HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-09-16 Public Art Commission Agenda Packet IS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION
54954.2(a) OR SECTION 54956
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
Nia Taylor, Chair
Lisa Waltuch, Member Loren Gordon, Vice-Chair Ben Miyaji, Member
Hsinya Shen, Member
City Council Liaison: Mayor Tom DuBois
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, September 16, 2021
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: 947 9297 0053 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 Meeting August 19, 2021 ATTACHMENT;
STAFF COMMENTS
ACTION:
1. Code:ART – Staff update on the event and allocation of funds in the amount of up to
$7,000 from the Public Art Fund to support the Code:ART festival October 7-9.
2. Public Safety Building Temporary Murals – Staff presentation and update on the
temporary murals at the Public Safety Building site and the allocation of funds in the
amount of $36,000 for the artist design, fabrication, and installation of phase 2 in 2022.
NON ACTION:
3.King Artist Residency – Update on the status of the residency and timeline for the
finalist presentations.
PUBLIC LETTERS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOR YOUR CALENDAR:
Next PAC regular meeting – Thursday, October 21, 2021
: ATTACHMENT
MINUTES
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
MEETING
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Virtual teleconference via Zoom
7:00 p.m.
Commissioners Present: Ben Miyaji, Loren Gordon, Nia Taylor, Lisa Waltuch,
Hsinya Shen joined the meeting at 7:06.
Staff Present: Kristen O’Kane CSD Director
Nadya Chuprina, Public Art Program Coordinator
CALL TO ORDER - Chair Taylor called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS – None.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES - PAC Meeting June 17, 2021 Moved: Commissioner Miyaji, Second: Vice
Chair Gordon. 4 in Favor. Commissioner Shen abstained. PAC Retreat August 13, 2021 Moved:
Commissioner Shen, Second: Commissioner Miyaji. All in Favor.
STAFF COMMENTS - Staff updated the Commission on the recently installed and upcoming ArtLift
Microgrant projects.
ACTION:
1. Two-Year Work Plan – Commissioners reviewed and discussed the draft of the PAC working
priorities and made some edits. Commissioners moved to adopt the finalized two-year work plan.
Moved: Commissioner Shen. Second: Commissioner Waltuch. All in Favor.
2. Midtown poetry mural – Staff provided background history for the project commission in
2003, previously completed repairs, and current condition of the Poetry Wall mural located at
2605 Middlefield Rd. Staff also shared some images depicting the current condition of the mural
and wall. Based on the initial presentation staff seeks feedback from the Commission weather
staff should proceed with the repair to the mural for an amount up to $10,000, or for staff to
return with a full report to initiate the deaccession process prior to commissioning a new mural at
that site. Upon some discussion, the Commission expressed concerns about the condition of the
wall and recommended that Staff investigate the condition of the site further to determine
feasibility of any further repairs to the mural. Commissioners then recommended that staff
prepare a comprehensive report that will further inform the Commission’s decision whether they
should proceed with the deaccessioning process. The report should include a current condition
assessment of the artwork, site, and any public comments and input regarding the murals.
preserving or de-accessioning the existing mural, and potentially commissioning another mural at
that site. Moved: Commissioner Miyaji moved to direct staff to present the full report for the
Poetry Wall mural. Second: Commissioner Shen. All in Favor.
NON-ACTION:
3. Temporary Murals at the Public Safety Building – Staff updated the Commission on the
installation of temporary murals at the construction site of the new Public Safety Building at 250
Sherman Ave.
ANNOUNCEMENTS –None.
CALENDAR: Next PAC Regular Meeting – September 16, 2021 at 7 pm via Zoom.
MEETING ADJOURNED at 8:12 pm by Chair Taylor.
From:Andrea B Saliba
To:PAC
Cc:DeMarzo, Elise; Glanckopf, Annette
Subject:Midtown Poetry Wall!
Date:Friday, October 1, 2021 3:56:19 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
October 1, 2021
Dear Public Art Commission,
I am so grateful to Annette Glanckopf for alerting me about plans for the Midtown
Poetry Wall. I have been a resident in Palo Alto for 31 years. The Midtown Poetry
Wall is something so DEEPLY near and dear to my heart that I would feel destroyed if
it were removed. This Poetry Wall is a very important part of our history here in Palo
Alto and it would be a complete tragedy for it to be removed. A better option would
be to have it repaired and restored.
