HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-11-04 Public Art Commission Agenda Packet IS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION
54954.2(a) OR SECTION 54956
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING
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, November 4, 2021
6:00 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: 996 5626 9583 Phone: +1 669 900 6833
AMENDED 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 September 16, 2021 ATTACHMENT
STAFF COMMENTS
ACTION:
1.Adoption of Resolution - Approval of a resolution authorizing use of teleconferencing
for the Public Art Commission meetings during Covid-19 state of emergency.
ATTACHMENT
2.Charleston – Arastradero Corridor – Approval of additional funding in the amount up
to$35,000 for the permanent artwork by Susan Zoccola for the Charleston-Arastradero
corridor. ATTACHMENT
3.King Artist Residency – Staff update on the selection process and request to approve
Rayos Magos as the first artist for the King Artist Residency as recommended by the
selection panel. ATTACHMENT
4.De-accession of Artwork - Staff requests the Public Art Commission make a decision
whether or not to initiate the deaccession evaluation process for the Poetry Wall mural
located in midtown Palo Alto. ATTACHMENT
NON ACTION:
5.Code:ART – Staff update on the Code:ART festival October 7-9.
PUBLIC LETTERS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOR YOUR CALENDAR:
Next PAC regular meeting – Thursday, November 18, 2021
MINUTES
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
MEETING
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Virtual teleconference via Zoom
7:00 p.m.
Commissioners Present: Loren Gordon, Nia Taylor, Lisa Waltuch, Hsinya Shen and
Ben Miyaji joined the meeting at 7:05.
Staff Present: Elise DeMarzo Public Art Program 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 August 19, 2021 Moved: Vice Chair Gordon, Second:
Commissioner Waltuch. All in Favor.
STAFF COMMENTS - Staff updated the Commission on the repair and conservation efforts by City staff
and muralist Morgan Bricca to repair the vandalized mural at the California Ave bike and pedestrian
underpass. Staff also provided an update on the received public letters in relation to the midtown Poetry
Wall mural. Staff is reaching out to an art conservator to conduct an onsite condition assessment and
provide a report.
ACTION:
1. Code:ART – Staff updated the Commissioners on the planning status for the upcoming event and
requested an 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. Commissioners shared updates on the community
partnerships outreach and volunteer recruitment efforts. Staff provided an update on additional
costs associated with rental equipment and overnight security for the event. Moved: Vice Chair
Gordon moved to allocated funding in the amount of up to $7,000. Second: Commissioner Shen.
All in Favor.
2. Public Safety Building Temporary Murals – Staff provided a commission background and
update on the temporary murals at the Public Safety Building site. The 4 murals in Phase
1 were installed in August 2021. Staff requested that the Commission allocates funding in
the amount of $36,000 for the artist design, fabrication, and installation of Phase 2 in
2022. Moved: Commissioner Miyaji moved to allocate the funds. Second: Commissioner
Waltuch. All in Favor.
NON-ACTION:
3. King Artist Residency – Staff updated the Commission on the artist selection process for the
King Artist Residency. On August 31, a selection panel convened review 18 artists’ applications
and identified 3 finalists who will be paid a stipend to prepare specific proposals for the residency
and publicly present them on Zoom on October 19th.
ANNOUNCEMENTS – Chair Taylor announced an upcoming SVOS open studios event.
CALENDAR: Next PAC Regular Meeting – October 21, 2021 at 7 pm at the City Hall Council Chamber.
MEETING ADJOURNED at 7:38 pm by Chair Taylor.
City of Palo Alto Staff Report to Public Art Commission
November 4, 2021
RE: Agenda Item 1: Resolution authorizing the use of teleconferencing under Government
Code Section 54953(e) for meetings of the Public Art Commission
Recommendation
Adopt a Resolution (Attachment A) authorizing the use of teleconferencing under Government
Code Section 54953(e) for meetings of the Public Art Commission and its committees due to the
Covid-19 declared state of emergency.
Background
In February and March 2020, the state and the County declared a state of emergency due to
the Covid-19 pandemic. Both emergency declarations remain in effect.
On September 16, 2021, the Governor signed AB 361, a bill that amends the Brown Act,
effective October 1, 2021, to allow local policy bodies to continue to meet by
teleconferencing during a state of emergency without complying with restrictions in State
law that would otherwise apply, provided that the policy bodies make certain findings at
least once every 30 days.
AB 361, codified at California Government Code Section 54953(e), empowers local policy bodies
to convene by teleconferencing technology during a proclaimed state of emergency under the
State Emergency Services Act in any of the following circumstances:
(A) The legislative body holds a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency, and
state or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social
distancing.
(B) The legislative body holds a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency for the
purpose of determining, by majority vote, whether as a result of the emergency,
meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of
attendees.
(C) The legislative body holds a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency and has
determined, by majority vote, pursuant to subparagraph (B) (B), that, as a result of
the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or
safety of attendees. (Gov. Code § 54953(e)(1).)
In addition, Section 54953(e)(3) requires that policy bodies using teleconferencing reconsider
the state of emergency within 30 days of the first teleconferenced meeting after October 1,
2021, and at least every 30 days thereafter, and find that one of the following circumstances
exists:
1. The state of emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the
members to meet safely in person.
2. State or local officials continue to impose or recommend measures to
promote social distancing.
Discussion
At this time, the circumstances in Section 54953(e)( 1)(A) exist. The Santa Clara County Health
Officer continues to recommend measures to promote outdoor activity, physical distancing and
other social distancing measures, such as masking, in certain contexts. (See August 2, 2021
Order.) In addition, the California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational
Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has promulgated Section 3205 of Title 8 of the California Code of
Regulations, which requires most employers in California, including in the City, to train and
instruct employees about measures that can decrease the spread of COVID-19, including
physical distancing and other social distancing measures.
Accordingly, Section 54953(e)(1)(A) authorizes the City to continue using teleconferencing for
public meetings of its policy bodies, provided that any and all members of the public who wish
to address the body or its committees have an opportunity to do so, and that the statutory and
constitutional rights of parties and the members of the public attending the meeting via
teleconferencing are protected.
To comply with public health directives and promote public safety, Palo Alto policy bodies have
been meeting via teleconference since March 2020. On September 27, 2021, the City Council
considered the format for future Council, committee, and Board and Commission meetings.
Council determined that beginning November 1, 2021, Council meetings would be conducted
using a hybrid format that allows Council Members and the public to decide whether to attend
in person, following masking and distancing protocols, or participate via teleconference. Council
directed that Council standing and ad-hoc committees and Boards and Commissions would
continue meeting via teleconference through January 2022.
Adoption of the Resolution at Attachment A will make the findings required by Section
54953(e)(3) to allow the continued use of teleconferencing for meetings of the Public Art
Commission and its committees.
