support and appreciation for the street mural depicting the image
Assata Shakur in Palo Alto. As a supporter of the BLM movement, I believe it is important to
shed light and give honor to those who have taken action against injustice and police brutality.
This mural promotes resistance to what is wrong, and to speak against it would only prove that
our our community is still under the foot of the oppressors and its supporters.
Sincerely,
Giselle Nobleza
From:Michelle Mascarenhas-Swan
To:PAC; Council, City
Subject:Don"t let police wield political power to censor
Date:Monday, July 13, 2020 9:09:54 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council of Palo Alto,
I believe there is an immediate censorship issue regarding a temporary mural that depicts a
painted image of a black liberation movement leader, Assata Shakur, currently on the street in
front of the Police Station. Assata Shakur was acquitted for the crimes she was charged for
50 years ago and her innocence was proven in a court of law. SHE WAS PROVEN NOT
GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW even with a blatantly racist jury and judge. There was no
evidence to convict her of the trumped up charges of killing officer Foerster.
Assata was shot 2 times during her arrest and brutally beaten by the police who questioned her
because they themselves didn’t know who shot the cop. In 1973, Assata was falsely accused
by the media propaganda for murdering a cop and she suffered the consequences unjustly by
torture, abuse, trauma, solitary confinement and 6 years in prison.
The only crime she committed was her escape from prison where she shouldn’t have
been to begin with and where her life was in grave danger.
She was placed on the FBI’s most wanted list 40 years after she fled the US as a bargaining
chip that the racist political right pressed for when Obama lifted sanctions off of Cuba in
2013. The political right media continues to misrepresent her as a “Cop killer” (even though
she was acquitted of that charge) in order to perpetuate fear among people in the Black Lives
Matter movement and to justify the abuses committed by police to this day.
Assata Shakur represents a voice of freedom, equality, survival and leadership in the black
community and artists should be able to express her heroism and the injustice placed upon her
in peaceful protest such as this mural by Cece Carpio. This is a political art intervention and
deserves no censorship.
Given the horrible injustice Assata endured, at the very least, we demand that you keep your
hands off of symbolic images of Assata Shakur, the artists who believe her, and work to
support the Black Lives Matter movement.
In solidarity,
Michelle Mascarenhas-Swan
From:Juana Alicia Araiza
To:Council, City; PAC
Cc:Cece Carpio; Shiffler, Meg (ART); Josue Rojas; Mayahuel Montoya; Angela Davis; David Bacon; Doug Minkler; jos
sances; miranda bergman; Susan Cervantes; Edythe Boone; Maestrapeace Art Works; Maestrapeace Art Works;
Angelica Rodriguez; Omolade M. Roddy; Imani Roddy Figueroa; Imani M Harrington; Maria Elena Gaitan; Olga
Talamante; Chelis Lopez; tirso gonzalez; Lucia Ippolito; eastsideculturalcenter@gmail.com; Carolyn Jean Martin;
Carol Covington; Raul Ferrera-Balanquet; Laura E. Perez; Gallegos-Castillo, Angela; Lupe Gallegos-Diaz; Beatriz
Leyva-Cutler; Rafael Jesús González; Maria X Martinez
Subject:Please Join Me in Defending the Black Lives Matter Mural
Date:Monday, July 13, 2020 10:10:56 AM
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Juana Alicia, Artist and Educator
2016 Ninth Street Berkeley, CA 94710/ Calle 42 #384 x 25 y 27 Colonia Jesús Carranza, Mérida,
Yucatán, Mexico
July 13, 2020
To the Palo Alto Arts Commission and Palo Alto City Council:
I am writing to support the creation, celebration and preservation of the new Black Lives
Matter Mural in your city, which graces Hamilton Avenue in front of City Hall. In particular, I
want to voice my unwavering and ardent support for Cece Carpio’s contribution of the second
letter “E”. Her portrait of such an important Black leader in the struggle for racial justice is key
to the message of the mural, and an educational image for young people who may not be
aware of Assata Shakur’s legacy. And the message of the text could not be more timely or
necessary for healing the wounds of our urban centers: “We must love each other and
support each other”. This also summarizes my plea to you, as public servants.