I realize that many of you may not be aware of our roots here in Palo Alto, but as a
long-time resident this Wall represents a more simpler way of life as it was back then.
Also, I happen to know most of the poets featured on this wall personally.
My daughter Amelia, who grew up her entire childhood in Palo Alto, wrote one of the
poems when she was in elementary school, during a time when she was incredibly
creative, happy and brilliant. Unfortunately, her parents split up after this poem was
written and life became more complicated for her/us. This poem represents a time in
our lives that was most innocent and precious to me and is a remnant of that. Art
often captures memories and feelings to which words cannot do justice. That is how I
feel about this Wall.
Please let me know what I can personally do to help repair and restore this Wall to its
original intention of displaying local art.
Thank you for your sincere consideration.
Gratefully,
Andrea Saliba
Holistic Healer
Posture, Yoga, Dance, Pilates, Wellness & Mindfulness Educator
MindfullyFit LLC
https://www.instagram.com/mindfullyfitllc/
www.facebook.com/MindfullyFitLLC
www.mindfullyfit.com
To: Public Art Commission
CC: Elise De Marzo
From: Annette Glanckopf, Vice Chair, Midtown Residents Association
I feel very strongly that this unique work of art needs to be restored. There is nothing like it in Palo Alto.
It is an important part of Midtown’s art history, and to remove it would negate a significant chapter of our
history.
We recommend that the wall with water problems be fixed, and the mural repainted, as it looks like there
is only a portion of the wall with damage.
That being said, we would also welcome working with the Art Commission for an additional mural on the
wall by Wells Fargo.
A Bit of Background
In 1997, the Midtown Residents Association (MRA) started to work with the Public Art Commission to
install public art in Midtown. Included below is a historical perspective of the installation of 2 of the 5
pieces of Midtown art. All of the pieces of public art were in close collaboration with the Midtown
Residents Association and strongly supported by the neighborhood.
In 2000, MRA obtained 2 public art grants – one for the Liz Lada mural (“Inner Life of Teenagers”) on the
CVS wall and a second for a poetry wall contest. As you can read from the historical perspective, the
future of the Coop Market/Walgreens building was not clear, so this effort was put on hold and the Liz
Lada mural was implemented first.
The original competition for public art for the now Walgreen’s building was a mural that was done by
Peter Bartczak. The objective was “The selected artist will be expected to develop a site-specific mural
appropriate for the neighborhood that reflects the character and spirit of Midtown.” Peter’s original
drawing was
About the time “Inner Life of Teenagers” was installed, Walgreens bought the Coop Market building. As
Peter’s mural was considered dated, Brigid Barton, then Chair of the Public Art Commission, came up
with the idea of a poetry wall (see more below). There was enormous support from the community and
as I remember it, we had over 200 contestants who submitted poetry.
To paint over this site, with its unique Midtown history, would be devastating to all the folks who worked
on the contest, folks who supported the effort, and most of all the artists themselves.
Judy Kleinberg, past Mayor and council member, wrote a piece for our newsletter (see below). I have
extracted a sentence “public art -- as a reminder of our shared values, heritage and culture”. Please do
not destroy what we worked so hard to implement. It is a reminder of a significant period in the Midtown
history. It would be a tragedy to remove it. See more about the poets in Sheri Furman’s email.
Annette Glanckopf, Vice Chair Midtown Residents Association
Historical Perspective
“This mural has been a long time in coming and we are so pleased to be here today!”
I was reviewing some of my old emails and noted that Midtown started working on this wall in 1997 with
Judith Wasserman - Public Art Commissioner. In April of 1998, the Art Commission approved $5,000 for
a mural with matching funds. In 1998 Judith and Brigid Barton (Public Art Commissioners) worked to
develop an RFP (request for proposal) for a mural for the south wall of the Coop Market building.
According to our timeline, the work was to be completed by January of 2001. On June 3rd, 2000 the
Public Art Commission selected 2 finalists. They were so impressed with the entries and the enthusiasm
of Midtown residents and business owners that Midtown was granted both murals.