NOT YET APPROVED
Resolution No. ____
Resolution Making Findings to Allow Teleconferenced Meetings Under California Government
Code Section 54953(e)
R E C I T A L S
A. California Government Code Section 54953(e) empowers local policy bodies to convene
by teleconferencing technology during a proclaimed state of emergency under the State Emergency
Services Act so long as certain conditions are met; and
B. In March 2020, the Governor of the State of California proclaimed a state of emergency
in California in connection with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic, and that state
of emergency remains in effect; and
C. In February 2020, the Santa Clara County Director of Emergency Services and the
Santa Clara County Health Officer declared a local emergency, which declarations were
subsequently ratified and extended by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and
those declarations also remain in effect; and
D. On September 16, 2021, the Governor signed AB 361, a bill that amends the Brown Act
to allow local policy bodies to continue to meet by teleconferencing during a state of emergency
without complying with restrictions in State law that would otherwise apply, provided that the
policy bodies make certain findings at least once every 30 days; and
E. While federal, State, and local health officials emphasize the critical importance of
vaccination and consistent mask-wearing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Santa Clara County
Health Officer has issued at least one order, on August 2, 2021 (available online at here), that continues
to recommend measures to promote outdoor activity, physical distancing and other social distancing
measures, such as masking, in certain contexts; and
F. The California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational Safety and
Health (“Cal/OSHA”) has promulgated Section 3205 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations,
which requires most employers in California, including in the City, to train and instruct employees
about measures that can decrease the spread of COVID-19, including physical distancing and other
social distancing measures; and
G. The Public Art Commission has met remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic and can
continue to do so in a manner that allows public participation and transparency while minimizing
health risks to members, staff, and the public that would be present with in-person meetings while
this emergency continues; now, therefore,
NOT YET APPROVED
The Public Art Commission RESOLVES as follows:
1. As described above, the State of California remains in a state of emergency due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. At this meeting, the Public Art Commission has considered the
circumstances of the state of emergency.
2. As described above, State and County officials continue to recommend measures
to promote physical distancing and other social distancing measures, in some
settings.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that for at least the next 30 days, meetings of the Public Art
Commission and its committees will occur using teleconferencing technology. Such meetings of the
Public Art Commission and its committees that occur using teleconferencing technology will provide
an opportunity for any and all members of the public who wish to address the body and its
committees and will otherwise occur in a manner that protects the statutory and constitutional
rights of parties and the members of the public attending the meeting via teleconferencing; and, be
it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Public Art Commission staff liaison is directed to place a resolution
substantially similar to this resolution on the agenda of a future meeting of the Public Art Commission
within the next 30 days. If the Public Art Commission does not meet within the next 30 days, the staff
liaison is directed to place a such resolution on the agenda of the immediately following meeting of the
Public Art Commission.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
Staff Liaison Chair of Public Art Commission
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
City Attorney Department Head
City of Palo Alto Staff Report to Public Art Commission
November 4, 2021
RE: Agenda Item 2: Charleston-Arastradero Corridor
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the Public Art Commission approve additional funding in the amount up
to $35,000 to amend the contract C17166591 with artist Susan Zoccola to complete the
fabrication and installation of the artwork associated with the Charleston-Arastradero Corridor
Project.
Executive Summary:
Due to delays in the overall Charleston-Arastradero Corridor project and the escalation of
material, fabrication, and shipping costs since the last amendment to Zoccola’s contract in 2019,
additional funds are necessary to complete the sculptures for the project.
Background:
The City of Palo Alto’s Public Art Program manages the public art in municipal project funds
transferred annually as part of the budget cycle in accordance with Ordinance Number 5301,
Municipal Code 2.26.070 (Public Art for Municipal Projects). The Charleston-Arastradero
Corridor is a high volume, 2.3-mile roadway serving 11 schools, several parks, shopping centers,
commercial uses, a library, day care centers, non-profit organizations, and two community
centers. The corridor extends from East Charleston Road at Fabian Way to Arastradero Road at
Gunn High School.
Due to the high visibility of the Charleston-Arastradero Corridor Project, the opportunity to
commission more art in south Palo Alto, and multiple opportunities to incorporate artwork if the
process was initiated during the project design phase, staff initiated the artist selection process
in March of 2016. Artist Susan Zoccola was selected as the artist for the project and was approved
by the Public Art Commission in September 15, 2016. The contract with a budget of $100,000
(including $10,000 in contingency) was approved by City Council December 12, 2016. Zoccola
traveled to Palo Alto in January 2017 to meet with the design team and initiate her design
development. The conceptual design was reviewed and approved by the PAC in October 2017.
Inspired by the water filtration systems in the landscaping and the heavily used bike corridor, the
artist developed a series of five sculptures inspired by bike wheels and diatoms. Diatoms are
single-celled algae that form a silica-based cell wall. Diatoms exist in all saltwater and freshwater
environments, including moist soils, and they happen to be shaped like bike wheels.
Informed by the intent of the project – a heavily trafficked corridor in which the streetscape
project is intended to enhance bike and pedestrian safety, Zoccola set out to create colorful
wheel based compositions marking entrances and key places along the corridor that would be
dynamic for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike while marking a few places along the corridor
for drivers to pay extra attention looking for cyclists.
Discussion:
The initial contract was approved in 2016 with an expiration date of December 31, 2018. Due to
construction delays, the original contract was amended twice. The contract was amended in
December 2018 to extend the expiration date to June 30, 2019 . The construction of the corridor
was been delayed further, thus requiring a second amendment to extend the term to
November 2021. During the now completed phases of the corridor construction, three of the
five concrete footings for the sculptures were poured by the general contractor. The
construction of the final phase of the corridor project was delayed with various changes to the
original Phase 3 project plans. Currently, the estimated timeline for completing the Charleston-
Arastradero Corridor project is in July 2022. To avoid any damage from heavy equipment and
construction activities, the artworks must be installed at the end of the construction project.
Due to overall delays in the project, Zoccola has been waiting two years longer than expected
to initiate fabrication. In this time, the cost of steel, like many building materials, and labor have
risen. Shipping costs have risen as well, and moving Zoccola’s sculptures from Washington State
to Palo Alto will cost nearly twice as much as originally estimated. The artist would like to have
her fabricator purchase the materials as soon as possible to protect against future inflation of
steel prices but cannot create and install the sculptures as designed with the original budget.
Therefore, staff requests that the Public Art Commission increase Susan Zoccola’s budget for
the Charleston-Arastradero Corridor project by $35,000 for a total contract amount up to
$135,000 including contingency for any further possible cost increases for materials and
fabrication.
Timeline, Resource Impact, and Policy Implications
The funds in the amount of $35,000 for the contract will come from the pooled art funds in the
Art in Public Spaces CIP (AC-86017). The Public Art for Municipal Projects Ordinance (Ordinance
Number 5301, Municipal Code 2.26.070) requires that 1% of the CIP budget for municipal
projects is allocated for the commission of public art. The Charleston-Arastradero Corridor
Project CIP (PE-13011) contributed 1% of the project’s funding in the amount of $120,800 to
the Art in Public Spaces (AIPP) CIP in order to fund the public art component of this project
recommended in this memorandum. Additional contingency funds may come from funds
derived from bike/pedestrian plan funds previously transferred to the AIPP CIP.
Rayos Magos
Previous work
I have included the past year of projects that I have actively been involved in during the
pandemic year of 2020. The first slide acts as a table of contents that shows what the
slides will describe. I have incorporated a bio of myself. The following slides are broken
up into sections regarding public projects, murals, and individual work/projects. The last
two sections document my recent artist residency in Mexico City, which I hope to use as
a basis of this new Palo Alto, MLK residency project. As one looks at my body of work,
they can notice the diversity in mixed media arts practices that I have. I can work from
small to large scale projects within a limited timeframe and with limited to wide ranging
resources.
