ATTACHMENT 2

MEMORANDUM

TO:	Dick Robinson Chair, Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission
FROM:	Elizabeth Hollers Welsby Chair, Chapel Hill Public Housing Program Advisory Board (PHPAB)
RE:	Chapel Hill Public Art Contextual Plan
DATE:	January 19, 2007

Thank you and Kate Flory for the informative briefing of the Public Art Contextual Plan to the PHPAB.  The potential benefits to the town’s Public Housing properties and tenants are numerous, and our advisory board would like to offer its support for the plan.  As you are aware, the federally funded public housing program has faced numerous budget cuts in the previous years.  There are no resources available to incorporate public art or design into our centrally located and visible existing properties or those being renovated. Our board feels public art and designed public spaces could improve the lives of our tenants by reshaping their contextual vision of their homes and altering the way public space is utilized in a more dynamic and community focused fashion. We believe public art in the housing developments could positively alter the tenants’ relationship with their environment as well as the town’s association with public housing.

In particular, we support the Public Art Contextual Plan for its ability to:

• fund administrative costs to follow projects through to completion;
• fund town public art projects;
• incorporate public art into the policies and procedures of Town Boards and Departments.

In addition, our discussion lead us to several other suggestions of how the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission (CHPAC) and the PHPAB could work together to include public art into the Housing Program communities.  These suggestions include:

• Sculpture Visions – We would like to see the Public Housing Program’s developments as potential sites for an installation;
• Artists in Residence – We believe an artist in residence in the Public Housing Program could help with many aspects that are neglected because of expense in the design aspect of our renovations and improvements of housing properties.

Thank you again for your informative briefing and we look forward to working with you on projects in the future.

cc:                    Members of Town Council
The Town Manager
Tina Vaughn, Director Public Housing Program
Members, Public Housing Program Advisory Board
Members, Public Arts Commission