Shortly after the award, the Coop Market sold the property. As the fate of the site was unknown, the
mural for this wall was put on hold. When plans for the building were finally revealed in mid-2001, Village
Properties, the building owner, committed to help fund art for this wall. We appreciate their enthusiasm
and support for Public Art and for Midtown. Thank you Walgreens/Village Property for taking a
risk…which has turned out to be a great success!!!
Once Walgreens and Como Esta began moving ahead with their remodeling, we still needed to select
appropriate art for the wall. With unflagging, tireless energy and enthusiasm, in 2002 Brigid Barton led
the Public Art Commission Competition for a poetry wall on this site. Unending thanks to the Poetry
Committee composed of Brigid Barton, Kathryn Dunlevie, poet MaryLee McNeal, and the MRA team of
Sylvia Gartner, Sharon Fox and myself. In January of 2003 we read the 100+ entries and selected 35 for
the final selection by master poet Elizabeth Biller Chapman (more about Elizabeth, the winners and their
poetry in a bit). About this time Brigid left the Commission, and Laura Deem became our key contact
with the Commission as we worked through the logistics of site design and preparation for the
celebration. And the rest is history…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Art --- What is it good for? Judy Kleinberg, Palo Alto City Council
It must have some benefit because the effort to beautify the more mundane features of the urban and
suburban landscape has been around since cave dwellers enhanced their rocky surroundings to tell a
story and record their culture. If you Google "public art," you'll be rewarded with 281,000 sites that
review public art all over the world, from Western Australia to The Hague in the Netherlands.
What is it in the human psychology that motivates us to embellish our public surroundings and to enrich
and enliven public areas with works of art and sculpture? Certainly some of it is political, such as statues
of leaders, whether loved or loathed. And some of it is historical, to memorialize events or to
communicate a sense of place. Still other works are for sheer pleasure and fun, or are intellectually
provocative and unsettling. Their common denominator is to provide a backdrop to our more common
surroundings, forcing us to engage our own intellects, emotions and memories.
As Picasso said, "Art is a lie that helps us realize the truth." Repressive societies always seek to control
public art and use it as propaganda for the regime's agenda. Free societies are more permissive of the
style and message contained in public art for the reason that, although creativity cannot be extinguished
in even the most totalitarian society, it is fairly understood that freedom of expression is the lifeblood of
the creative spirit.
Whether we are interested in public art or like one piece or another, every piece of public art in our
community is evidence of our community's respect for the freedom of creativity manifested by each artist,
and the freedom of each person viewing the art to experience and appreciate it in his or her own way.
And therein lies one of the most enduring values of public art -- as a reminder of our shared values,
heritage and culture within the context of the individual's freedom of thought and expression.
From:Annette Glanckopf
To:PAC; DeMarzo, Elise
Cc:Furman, Sheri
Subject:Fw: Midtown Poetry Wall
Date:Tuesday, August 31, 2021 1:06:19 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Another letter in support of the Poetry Wall.
Annette
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Sharon Olson <slopoet@well.com>
Dear Annette,
Yes I received your email and I appreciate your effort to contact all of us. I no longer live in Palo Alto. My
husband and I now live in a retirement community in Annapolis, Maryland. Before Covid we usually
visited California once or twice a year, and always returned to Palo Alto regularly. The last time I was
there (October/November 2019) I remember driving past the Midtown Poetry Wall and enjoying seeing
the poems still there, mine and all my fellow poets. We haven't returned to Palo Alto since 2019 but I'm
sure we will when we feel it is safe again.
As a librarian and city employee (for 29 years) I certainly feel connected always to Palo Alto, where I lived
almost all of my life as a mature adult. I do feel history is important to save. If my fellow poets don't feel
the same way, I wouldn't want to insist mine be the only one to save of course! But I suspect the other
poets would want to have the damage repaired and the wall look the way it was again when the murals
were created. I do appreciate the commitment our city had to have this contest in the first place, and to
pledge to keep the wall intact. Because the poems were written to capture the history of the neighborhood
where we bicycled and shopped and met with friends, it of course might represent a snapshot in time. But
I think that if you made the wall into a contest that was held frequently, and poems were painted over
when new winners were announced, I imagine the contest wouldn't mean as much to the winners.
I do hope you are successful in convincing the City to repaint the damaged panels and restoring the look
of the wall to its original glory. If you want to use what I've written here in this email as my "speech" to the
Council and the Art Commission, you are welcome to my words, or I could write something either more
formal or...shorter.