Previous Community engagement
I have engaged with the community through various roles from being an active educator
working with youth to working as a community mental health therapist serving children
and families as well as the adult population. These roles have shown me the various
ways of serving and working in the community. Below I will describe a few experiences
that describe and highlight my ability to create and manage a project in the community.
One example of an art project that I created was in Japantown at The Arsenal art gallery
where I exhibited mixed media collage work in a group. This project required me to
collaborate with two other local artists in creating a show about us as local creatives
born and raised in San Jose. After the show, I ran a community workshop with about
15-20 attendees varying in ages, gender, backgrounds, and careers (see slides 5-6). I
opened the workshop talking about the collaged works that I had made in the show.
Then I followed with dialog around the significance behind the concept of psychological
archetypes, which resulted in a focused collage making around the theme of
Hero/Heroine. Each participant was encouraged to share and talk about their arts
process as well as their finished piece. Naturally as a facilitator I was able to hold space
for the attendees as well as field questions and attend to each participant's needs in
order to make them feel safe.
As an artist I have also created public art installations and murals over the past few
years. These public arts projects pushed me as an artist who mainly has worked out his
room and/or art studio for the majority of my art career. By working in larger formats and
community spaces I have had to learn to translate my smaller works into larger public
works. The beauty behind public art that I enjoy is the immediacy of community
feedback and engagement in the process and development of each project. Whenever I
have created murals in downtown San Jose, I welcome community members to engage
with me in conversation about the work.
Another larger community-based project that has influenced my thinking around public
art has been the Day of the Dead altar installation (see slide 12). I created the unique
piece with the support of the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza. This
project was unique in the sense that as a mainly 2-dimensional artist I had to create an
installation in a 10x10 space outdoors due to the pandemic. As an artist I have the
ability to adapt to my surroundings and utilize that as fuel for my creative process. I had
a month to create something aesthetically appealing and impactful for the Latinx
community. The Day of the Dead altars project forced me to grow my 2-D concepts into
3-D sculptures. As a result, I spent about a month and a half on project development
and creation. Alongside me I solicited support from a few local artists and family
members in order to address time constraints. My ability to lead a team and guide the
creative process into a successful production demonstrates my dedication, motivation,
and ability to collaborate.
Target audience:
I want to focus on Latinx and BIPOC identifying folks (18+ and older) living and working
in Palo Alto. I want to focus my interests on addressing mental health awareness, de-
stigmatize mental illness, and tie it into the sense of belonging, human connection, and
resiliency of coping during the pandemic.
Project Proposal
The project looks to engage the Latinx and BIPOC community living and working in Palo
Alto via a decorated photo booth. The goal would be to utilize the photo booth as a type
of confessional booth or story telling space, without the religious component. The
beauty of using a photobooth is that it provides space and privacy in order to maintain
participants’ confidentiality. In using a photo booth there is a sense of nostalgia, fun,
and spontaneity. The hope would be to decorate the photo booth in making it visually
appealing, comforting, and safe for participants to share their stories.
The booth would be stored inside a safe space such as city hall or library. By placing
the booth in one of these designated locations serves multiple purposes. One is that the
location where the booth would be held would be considered a safe space. Secondly,
the location would be an easily accessible place that is frequented by a diversity of
citizens throughout the day. Lastly, the booth would need to support accessibility to
participants in order to reach a wide range of responses and stories. The booth can also
be mobile and placed every few weeks in a new community location (i.e. community
mental health clinics or community spaces).
The booth would support people in telling their story around belonging, human
connection, and the impact of social distancing on their mental health during the
pandemic. My hope would be to have participants make sense around their gains and
losses during the pandemic. Storytelling in this format can be powerful because it offers
the chance for people to reflect and express what’s been on their minds.
The intention of talking about the grief process would further bring awareness to the
importance of mental health. Ideally the project would look to de-stigmatize mental
health issues and support mental health awareness, especially in Latinx/BIPOC
identifying peoples. Another goal would be to support further processing about self,
identity, culture, and learned experience around the pandmeic. Participant outreach
would occur via social media ads, posters in the downtown area, and word of mouth in
order to reach a larger diverse audience.
Questions would attempt to ask specific questions related to Latinx/BIPOC community's
sense of belonging and connection within the Palo Alto community as well as ask for
suggestions on how to make Palo Alto more equitable and inclusive in the process.
Questions could be translated into Spanish for monolingual folks in order to address any
language barriers. Each participant would be invited to come into the photo booth and
would sit for 5-10 minutes answering a select series of 5-10 questions.
The questions would revolve around identity, culture, belonging, community, coping
skills, resiliency, grief and loss. The final question could be open ended where
participants could speak about something that wasn’t asked. Through the process of
answering each question participants would have the ability to opt out of answering the
question if it felt too invasive and/or provoking.
Participants would then be able to transition from answering questions taking a series of
photo booth pics with a variety of filters created by the artist.The goal here would be to
support the participants in transitioning from sharing their stories to recreating and
celebrating their identity. Here participants would be able to play with the filters and tell
a new story with the imagery. By using filters participants would maintain their
anonymity and have more freedom to be authentic in responses.
Artist Intervention:
As the artist I would take the responses from the participants over the month and begin
to comb through the qualitative data searching for themes in responses. Through the
themes I would begin to create an art piece based off of the responses. For example, if I
were to use the photo booth images I would turn these into mixed media collages that
could be used in a large banner. The focus on Latinx/BIPOC people could be about
highlighting their belonging to Palo Alto.
Another potential example would be to turn the responses into sculptural work. This
could be in the form of a symbolic piece such as sculptural hands that join together
forming an infinity symbol. The potential meaning would signify that we are all in this
together.
I believe that my work as an artist is to gather information and then translate it into
visual form. Therefore, the work of the project is to develop the project as it grows. My
role would be to meet and get to know people in the community in order to hear their
story and tell their story. Aside from the photo booth installation, I would also create
PSAs around mental health with potential collaged imagery and positive statements that
reflect belonging, resiliency, and coping with stressors of everyday life/pandemic life.
Project Goals:
Goal1: storytelling as a form of mental health wellness and healing
Goal 2: celebrating diversity through imagery
Goal 3: social connection/belonging in Palo Alto
Goal 4: celebrating essential workers
Creative Community Engagement :
I can run public workshops related to collaging and mask making from the studio in
order to find participants for the project. I can do public creative collaborative pieces (i.e.
mark making, note writing, post-its, community mural board) in front of city hall and/or
library to engage people and meet Latinx/ BIPOC identifying people. I can visit non-
profit orgs and present my project to them. The photo booth could potentially be mobile
where it could be taken to community mental health clinics. Each location could have
the booth for a week. In being mobile the booth would be able to gather more
information from a wider audience of Latinx people who live and/or work in the Palo Alto
area. The photo booth could also be located at Cubberley to centralize its location.
Another type of community engagement would be participatory and interactive.
Participants would only need to have a smartphone and Wi-Fi connection in order to
post the image on social media. As the artist I would create a hashtag and backgrounds
with positive words that would be plastered up around town. Individuals can find these
places out in public like a scavenger hunt. Participants can take selfies with a
background that has positive words related to mental health, resiliency, belonging,
etc.Then people can tag the artist, hashtag, and the project all at once. This type of
engagement would allow participants to be in charge of how they posted and aligned
with the words related to the topic of belonging.
Potential Questions:
What kind of togetherness creates feelings of belonging/connection?