Shakur’s groundbreaking book, Assata, An Autobiography, should be part of American history
reading in Palo Alto public schools. It is time, as Elizabeth Boubion’s letter eloquently states, to
set the record straight on Assata’s innocence and persecution under the now-discredited
COINTELPRO program of the mid-twentieth century. (COINTELPRO (syllabic abbreviation
derived from COunter INTELligence PROgram) (1956–1979, and beyond) is a series of covert
and illegal projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting American political
organizations. Wikipedia) As you are probably aware, this program explicitly targeted Black
people struggling for racial justice, such as Fred Hampton Jr. and the Black Panthers.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of public officials to investigate the source of the attack on
Palo Alto’s new flagship work of public art: the murkily identified and ethically questionable
“National Police Association”. In their online literature, the National Police Association
supports the Broken Windows Policy that racial and social justice organizations have fought
hard to abolish, and the NPA is opposed to Sanctuary Cities, like Palo Alto. The city council and
the arts commission should be the first to defend the preservation of such a piece as Cece’s
and her colleagues', and take pride that your city has had the moral backbone and ethical
consciousness to support such a work of art.
As a muralist who fights for racial justice with my own work, I stand in solidarity with Cece
Carpio and the other muralists of the Black Lives Matter Mural. It is my suggestion to the city
that the Black Lives Matter mural be recreated in a more permanent location in downtown
Palo Alto, not as a “temporary” or ephemeral work, but as an ongoing commitment from the
City of Palo Alto to live up to its commitments to equity, sanctuary and justice for all of its
citizens.
Thank you for your consideration,
Juana Alicia, Muralist
Justice for All Political Prisoners, Juana Alicia 2004. Mural for Mumia Abu Jamal and Assata ShakurJuana Alicia
https://www.juanaalicia.com
From:Nilofer Chollampat
To:PAC
Subject:Please do not take down the BLM mural
Date:Monday, July 13, 2020 12:12:13 PM
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Hello Public Arts Commission,
I saw news about the National Police Association pressuring the City Council to take down the
BLM mural outside of City Hall. I'm a resident of Palo Alto and it gave me great joy knowing
that the city took part in something so beautiful and bold right in the heart of downtown.
Please do not let the NPA pressure you into taking down the mural that says to its Black
citizens they matter. If the NPA wants to cite "freedom of speech" then the mural should stay
on the street as a reminder to them that they should revisit their job requirements.
Please do not take down the mural. It's beautiful. The NPA cannot influence a public service
council that represents the people of the city, not the NPA.
--
Nilofer Chollampat, MPH
Phone | (650) 468-1306
Email | nchollampat@gmail.com
From:Priya Handa
To:Council, City; PAC
Subject:BLACK LIVES MATTER- Hands off Assata
Date:Monday, July 13, 2020 12:21:43 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City of Palo Alto,
I am writing this email to address your concern with the Assata Shakur mural painted by the
artist Cece Carpio. Currently you are being pressured by the National Police Association to
remove it, because they believe she is a 'killer.' The case against Assata Shakur is based on
false evidence, by one witness, who later admits to lying in all three of his testimonies. Today
George Floyd, Breoanna Taylor, Elijah McClain and many more black bodies are dead due to
false evidence rooted in anti- Black racism.
First off I want you to understand that painting 'BLACK LIVES MATTER,' is a great artistic
gesture that takes up space in public spaces. But it is just that, a gesture. It does NOT erase the
work laid out in front of you in terms of black reparations. It does not bring back these black
bodies that have been murdered by 'policing.' And we still have more work to do if we truly
want black folks to be able to walk freely without having to feel like they have a target on
their back. For you to remove Assata Shakur, a black woman, wrongfully convicted, from the
BLACK LIVES MATTER mura;, means taking back your 'gesture.' It means a step back for
the fight for black lives.
Second, the reason we are yelling BLACK LIVES MATTER on the streets, and painting
BLACK LIVES MATTER in public spaces, is to take up space where black lives have not
been given space. It is in response to cops who claimed they were 'policing' but at times had
the wrong person, the wrong evidence, or just escalated and ended up costing a black life.
George Floyd was WRONGFULLY arrested and later was subjected to brute force. However,
I want to remind you even if a human is guilty, being guilty does not give a cop the right to
kill someone. Today we are painting and protesting against the way this country has policed
and harmed black bodies. Today you want to remove Assata Shakur, because history has false
accusations against her, when in fact she was wrongfully accused. Again this is an example of
history repeating itself, where a black body/ black mind is dismissed and not given space. If
you look closely at her case you will see that one of the only surviving witnesses of her case,
Trooper Harper, has ADMITTED to lying 3 times under oath for all his reports, which is the
only evidence against Assata Shakur.
Again, this is history repeating itself, where a black body is denied it's liberation, rights, and
freedom dude to false accusations, racism, and white supremacy. Assata Shakur is an example
of the cost of police violence and FALSE accusations. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah
McClain, and many many more black bodies are TODAY's examples of the continued
violence by the police department on black bodies.
I hope this time around, while you have the opportunity to make a choice and stand with black
lives, that you choose to stand with black lives, and ALL Black Lives, after all the mural does
say, "BLACK LIVES MATTER."
Sincerely,
Priya Handa