Thanks for contacting us,
Sharon Olson
7101 Bay Front Drive #409
Annapolis, MD 21403
slopoet@gmail.com
From:Annette Glanckopf
To:PAC; DeMarzo, Elise
Subject:Fw: Midtown Poetry Wall
Date:Tuesday, August 31, 2021 12:57:02 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
sending s few emails that I have received in support of the poetry wall
See attached from the Mittmann family.
Annette
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Susan Mittmann <mittfamily@yahoo.com>
It is one of my favorite parts of midtown, and I'm still amused whenever new people
connect my daughter's name to me and mention it. If we can maintain it and have
space for new works, that would be wonderful.
As for Ebeth, she's working start-up hours as a mechanical engineer for now and not
writing much of anything. She did keep writing up through high school, more prose
than poetry, but I wouldn't be surprised if she came back to it someday. I'm very glad
she had such a positive early experience with the contest. It not only encouraged her
writing but gave her the feeling she could give back to her community even at such a
young age. That's what I think about when I pass the poetry wall.
Susan
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
First note
On Monday, August 30, 2021, 04:51:15 PM PDT, Susan Mittmann <mittfamily@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Annette,
This is actually our family email account, since Ebeth was in grade school when the
poetry contest happened. She's currently living in Massachusetts, and while she's
loved having her poem there all these years,
Of course, it makes me happy every time I walk by and see her poem with the others,
and I'd love to see it there forever. I would hate to see the wall go back to being a
blank commercial barrier.
After all the issues fifteen years ago with how best to put the poems on that wall, I've
been very impressed with how long and how well they've lasted. I hope the city will
build on that success to either repair the existing display or present another contest,
and I would be happy to speak or write a letter to that effect. (You are also welcome
to share any part of this email.)
Thank you for reaching out about this,
Susan
On Saturday, August 28, 2021, 08:16:52 PM PDT, Annette Glanckopf <annette_g@att.net> wrote:
Dear artists from the Midtown Poetry wall.
The CIty of Palo Alto is considering what to do with the poetry wall in the face of water
damage to
one or two of the panels. The options, as I have been, told are:
1) fix the damage and repair the wall
2) paint over the wall
3) paint over the wall and have a new competition
I feel very strongly that the wall is an important part of Midtown history...and it
would be a tragedy to remove. I hope you feel the same way, and will join me and the
MRA (Midtown Residents Association) in advocating (with the city and with the Art
Commission)
for the wall to be repaired and the poetry panels to be restored.
After all this time, I don't know how valid your emails are. Please let me know if you
receive this email, and if you would be willing to join us in our efforts to
retain the poetry wall by writing a letter to the city and commission.
thanks
Annette for MRA
From:Janice Dabney
To:PAC
Cc:DeMarzo, Elise; Glanckopf, Annette
Subject:Midtown Poetry Wall
Date:Monday, August 30, 2021 2:24:28 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
To the Palo Alto Public Art Commission:
I was contacted by the MRA (Midtown Residents Association)
and informed that the poetry on the Midtown Poetry Wall has been water
damaged and that you are discussing various options, including removal of
the exhibit.
As a native Palo Alto/Mountain View resident with a poem on the wall, I
would strongly urge you to fix the structural issues which caused the
problem and repair the wall to its original beauty.
The wall is a source of pride to those who were honored to be part of the
project, and it continues to give much pleasure to visitors and residents. Its
presence reminds everyone of the importance of stories told through
simple images in these times of information overload and social media.
Anyone who reads the poems immediately appreciates the sense of place
which Palo Alto bestows on its residents.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Janice Dabney
To: Public Art Commission
CC: Elise De Marzo
From: Sheri Furman, Chair, Midtown Residents Association
I’d like to echo the comments you received from Annette Glanckopf, Vice Chair, Midtown Residents
Association.
I, too, feel very strongly that this unique work of art – a part of Midtown’s history -- needs to be preserved
and restored.
For those of you unfamiliar with the poetry itself and those who created it, I’m attaching their stories.
Regards,
Sheri Furman, Chair, Midtown Residents Association
===============================================================================
Meet the Poets
Liz Cowie -- "Tending the Same Garden”
The sense of community and feeling of welcome is one of the main reasons my family and I enjoy
Midtown. Living within walking distance of schools and merchants is one of the things that makes it
easier to get to know your neighbors and feel like a part of the community. However, I was
surprised that my poem had been chosen because I entered the contest on a lark. I had read
about it in the paper right before going on an early morning walk and decided to think up a poem
along the way.