What does community look/feel like for me?
Do I feel most connected in large group settings, or smaller, more intimate situations?
How and where have I found community in the past?
Am I rethinking my current connection to others
What do I want to reflect on what I need in community?
What is the relationship between quantity and quality of connections?
What’s one thing that has helped you during the pandemic?
What’s one thing that’s helped you cope with the pandemic?
What’s been the most challenging thing you have had to cope with during the
pandemic?
What’s helped you feel connected with the community?
What’s helped you feel like you belong
What’s some words of advice you would give the community at this moment in time?
PROJECT TIMELINE:
1st month
- develop theoretical framework,
- Ask questions, hypothesis around particular issues related to the Latinx/BIPOC
community living in and around Palo Alto
- Themes and questions would be around: mental health, belonging, acceptance,
community integration, diversity, equity, inclusivity,
- Develop 5-10 questions, can involve the community by asking them questions
around belonging, community, identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion specific
questions
- Based on responses then you can narrow down the questions
- Begin reaching out to the orgs for data, stats,
- Create a photo booth/confessional booth,
- Booth would specifically represent a cultural hub for people to speak in
confidentiality,
- Photo booth would ask 5 -10 pre-determined questions, final question would be
open ended so that participants would add responses that they weren’t asked
2nd month:
- conduct interviews with local orgs, community members
- What are challenges, obstacles, difficulties that Latinx/BIPOC people experience
as being part of the Palo Alto community
- What are the benefits, pros, beauties of being part of the community?
- What would help you feel more accepted, involved, engaged, valued as a
community member?
- What has helped you cope with stressors of the pandemic? What are some of
your coping skills? What aspects of community support has helped you the
most?
- What does diversity, equity, and inclusion look like in Palo Alto as a
Latinx/BIPOC identifying person?
3rd month:
- begin wrapping up the project research phase, data gathering
- Analyzing data, creating themes based on discoveries
- What are some of the pre-conclusions that you’ve gathered?
4th month:
- start the art making process, work with themes
- Utilize local materials, paper, paints,etc.
- How can you incorporate local businesses?
- Document the process with video, film, pics, interviews
- Create a specific IG, FB, social media presence for the project in order to focus
the Latinx community and broader community on the development of the project
5th month:
- continue the art process, art making, collaging,
- Each participant would be gifted a copy of the final product/piece
- Continue documenting the process and the sharing of the process with
participants
6th month:
- planning of the final product/piece
- Inviting the participants, community members, having translators for the final
revealing
- Coordinating of the orgs, bringing attention to the orgs and how to raise money
for their projects
- Having a final art show, which would include all of the research, documentation,
notes, artwork, sketches, etc.
Potential Community partners/nonprofits:
I have not contacted these organizations yet and look forward to doing so once the
proposal is accepted. Some of the challenges of contacting these orgs is navigating
their online webpage and finding useful contact numbers for speaking with the
administration necessary to approve such a community based project.
Mental Health Community Based Orgs
Youth Based Orgs
● AllCove
● Children Health Council
● Cassy
● Kara
● ACS
Adult Based Orgs
● Peninsula HealthCare Connections
● MayView Clinic – Ravenswood Family Health Center
● Gronowski Center
● Caminar – Family and Children’s Services
● La Selva Group
Final artwork:
Banner: collage of all participants in the project. The banner image could be formed
into a particular shape such as a mask, heart, or fist.
Sculpture: could potentially be in the form of multi-colored hands holding and forming a
particular shape such as a mask, heart, or fist.
Notional Budget:
● Photo Booth cost: $5-6k custom built
● Decals and decal design: $200-500
● Printing Paper: $200
● Delivery of booth:$100
● Tech Support: $100-200
● Technical design, QR codes, Software support: $1-2K
● Vinyl Banners/back drops/PSAs = $1-2K
● Art Materials:$2000
○ Paint
○ Paint brushes
○ Mixed Media Paper
○ Canvas Roll
Resources:
https://www.dosomething.org/us/articles/-displaced -or -
disrupted -students -coronavirus -guide#heading --mental -
health
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2
970&context=tqr
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health /statistics/mental -
illness
https://stanmed.stanford.edu/2017winter.html
https://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/what -we-can -do -
about -loneliness
https://www.ted.com/talks/laurel_braitman_the_mental_he
alth_benefits_of_storytelling_for_health_care_workers/t
ranscript?language=en
CENSUS POP:
Total pop. In Palo Alto (Apr. 2020) 68,572
White = 58.9%
Asian alone= 32.5%
Black = 1.8%
Latino = 5.6%
Am.Ind = 0.3%
Nat.Hawa/Other Pacific Islander alone = 0.1%
2/more Races = 5.0%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, = 54.9%
Foreign born = 35.3%
City of Palo Alto Staff Report to Public Art Commission
November 4, 2021
RE: Agenda Item 4
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the Public Art Commission initiate deaccession proceedings as outlined in the
City’s Deaccession of Artwork Policy for a series of six murals painted at 2605 Middlefield Rd in Palo
Alto.
Summary:
Staff recommends that the Public Art Commission initiate deaccession review process for the series of
six text art murals, each consisting of a short poem stenciled onto a different background and painted
on the south-facing exterior wall of Walgreens located at 2605 Middlefield Rd, based on the process and
conditions outlined in the City’s Deaccession of Artwork Policy 1-59/CSD (Attachment A) adopted in
December 2016.
Background: Ideation and commission history
In 2002, the Public Art Commission in partnership with the Midtown Residents Association formed a Art
Committee (2 members of the PAC, 3 Midtown residents, and local poet Elizabeth Biller Chapman) and
launched a public call for a community poetry competition, open to people of all ages residing, working,
or attending school in Palo Alto and Stanford, to submit original poems of 30 words or less interpreting
the Midtown neighborhood, or conveying community in general. The Committee solicited over a
hundred submissions from community members, and selected 6 finalists, including Ron LeBlanc, Amelia
Saliba Long, Elizabeth Ray Mittmann, Liz Cowie, Sharon Olson, and Janice Dabney. Each finalist received
a cash prize out of the City funds for their winning poem: first-place finalist LeBlanc won $250, and the
second-place winners received $100 each.
The initial project had been planned and budgeted for a temporary display of the poems by 5 second
place winners (Amelia Saliba Long, Elizabeth Ray Mittmann, Liz Cowie, Sharon Olson, and Janice Dabney)
printed on vinyl material temporarily for a period of 6 months, and the first prize winner’s poem (Ron
LeBlanc) would be then be painted as a mural thereafter. The PAC solicited bids for printing on vinyl.
However, constrained by high fabrication bids ranging between $13,000 - $15,000, the PAC decided to
paint the mural directly onto the south-facing exterior wall featuring all 6 poems. The Public Art
Commissioners designed the mural layout in-house. The painting of the 120’ x 6’ mural was
implemented by Signs Unlimited for $8,820 in 2003. A dedication plaque was fabricated and installed in
2004 for $430.
The project was funded through the Art in Public Places CIP fund and through a private donation in the
amount of $3,000 from Village Tropicana/Decatur Limited Partnership.
