AGENDA #4o(a)
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission
SUBJECT: Recommended 2002-03 Public Art Plan
DATE: June 24, 2002
BACKGROUND
On March 4, 2002, the Town Council adopted an ordinance establishing a Percent for Art program for Town funded capital improvements projects. The percent for art program was established to help define the community’s identity and sense of place, promote social interaction and discourse, bring the arts into everyday life and memorialize the past while expressing shared values for the future. The ordinance states that the Council shall decide annually which capital budgets shall include 1% or another amount for public art, and on which sites the artwork should be located. The general policies of the program state that the Town Council shall meet at least annually to consider a Public Art Plan recommended by the Public Arts Commission.
PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATION
FOR THE 2002-03 PUBLIC ART PLAN
The Public Arts Commission recommends that the following Capital Improvements Projects be included in 2002-2003 Public Art Plan.
Location of project CIP Budget Art Budget
Hargraves/A.D.Clark: Capital Repairs $1,200,000* $10, 876
*Budget includes contingency of $101,487 and $10,876 for public art
(This will be a community-based art project that will be initiated with a dialogue between the community and the Public Arts Commission.)
2002 Streetscape Project $ 98,000 $ 9,890*
*Includes $8910 budgeted for benches plus $980 budgeted for public art
(The artist will be designing functional art benches for this project.)
IFC Shelter $ 340,000 $ 3,400
(The Commission recommends that an artwork be purchased or commissioned either for the interior or exterior of the building.)
2003 Streetscape Project
It is the Commission’s understanding that the options/budget for the Streetscape project for the summer of 2003 will be reviewed in the spring of 2003. We encourage the Mayor and the Town Council to consider art options at that time.
ATTACHMENT
1. Public Arts Commission Minutes, May 20, 2002 (p. 3).
ATTACHMENT 1
CHAPEL HILL PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION (CHPAC)
Summary of the Artist Selection Committee (ASC) Meeting
Present: Renee Piechocki, Chair; Barbara Barnes, Curtis Brooks, Emily Cameron, Missy Julian, Susan Leeb, Janet Kagan, Dan Metz, Dorothy Verkerk, Lyde Zavaleta, Sonna Loewenthal, Karen Slotta (CHPAC staff)
I. Call to Order
Piechocki called the meeting to order at 3:10pm.
II. Introductions
Piechocki asked that everyone introduce themselves and indicate whether they are a community, business, town, art professional or Public Arts Commission representative
III. Percent for Art procedures
Piechocki explained that 1% of the Streetscape project was designated for art. After walking the site with Curtis Brooks and Emily Cameron (Public Works Department), the Public Arts Commission’s Streetscape committee decided that functional “art benches” would be the best element to turn into an art project. The art budget will be enhanced by using construction credits.
Artists were invited to apply for this project. The Public Arts Commission gathered a list of fifteen artists to contact. Because of time constraints a open “call for artists” was not feasible. Five artists replied to the invitation.
IV. Streetscape Project
Curtis Brooks went over the construction plans for Streetscape. The Streetscape improvements for 2002 include the south side of the 100 block of East Franklin Street from The Gap (108) to Porthole Alley. Construction will begin in the third week of May and will continue until mid-August. The site furnishings (benches, bike racks, trash receptacles, newspaper racks, and a kiosk) will be installed at the end of the construction period. The “art benches” can be installed after the project has been completed.
IV. Voting Procedure
Piechocki explained that the committee would be reviewing five artists’ slides. She also has information on each artists which she will read as the slide are presented. She reminded everyone that they are not shopping for an artist or a particular art object. Instead they should be looking at the artists approach to creating artworks for the public.
IV. Review of artists’ applications/slides and selection of finalists
After reviewing the artists’ slides and qualifications and after a good discussion, three artists were chosen as finalists. Sarah Craig, Arlene Slavin and Al Frega were selected to be interviewed for the Streetscape project in early June.
V. Next meeting
The Committee decided to hold the interview meeting on either June 3 or June 6, 2002. Slotta will contact the artists and inform the committee members when the next meeting will be held.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Slotta, CHPAC staff