As I walked around Midtown, it struck me that the neighbors' gardens reflected somewhat the
nature of our community. Some gardens are well -established, others just getting started, and of
course there is a huge variety of flowers and landscaping styles. Taken together, the y form a
vibrant and diverse group. Similarly, each of us has lived here various lengths of time, comes from
different backgrounds and plays different roles in the community; yet, the residents share an
enthusiasm for making Midtown a place that is nurtur ing to us all. This spirit is evident not only in
formal ways, as with the work of the Midtown Residents Association, but also in the smiles of
neighbors at school and along the street. I would say that the poem of Elizabeth Ray Mittman
reflects this spirit beautifully. She can come by and pet our cats anytime.
Ron LeBlanc -- "A Tree Calls Out"
I grew up in a tough section of a town outside Boston. Because I tagged along with my older
brother's gang, I was at a gun fight when I was four and in a knife fight when I was five. Gang
fights were an everyday reality for me. Since no one ever got hurt, we kept on doing it (that is
until sometime around 8th or 9th grade, when I realized how stupid it was to continue).
Now, I'm 67-years-old, happily retired, and have lived in Palo Alto since 1973. I worked for 38
years at one company that kept experiencing a name change during those years (Philco Corp, Ford -
Aerospace, Space Systems/Loral) and had five careers with them until I retired in 1997 and
became a consultant. I have an extensive writing background that includes being a technical
writer, as well as a short story writer and a novelist. I've also kept a journal for the past 30
years. I've written thousands of poems and currently I'm Project Coordi nator for the
International Poetry Museum, which will be located in San Francisco as soon as I'm able to secure a
suitable site. Personnel associated with the museum started National Poetry Week, which has
since spread across the country. The museum has a vast collection of books and video tapes of
previous readings by famous writers that we are eager to make available to the general public.
For me poetry has always been a way to sharpen my thoughts. Many times I choose a subject in
order to force myself to think about the selected topic. I write three to five poems each week,
with constant revisions daily until I get the word-smithing just right. If I can't find any changes
to make after repeated morning readings, while sitting at my corner table at C afe Verona in
downtown Palo Alto, then I know that I'm done.
I'm constantly listening for ideas for poems. A pen and paper are always at the ready even when
driving a car so that I can capture the idea that becomes the catalyst for a new poem. I'm also
alert as I walk about observing how people behave, which might also trigger a poem.
I've written many poems that could be called spiritual. I had a profound experience when I was
13-years-old that started me on a path of thinking about past lives. Years later I studied
metaphysics and taught a course called Dimensional Mind Approach. I've been a student with many
gurus and swamis attempting to gain insights into the science of the soul. I've also had a healing
practice.
I was married for thirteen years and have a 34-year-old daughter, Brenda (who just applied to San
Jose State in their creative writing program), and a 38-year-old son, David, who is a chef at the
Menlo Country Club.
Elizabeth Mittman -- "Being Six in My Neighborhood"
Thank you for calling and sending me email. I go to Duveneck. I'm in first grade with Mrs. Miley
and Mrs Miron. I was six when I wrote the poem, but now I am seven. My birthday is February
7th. I have a dad, a mom, and a little sister. I used to have two cats, but they ran away after a
flood. After the flood I got a couple fish, but my sister knocked over the fish tank and had to
have a splint.
I like to write little short stories, but when I heard about the poetry contest in the Duveneck
newsletter I wanted to enter. I was really excited when I won. I was so excited I jumped from
the time I got out of bed all the way to school. That is when I had to pull myself together.
Another thing which I like to do is quilt, and I like to work outside.
Sharon Olson -- “Camino del Medio"
I'm very excited to be chosen as one of the 6 Midtown Wall poets. While I don't live in Midtown,
I can be found there frequently reading poems with my fellow Waverley Writers at the Friends
Meeting House. I came to Palo Alto as a college student in 1965 and have lived here (except for a
few years here and there) ever since.