Discussion: Mural condition concerns, repairs and conservation assessments (2010 – to-date)
By 2010 the mural appeared to be in poor overall condition. The photo records of the mural dated from
December 2010 demonstrate extensive areas of paint discoloration, blanching and fading (Attachment
B) across the entire mural. In 2012, the mural was completely repainted by Signs Unlimited. According to
the condition report provided by San Francisco-based ARG Conservation Services in 2016, the
refurbishing project “involved the filling of impact related damages, followed by in-painting. Also, colors
were said to be “revived” with matching paint and the application (several layers of latex paint) of an
anti-graffiti coating” (unknown type) (Attachment B). The total cost for the repainting of the mural by
Signs United was $10,135.
In August 2016, Public Art Program staff hired ARG Conservation Services to conduct condition
assessments of all murals in the City’s public art collection. The condition assessment stated evidence of
visible water staining and streaking throughout, and discoloration resulting from exposure to UV light or
heating and cooling from direct sunlight” (Attachment C).
Between 2016 and 2021, the existing conditions of the mural have significantly worsened. Although the
overall condition of various areas of the mural range from good to poor, the appearance of the mural
presents significant cosmetic concerns. In summer 2021, PAP staff and representatives from Ventana
Property Services who oversee the building on behalf of the property owner had several conversations
about the current condition and potential repair options.
Public Art staff made a report to the Public Art Commission in August 2021 regarding the current
condition of the mural, presenting the Commission with the project history, previous repair and
condition reporting, and images of the existing mural. Staff sought feedback from the Commission to
either proceed with the repair and repainting of the mural for an amount up to $10,000 (based on an
estimated provided by a contractor), or for staff to return with a full report to request the deaccession
process prior to commissioning a new mural at that site. 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
preserve the existing mural, or proceed with the deaccessioning process of the existing mural, and
potentially commissioning another mural at that site. The report should include a current condition
assessment of the artwork, site, and any public comments and input regarding the murals.
Following the PAC recommendations, Public Art staff hired Preservation Arts, a Bay Area-based fine art
conservator, to conduct a condition assessment, and provide a detailed condition report and treatment
proposal. The provided condition report stated that “the Poetry Wall murals were examined on October
12, 2021. In summary, they range in condition from good to poor, with conditional issues being mainly
caused by two factors: ultraviolet light exposure and water damage. The latex paint and coating act as
a polymer “film” which prevents the evaporation of water in the wall, causing blistering, tension
cracking, and paint loss. Images of the murals from 2017, 2019, and 2020 (provided by Google Street
View) show that the damage has worsened significantly in just a few years. An extensive conservation
treatment would be required to stabilize and restore the murals however, treatment cannot prevent
future cracking, blistering, and paint loss in new areas, and issues are likely to be ongoing. It is
recommended to address the problem of water ingress in the wall before conservation treatment is
carried out, otherwise it is likely that the murals will need maintenance every few years in order to
repair new areas of damage. In addition, the high degree of UV exposure has caused significant and
uneven fading of the paint, as well as blanching and discoloration of the paint and coating. This is a
permanent change.” The cost of stabilization, cleaning, and visual repairs of the mural is estimated at
$12,635-$13,650. The full condition report and treatment proposal is included with this staff report
(Attachment D)
Public Art staff and PAC received a number of public letters and had phone conversations with a
Midtown neighborhood representative in support of preserving and repairing the existing Poetry Wall
mural (Link).
Staff estimates that a total of $19,465 to commission and maintain the mural out of the City funds has
been paid since 2003 to date, including:
• $750 – cash awards to 6 poets
• $5,820 – original painting of the mural in 2003
• $430 – dedication plaque
• $10,135 – repainting of the mural in 2012
• $800 (approx. cost per mural as part of a larger condition report for 13 murals in the City
Collection) Condition assessment and report by ARG in 2016
• $1,530 – Condition assessment and report by Preservation Arts in 2021
Of the considerations for deaccession outlined in the policy, staff recommends that the PAC consider
deaccession of the Poetry Wall mural from the City’s permanent collection for the following
considerations:
• The Artwork requires excessive maintenance or has faults in design, material, or workmanship,
and repairs or remedy is impractical or unfeasible;
• The Artwork has deteriorated, and repair is impractical or unfeasible;
• The condition of the Artwork cannot be reasonably guaranteed.
Reasons for deaccession do not include aesthetic taste or public opinion. There are no formal appraisals
for the artworks and staff could not locate any auction records for the artists.
Timeline and Budget Considerations:
Should the Public Art Commission vote to proceed with the deaccession review process for the Poetry
Wall mural painted on the south-facing exterior wall of Walgreens located at 2605 Middlefield Rd, staff
will immediately notify the authors of the featured poems, Property owner and managing company, and
community stakeholders of the deaccession proceedings. The final deaccession decision will be
calendared for the February 2022 Public Art Commission meeting. Should the Commission decide to
deaccession the artwork at that time, then staff will coordinate the removal of the artwork, in
accordance with the City’s deaccession policy. The Commission may also request that Public Art staff to
consider re-fabricating the Artwork as a temporary mural and reproduce it an alternative media (i.e.
printed on vinyl and fastened to an alternative substrate or adhesive aluminum sheet adhered directly
to the wall).
Attachments:
A. Deaccession policy
B. Mural images in 2010 (before repairs in 2012)
C. Condition Report by ARG Conservation Services (2016)
D. Condition Report and Conservation Treatment Ppoposal by Preservation Arts (2021)
POLICY AND PROCEDURES 1-59/CSD
February 2017
CITY OF
PALO LTO
CITY OF PALO ALTO PUBLIC ART PROGRAM
DEACCESSION OF ARTWORK POLICY
PUBLIC ART PROGRAM VISION
Public art reflects Palo Alto's people, diverse neighborhoods, the innovative and global character of its
businesses and academic institutions, and the beauty of its natural environment.
INTRODUCTION
The Public Art Program (PAP) maintains the City of Palo Alto's (City) collection of Artwork for the benefit of Palo Alto
citizens. Removing an Artwork from the collection (deaccessioning) is a sensitive matter and should be managed
according to clear criteria. The policies outlined below are subject to periodic review by the PAP; from time to time, with
the input of the Public Art Commission (PAC), the PAP may update this policy to include additional guidelines or
procedures as it deems appropriate. Except in the case of a safety emergency, no Artwork in the collection will be
deaccessioned until the policies set forth below have been observed. This policy applies to permanent Artworks in the
City's collection; it is not intended to apply to "Temporary Artworks," which are the subject of a separate policy. This
policy shall govern removal, disposal and destruction of Artworks; the City's Surplus Property Disposal & Destruction
Policy (Policy and Procedure 1-49/ASD) shall not apply.
POLICY
1. Any proposal for removal or destruction of an Artwork shall be submitted to PAP staff and reviewed by the PAC
according to the policies and procedures contained herein; review shall be deliberate and independent of political
pressures, fluctuations in artistic taste, popularity, and public opinion.
2. Deaccession shall be a seldom -employed action that is taken only after issues such as Artists' rights, public benefit,
censorship, copyrights, and legal obligations have been carefully considered. The final decision with respect to
deaccession of Artworks owned by the City shall rest with the PAP Director upon approval by the PAC.
3. At regular intervals, the City's Artwork collection shall be evaluated by the PAP and reported to the PAC to
determine the condition of each Artwork and determine whether there is Artwork recommended for deaccession.
DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Policy, the following definitions apply.
ARTIST: An individual generally recognized by critics and peers as a professional practitioner of the visual arts as judged
by the quality of the professional practitioner's body of work, educational background and experience, past public
commissions, sale of works, exhibition record, publications, and production of Artwork.
ARTWORK: Works in any style, expression, genre and media created by an Artist and owned by the City of Palo Alto in
the permanent collection, whether functional or non-functional. Artwork may be stand-alone and integrated into the
architecture, landscaping, or other site development if such are designed by an Artist as defined herein.
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POLICY AND PROCEDURES 1-59/CSD
February 2017
The following are not considered Artwork:
1. Reproductions, by mechanical or other means of original Artwork, except in cases of Film, video, photography,
printmaking, theater, or other media arts;
2. Art objects that are mass produced (excluding artist -created, signed limited -edition works), ordered from a catalog,
or of a standard design, such as playground sculpture or fountains; and
3. Directional or other functional elements such as signage, supergraphics, color coding, or maps unless specifically
designed as artworks.
DEACCESSION: The procedure for the removal of an Artwork owned by the City and the determination of its future
disposition.
DEACCESSION NOTIFICATION: A written letter to the artist or donor referencing the applicable condition(s) of the
Artwork and describing reasons why the deaccession review needs to be undertaken.
GUIDELINES
Any Artwork owned by the City shall be eligible for deaccession with the exception of an Artwork that is accompanied by
verified legal stipulations that the Artwork may not be deaccessioned. During the review process, the Artwork shall
remain accessible to the public in its existing location unless it poses a threat to public safety.
Artwork may be considered for review toward deaccession if one or more of the following conditions apply:
1. The condition or security of the Artwork cannot be reasonably guaranteed;
2. The Artwork requires excessive maintenance or has faults of design, materials or workmanship, and repair or
remedy is impractical or unfeasible;
3. The Artwork has been damaged or has deteriorated, and repair or remedy is impractical or unfeasible;
4. The Artwork's physical or structural condition poses a threat to public safety;
5. The Artwork is proved to be inauthentic or in violation of existing copyright laws;
6. The Artwork is not, or is only rarely, on display because the City lacks a location for its display;
7. The Artwork has exceeded its expected lifespan;
8. No suitable site is available for relocation or exhibition, or significant changes in the use, character, or design of the
site have occurred which affect the integrity of the Artwork;
9. Changes to the site have significantly limited or prevented the public's access to the Artwork;
10. The site where the work is located is undergoing privatization;
11. Deaccession is requested by the Artist;
12. If there are more than six works (excluding editions of prints) by the same artist in the portable collection, or more
than three permanently installed works on public display in the City or in Private Development, PAP staff may
recommend to PAC that the City retain only a representative selection of that artist's work.
13. If the Artwork has been lost, stolen, or is missing, the PAC may approve formally deaccessioning it from the
collection while retaining a record in the collection database showing that the work has been deaccessioned.
Artwork may be reviewed for deaccession at any time at the initiative of PAP staff or PAC members. Review also may be
initiated by the Artist regarding the Artwork she/he created, by that Artist's designated heir(s), or by legally recognized
representative(s).
Page 2 of 5
POLICY AND PROCEDURES 1-59/CSD
February 2017
PROCEDURES
Deaccession shall begin with a formal Deaccession Request which can be initiated by the PAC, by PAP staff, the Artist,
the Artist's designated heirs or legally -appointed representative. The Deaccession Request shall be submitted to PAP
staff and shall describe the applicable condition(s) outlined in the Guidelines above, and the reasons why the
deaccession review should be undertaken. A Deaccession Request must also contain information about the requestor's
relationship to the Artwork and stake in deaccessioning the Artwork.
Deaccession Requests shall be reviewed by PAP staff, who shall make every reasonable effort to contact the Artist who
created the Artwork named in the Deaccession Request, and any other known parties with a vested interest in the
artwork, and shall comply with any applicable state or federal notice requirements. When Artworks are proposed for
deaccession, staff shall place the matter on the PAC agenda for an initial review of the reasons deaccessioning is being
considered and to gather comments on the deaccession proposal. At a subsequent PAC meeting, staff shall then present
a deaccession recommendation to the PAC.
In presenting the Deaccession Request, PAP staff will provide all available relevant corresponding materials to the PAC,
including, but not limited to:
1. Artist's name, biographical information, samples of past artwork, and resume.
2. A written description and images of the Artwork.
3. Artist's statement about the Artwork named in the Deaccession Request.
4. A description of the selection/acquisition process and related costs that was implemented at the time the Artwork
was selected.
5. If available, a formal appraisal of the Artwork provided by a qualified art appraiser.
6. Information about the origin, derivation, history, and past ownership of the Artwork.
7. A warranty of originality of the Artwork.
8. Information about the condition of the Artwork and the estimated cost of its conservation provided by a qualified
visual arts conservator.
9. Information about and images of the Artwork's site.
10. For permanently -sited Artwork: information about how community feedback about the Artwork was collected and
the outcome of that feedback.
11. Feedback from the Director of the City department responsible for operating and maintaining the Artwork site.
12. A detailed budget for all aspects of conservation, maintenance, repair, installation, operation, insurance, storage,
and City staff support.
13. The Artist's contract with Donor or comparable legally binding document with Proof of Title.
14. Deed of gift restrictions, if any.
The PAC shall approve, with or without conditions, or reject the Deaccession Request based on the Deaccession Criteria
described in this policy.
DEACCESSION CRITERIA
In addition to the condition and security of the Artwork as stated above, the review criteria for Deaccession Requests
include, but are not limited to:
1. ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE: Qualifications and professional reputation of the Artist; craftsmanship, conceptual content,
style, form.
2. VALUE OF ARTWORK as determined by a professional appraiser, if available.
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POLICY AND PROCEDURES 1-59/CSD
February 2017
3. RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING COLLECTION OF ARTWORK: Style, form, scale, diversity, quantity, quality, longevity, and
compatibility with the existing collection of Artwork and goals of the Public Art Program.
4. AVAILABILITY OF CITY SUPPORT: The availability of necessary funding for conservation, maintenance, and/or repair;
exhibition and storage space; real property for siting Artwork; and staff support.
5. RELATIONSHIP TO SITE: Accessibility, public safety, and social, cultural, historical, ecological, physical, and functional
context of the Artwork in relation to the site, both existing and planned.
6. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: Issues related to liability, insurance, copyright, warranties, ownership, theft, vandalism,
loss, indemnification, and public safety. The City Attorney shall review the recommendation of the PAP staff and
PAC to determine whether there are any known legal restrictions that would prevent deaccessioning the object. The
City Attorney's approval must be obtained prior to deaccessioning an object.
7. TIMING: Safety or hazard emergencies, relevant construction schedules, and the allowance of sufficient time for a
normal review process.
8. ACQUISITION PROCESS: Method by which the Artwork was acquired and accessioned into the collection of artwork
(i.e. donation, loan, commission).
9. COMMUNITY FEEDBACK: Community feedback about the Artwork, its site, and its condition solicited via a publicly -
noticed meeting or placed on the agenda of the Public Art Commission.
10. RESTRICTIONS: Any recognized restrictions associated with the Artwork.
IMPLEMENTATION
The deaccessioned Artwork shall be removed from the collection of Artwork through methods administered by the PAP.
In all cases, the Artist or the Artist's designated heir(s), or legally recognized representative(s) shall be given, when
possible and within a reasonable time frame, the opportunity to purchase the Artwork for the fair market value (as
determined by a qualified art appraiser), or, if the Artwork is determined to be of negligible value, the Artist shall be
given the opportunity to claim the Artwork at the Artist's own cost.