Because I am a librarian I took a bookish approach to the assignment by reading up on the various
street names described in the excellent reference work, Streets of Palo Alto (published by the
Palo Alto Historical Association). I discovered that Middlefield Road was named for an area in
Atherton known as the "Middle Field" (and I imagined that in Palo Alto we could have had a "middle
field" as well). The entry under Colorado Avenue said that it had once been a route through
Jeremiah Clarke's ranch leading to his landing on Mayfield Slough. From there cattle hides were
shipped in the old rancho days (Matadero Creek takes its name from the Spanish word for
"slaughtering place"). Not a pleasant subject for a poem, but that's where I began. I started the
poem with an invocation to passing motorists, bicyclists, and walkers to let them know they had
arrived at an important crossroads. Getting a story into fewer than 30 words was quite a
challenge!
Janice Dabney -- "First Bike"
Janice Dabney is a native Californian who has written poetry for 30 years and published it in such
journals as Poetry Northwest, Santa Clara Review, and Seattle Review. She w orks as a safety
coordinator at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), where she is approaching her 20th
anniversary. She has a chapbook of poems entitled Connections and enjoys participating in
Waverley Writers, a Palo Alto group that meets monthly t o share their work with the community.
Janice lives with her life partner in the house where her father taught her how to ride a bike on
the streets of Monroe Drive (now the border of Palo Alto and Mountain View). As a fifty -
something poet, she understands that the balance needed when first learning to ride was just a
foreshadowing of a skill called for in other aspects of life.
Amelia Saliba Long wrote the poem "Thank you For..."
completely on her own while at school around the Thanksgiving holiday. She is eight years old.
From her mom: When we received the entry form for the Poetry Contest, the instructions said to
submit a poem that was about our community and was 30 words or less. Amel ia really enjoys
creative writing and writing poetry very much and has since produced some other amazing poems
that we have enjoyed framing around the house. She plans to continue writing poetry in the
future, but for her own private enjoyment. She is very modest and artistic and enjoys the process
of writing more than the recognition.
From:Sylvia Gartner
To:PAC
Cc:DeMarzo, Elise; Glanckopf, Annette
Subject:Midtown Art - Poetry Wall
Date:Saturday, September 4, 2021 3:47:46 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Annette Glanckopf and I have known each other a long time. We both serve on the Midtown
Residents Association board and have worked in that capacity for many years.
Annette and I were both part of the selection committee when more public art was being authorized
for Midtown. We have been SO pleased to have a really significant and eye-pleasing work of art on
the walls of each of our drug stores in Midtown. Both Walgreens and CVS have a mural.
The poetry wall selection on the Walgreens drug store is particularly dear to my heart. A contest
was held to choose the poems that are now on that wall. One of them was written by a child. I
especially enjoy taking a long look at the poetry wall when I visit the UPS store and Baskin-Robbins in
the Midtown Shopping District.
The Palo Alto Weekly did an article about our poetry wall not long after it was finished. A reporter
from the Palo Alto Weekly interviewed me about my pride in our public art in Midtown. The
photographer took a picture of me in front of the first poem; and a friend had the article framed for
me. I look at it often during my days working from home (as so many of us are now doing).
I would really like to appeal to the Palo Alto Art Commission and to Walgreens to make the
necessary repairs to our much-loved poetry wall.
Sylvia Gartner
From:Liz Cowie
To:PAC; DeMarzo, Elise
Cc:Glanckopf, Annette
Subject:Please save the Midtown Poetry Wall
Date:Sunday, September 5, 2021 3:20:36 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Public Art Commission members,
I understand that the City of Palo Alto is considering what to do with the Midtown
Poetry Wall in the face of water damage to one or two of the panels.
As you are considering the options, I very much hope you will vote to fix the damage
and repair the wall.
The wall is an important part of Midtown history.
The purpose of the poetry on the wall was to respond to and embrace the
theme of “community.” This theme is more important today than ever. Judging
from the smiles the poetry brings to the faces of residents old and new who
enjoy the wall while they walk by or share an ice cream cone from the Baskin-
Robbins next door, the wall is continuing to inspire and delight our community.
Many residents and acquaintances through the years have shared with me how
lovely the poems are and how they brighten up that alley.
In an otherwise ordinary commercial center, the poetry wall is a distinctive
feature that Midtown residents treasure.
As a Midtown resident - and one of the poets whose work is represented the wall - I
feel it would be a sad day if the wall were not maintained.