When the Artist does not purchase or claim the deaccessioned Artwork, the City, at its discretion, may use any of the
following methods to remove the Artwork:
1. Sale. Proceeds from the sale shall be deposited into the Public Art CIP Budget. Written acknowledgement by Budget
to place revenues from the sale of deaccessioned Artwork into the Public Art CIP Budget, must be obtained. Public
notice regarding the sale shall be provided on the City website, at a publicly -noticed meeting and in any other
manner required by law.
a. The Artist/donor shall be given the right of first refusal to reacquire the work at fair market value, original price,
or nominal value, depending on the recommendation of the PAC. The cost of removal of the work may be
reflected in the amount set.
b. Sell the work through a dealer.
c. Sell the work through sealed bidding or public auction.
2. Trade or exchange of a deaccessioned Artwork for another by the same Artist.
3. Donation of deaccessioned Artwork to a non-profit organization, institution, or agency.
4. Destruction. This method is appropriate in the following instances:
a. The entire Artwork has been damaged or has deteriorated, and repair or remedy is impractical or unfeasible.
Page 4 of 5
POLICY AND PROCEDURES 1-59/CSD
February 2017
b. Most of the Artwork has been damaged or has deteriorated, and repair or remedy is impractical or unfeasible,
and any remaining intact parts of the Artwork are deemed to have negligible value, and the Artist is not willing
to claim the remaining parts at the Artist's own cost.
c. Public safety considerations support destroying the Artwork.
d. Every effort to locate the Artist, kin, or donor has failed.
e. The City determines that no other method of implementation is feasible.
When possible, the method for removing the Artwork from the collection of Artwork shall be selected to ensure that the
highest reasonable price is received. Any profits received by the City through the sale, trade, or auction of a
deaccessioned Artwork shall be deposited into the Public Art CIP Budget administered by the PAP.
If a deaccessioned work is sold or exchanged, PAP staff will implement any legal requirements for compensating the
artist, including but not limited to the California Resale Royalties Act.
PAP staff shall remove acquisition numbers and labels from the Artwork and coordinate its physical removal from the
City's collection.
PAP staff shall report on the sale or exchange of Artwork at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the PAC, following
receipt of all funds or the completion of the sale, exchange, or donation.
PAP staff shall transmit a report informing City Council of the removal of the Artwork from the City's collection.
Staff shall maintain a Deaccession File that includes individual files on each deaccessioned Artwork. These files shall
include all documentation regarding the Artwork.
Artworks may not be sold, traded, or donated to current employees of the City of Palo Alto, their business partners, or
their immediate family members. Current elected officials, PAC members, their business partners, and their immediate
family members may not buy, receive or own any Artwork which has been deaccessioned from the collection of
Artwork.
Nothing in these guidelines shall limit the City's ability to take appropriate action to protect public health and safety in
the event of an emergency.
Recommended:
Approved:
Director Date
Z/r
P" City Manager Date
Page 5 of 5
Attachment B – Archived images of the Poetry Wall mural from 2010 (All images by Camera Club)
Palo Alto Public Art Survey III / ARG Conservation Services, Inc. / License #7995376
Camino del Medio
by Sharon Olsen
YEAR
----
LOCATION
Walgreens Building
2605 Middlefield Rd.
DIMENSIONS
239” l x 72” h
TREATMENT PRIORITY
Low
Palo Alto Public Art Survey III / ARG Conservation Services, Inc. / License #799537 7
DESCRIPTION
The mural Camino del Medio is part of a series of murals
on the Poetry Wall located on the east elevation of a
Walgreens building. The series of murals runs along the
entire side length of the Walgreens building and each
mural varies in condition. Each mural contains a line of
poetry. The murals have been painted using latex paint
with a semi-gloss or eggshell sheen. Paint was applied
using stencils, brushes, and paint rollers.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Mural
ʴOverall general soiling.
ʴWater staining and streaks throughout.
ʴDiscoloration resulting from exposure to UV light or
heating and cooling from direct sunlight.
ʴMinor scuff marks.
ʴBiogrowth at sill.
Site
ʴBuilding is occupied by Walgreens.
ʴHigh automobile and pedestrian traffic due to location
adjacent to driveway leading to parking lot.
ʴNearby building lights provide light to mural at night.
TREATMENT HISTORY
Records provided by the Palo Alto Art Program indicate
that the mural received a “traditional” and “conservative”
art touch-up in May of 2012. The art touch-up involved the
filling of impact related damages, followed by in-painting.
Also, colors were said to be “revived” with matching paint
and the application of an anti-graffiti coating.
ʴSusan E. Causey VP of Management Services email
concerning revival of mural (January 5, 2012).
ʴSigns Unlimited, Estimate for Touch-ups (March 14,
2012).
Detail of water staining and streaking.
Detail of water staining and scuff marks.
Palo Alto Public Art Survey III / ARG Conservation Services, Inc. / License #7995378
TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
ʴOverall dry cleaning with vulcanized rubber sponges and
conservation erasers.
ʴBy trained conservator: selective wet cleaning of areas
with heavy soiling using melamine sponges, conservation-
grade detergents, and solvents.
ʴIn-paint areas with missing finish that have eroded and
abraded away.
ʴApply UV-light-resistant and anti-graffiti coatings.
TREATMENT COST ESTIMATE
Labor (three conservators x 24 hrs x $125/hr) ..........$9,000
Materials ..............................................................................$1000
Total ......................................................................................$10,000
*Does not include administrative, insurance, and
transportation costs.
MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATIONS
ʴMonitor conditions for paint loss or damage.
ʴDry clean using soft cloths or vulcanized rubber sponges.
LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS
ʴAn assessment of the structure and wall should be
performed every 3 to 5 years to evaluate the existing
condition of the stucco wall, building roof, and drainage
system.
ʴAn application of protective UV-light-resistant and anti-
graffiti coatings should be performed every 2 to 3 years.
Detail of abrasion marks.
Detail of biogrowth at sill.
Palo Alto Public Art Survey III / ARG Conservation Services, Inc. / License #799537 9
OVERALL LIFESPAN
Overall lifespan is dependent on treatment and adherence
to maintenance recommendations.
RELOCATION PLANS
No known plans for relocation. Relocation is not advised.
Overall view of mural.
Detail of water staining and streaking.
Condition Report and Treatment Proposal
Date: October 12, 2021 (revised Oct 22, 2021)
Client: City of Palo Alto, attn. Nadya Chuprina
Object: Poetry Wall , by Ron LeBlanc, Sharon Olson, Elizabeth Mittmann, Amelia Saliba Long, Janice
Dabney, and Liz Cowic. Latex on stucco, 2003-2012.
Location: 2605 Middle eld Rd., Palo Alto
Executive Summary:
e Poetry Wall murals were examined on October 12, 2021. In summary, they range in condition from good to poor, with
conditional issues being mainly caused by two factors: ultraviolet light exposure and water damage. e latex paint and
coating act as a polymer “ lm” which prevents the evaporation of water in the wall, causing blistering, tension cracking, and
paint loss. Images of the murals from 2017, 2019, and 2020 (provided by Google Street View) show that the damage has
worsened signi cantly in just a few years. An extensive conservation treatment would be re uired to stabilize and restore the
murals, however, treatment cannot prevent future cracking, blistering, and paint loss in new areas, and issues are likely to be
ongoing. It is recommended to address the problem of water ingress in the wall before conservation treatment is carried out,
otherwise it is likely that the murals will need maintenance every few years in order to repair new areas of damage.
In addition, the high degree of UV exposure has caused signi cant and uneven fading of the paint, as well as blanching and
discoloration of the paint and coating. is is a permanent change.
Preservation-Arts.com 510.808.7894 info@preservation-arts.com 743 47th Street #102, Oakland, CA 94609
Condition Report : Poetry Wall Murals
Description and Materials:
e artwork is a series of six text art murals, each consisting of a short poem stenciled onto a di erent background. ey are
located on an south-facing exterior wall located at 2605 Middle eld Road in Palo Alto and each mural is approximately 6 x
20 . e murals were originally painted in 2003, but underwent repairs and were completely repainted in 2012 by Signs
Unlimited. e substrate is stucco, onto which has been applied several layers of latex paint. e original beige color of the
wall is visible in areas of loss, followed by the original paint layers, then the 2012 paint layers, then nally an overall surface
coating of unknown type.
Condition Report:
Mural 1: “A Tree Calls Out”, by Ron LeBlanc
○ e mural is in good overall condition.
○ ere is at least one ne surface crack present, which is stable and in plane.
○ ere are two long black scu marks present at either side of the mural.
○ ere are bird droppings which run down the lower center portion of the mural.
○ ere is dirt and dust overall.
Mural 2: “Camino del Medio”, by Sharon Olson
○ e mural is in fair overall condition, but with signi cant cosmetic concerns.
○ ere is a surface crack which runs down the center of the mural. It appears to be stable and in plane.
○ ere is extensive blanching and fading of the paint lm from UV damage, leaving it highly uneven. e blanching is
unlikely to be improved by re-varnishing.
○ ere are accretions at the lower le side and drip marks along the top of the mural.
○ ere is dirt and dust overall.
Mural 3: “Being Six in my Neighborhood”, by Elizabeth Mittmann
○ e mural is in fair overall condition, with some water damage.
○ ere are numerous long, ne surface cracks overall, which appear stable.
○ ere is an abrasion and loss to the paint at the center right sight edge, along with scu marks.
○ ere is blistering of the paint lm along with tension cracking and paint loss in the bottom le corner.
○ ere are a few small paint losses and abrasions in the bottom le corner.
○ ere is dirt and dust overall.
“ ankful”, by Amelia Saliba Long
○ e mural is in fair overall condition, but with signi cant cosmetic concerns.
○ ere are numerous surface cracks present, most of which are stable. Two of the cracks in the central area of the
mural have associated areas of li ing paint.
○ ere is signi cant bluish discoloration of the lower part of the mural. e discoloration appears to have been caused
by a failure of the surface coating.
○ ere are several large brownish food accretions at the lower right side of the mural.
○ ere is dirt and dust overall.
“First Bike”, by Janice Dabney
○ e mural is in poor overall condition.
○ ere are several ne surface cracks in the mural, which appear stable.
○ ere are numerous large areas of loss to the upper layer of paint, revealing the original mural surface, which is dry
and chalky in appearance. e edges of these paint losses are li ing and unstable, risking future paint loss.
Preservation-Arts.com Page 2 of 13
Condition Report : Poetry Wall Murals
○ ere are two areas of blistering in the paint lm. e delamination in this mural appears to be between the old and
new layers of paint.
○ ere are several large areas where the paint or varnish has blanched.
○ ere is dirt and dust overall.
“Tending the Same Garden”, by Liz Cowic
○ e mural is in poor overall condition.
○ ere are several surface cracks in the mural, which are generally stable. Two of the smaller cracks have associated
blistering paint and paint loss.
○ ere is extensive blistering of the paint lm. e delamination in this mural appears to be between all three layers of
paint (the original painted wall, the original mural, and the repainted mural).
○ ere are several large losses to the paint.
○ ere are several large areas where the coating has blanched or discolored to a pale yellow color.
○ ere is dirt and dust overall.
Treatment Proposal
If there is water ingress in the wall, it is likely that blistering, cracking, and loss to the paint will be a recurring issue. Latex
paints also so en at high temperatures, and heat from the sun may exacerbate the blistering. Furthermore, ne surface cracks
that are currently stable may allow water to permeate the stucco support, and are expected to become worse over time.
A new UV-protective coating is recommended in order to protect new inpainting. It would inhibit fading and deterioration
of the paint and existing coating, but is unlikely to saturate out the already faded areas of the mural. e faded areas (such as
on “Camino del Medio” are so extensive that they would likely have to be fully repainted. Localized retouching/toning would
likely not achieve a good visual result. Only toning of the most severely discolored areas is recommended.
Stabilization, Cleaning, and Visual Integration
○ Consolidation of unstable surface cracks, blisters, and aking paint using a stable, conservation-grade media, applied
by brush or injected via syringe.
○ Overall surface cleaning to remove heavy dirt and food-based accretions
○ Solvent removal of ta ing and scu marks, if necessary
○ Inpainting of losses and re-stenciling of missing letters using a stable, conservation-grade media
○ Toning of severely discolored pale blue areas on “ ankful” mural
○ Overall application of UV-protective varnish (such as Golden MSA with UVLS)
Labor (including transportation): 83-90 hours x $145/hr = $12,035 - $13,050
Materials: $600
Transportation $
Total: $12,635 - $13,650
Preservation-Arts.com Page 3 of 13
Condition Report : Poetry Wall Murals
Photographs:
Mural 1 Overall
Crack Li ing/Tenting/Cupping Blistering/Blind Cleavage
Paint Loss Grime/Accretion Discoloration/Blanching
Schematic of Mural 1 Showing Damages
Preservation-Arts.com Page 4 of 13
Condition Report : Poetry Wall Murals
Mural 2 Overall
Crack Li ing/Tenting/Cupping Blistering/Blind Cleavage
Paint Loss Grime/Accretion Discoloration/Blanching
Schematic of Mural 2 Showing Damages
Preservation-Arts.com Page 5 of 13
Condition Report : Poetry Wall Murals
Mural 3 Overall
Crack Li ing/Tenting/Cupping Blistering/Blind Cleavage
Paint Loss Grime/Accretion Discoloration/Blanching
Schematic of Mural 3 Showing Damages
Preservation-Arts.com Page 6 of 13
Condition Report : Poetry Wall Murals
Mural 4 Overall
Crack Li ing/Tenting/Cupping Blistering/Blind Cleavage
Paint Loss Grime/Accretion Discoloration/Blanching
Schematic of Mural 4 Showing Damages
Preservation-Arts.com Page 7 of 13
Condition Report : Poetry Wall Murals
Mural 5 Overall
Crack Li ing/Tenting/Cupping Blistering/Blind Cleavage
Paint Loss Grime/Accretion Discoloration/Blanching
Schematic of Mural 5 Showing Damages
Preservation-Arts.com Page 8 of 13
Condition Report : Poetry Wall Murals
Mural 6 Overall
Crack Li ing/Tenting/Cupping Blistering/Blind Cleavage
Paint Loss Grime/Accretion Discoloration/Blanching
Schematic of Mural 6 Showing Damages
Preservation-Arts.com Page 9 of 13
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