I hope you feel the same way, and will vote for the wall to be repaired and the poetry
panels to be restored.
Thank you,
Liz Cowie
From:Judith Wasserman
To:PAC
Cc:DeMarzo, Elise; Annette Glanckopf
Subject:Midtown Poetry Wall
Date:Monday, September 6, 2021 10:41:23 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
To the Commission -
I was on the PAC when this mural was chosen. One of the main reasons for its selection was
the participation of the community in its development. The poets range from 6 year old
children to adults - a broad range of ages. I strongly recommend its repair and maintenance
instead of throwing away such a lovely addition to Midtown.
I remember well how difficult it was to maintain the collection. Contracts were complicated
and took way too long to get through the purchasing department. Nonetheless, it is the
responsibility of the Commission to maintain the artwork and not allow it to deteriorate into a
situation of “malign neglect”.
Please do the right thing for our neighborhood and fix this mural.
Thank you very much,
Judith Wasserman
Bressack & Wasserman Architects
751 Southampton Drive
Palo Alto CA 94303
650 321-1987
www.bressackandwasserman.com
From:Brigid Barton
To:PAC; DeMarzo, Elise
Subject:Murals at Midtown
Date:Monday, September 6, 2021 4:02:02 PM
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on links.
________________________________
To the PALO ALTO ART COMMISSION,
I am a former member of the Commission and participant in the selection of art murals for Midtown. As Annette
Glanckof recently wrote to you, the two murals in question have a rich history of support from the community and
the members of the Art Commission considered them a real success. I would strongly urge you to consider restoring
the Lada mural on the CVS wall! It is an excellent piece of work and a part of our local landscape in Midtown. The
Art Commission went to great lengths to involve the Midtown community in the creation of both murals and
everyone in the community I spoke to found them very successful. It would be a real slight to the former Art
Commission and a significant loss to our Midtown community if you decommissioned them.
Respectfully, Brigid Barton
Professor Emerita, Santa Clara University Department of Art
Sent from my iPad
From:Chuprina, Nadya
To:DeMarzo, Elise
Subject:FW: Midtown Poetry Wall
Date:Tuesday, August 31, 2021 1:26:00 PM
Thanks for sending along. I will file with the rest of outreach items related to the project.
From: Annette Glanckopf <annette_g@att.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2021 1:06 PM
To: PAC <pac@cityofpaloalto.org>; DeMarzo, Elise <Elise.DeMarzo@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Cc: Furman, Sheri <sheri11@earthlink.net>
Subject: Fw: Midtown Poetry Wall
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Another letter in support of the Poetry Wall.
Annette
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Sharon Olson <slopoet@well.com>
Dear Annette,
Yes I received your email and I appreciate your effort to contact all of us. I no longer live in
Palo Alto. My husband and I now live in a retirement community in Annapolis, Maryland.
Before Covid we usually visited California once or twice a year, and always returned to Palo
Alto regularly. The last time I was there (October/November 2019) I remember driving past
the Midtown Poetry Wall and enjoying seeing the poems still there, mine and all my fellow
poets. We haven't returned to Palo Alto since 2019 but I'm sure we will when we feel it is safe
again.
As a librarian and city employee (for 29 years) I certainly feel connected always to Palo Alto,
where I lived almost all of my life as a mature adult. I do feel history is important to save. If
my fellow poets don't feel the same way, I wouldn't want to insist mine be the only one to save
of course! But I suspect the other poets would want to have the damage repaired and the wall
look the way it was again when the murals were created. I do appreciate the commitment our
city had to have this contest in the first place, and to pledge to keep the wall intact. Because
the poems were written to capture the history of the neighborhood where we bicycled and
shopped and met with friends, it of course might represent a snapshot in time. But I think that
if you made the wall into a contest that was held frequently, and poems were painted over
when new winners were announced, I imagine the contest wouldn't mean as much to the
winners.
I do hope you are successful in convincing the City to repaint the damaged panels and
restoring the look of the wall to its original glory. If you want to use what I've written here in
this email as my "speech" to the Council and the Art Commission, you are welcome to my
words, or I could write something either more formal or...shorter.
Thanks for contacting us,
Sharon Olson
7101 Bay Front Drive #409
Annapolis, MD 21403
slopoet@gmail.com