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HomeMy WebLinkAbout 03-02-2006 Public Art Advisory Committee Agenda Public Art Advisory Committee Thursday, March 2, 2006 3:30PM Lobby Conference Room A. Call to order B. Public discussion of any item not on the agenda C. Consideration of the minutes of the February 2, 2006 meeting D. Discussion of Council request for public art tour during Arts Fest E. Discussion of submittals for Sculptors' showcases. F. Update on Poetry in Public G. Committee time/Other business H. Adjournment MINUTES IOWA CITY PUBLIC ART ADVISORY COMMITTEE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2,2006,3:30 P.M. LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL PRELIMINARY Members Present: Emily Carter-Walsh, Charles Felling, Rick Fosse, Mark Seabold, Terry Trueblood, DeLayne Williamson Members Absent: Emily Martin Staff Present: Karin Franklin, Marcia Klingaman Others Present: John Coyne, Joan Walker Call to Order Seabold called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 6-0, the committee recommended John Coyne's proposal for the Wetherby Park Project. By a vote of 6-0, the committee accepted the Melrose Neighborhood Art project proposal. Public discussion of anv item not on the aaenda There was no discussion. Consideration of the Minutes of the Januarv 5. 2006 Meetina Minutes Felling asked whether the meaning of the term "schedule 80" in reference to the pipe strength should be explained. Franklin suggested adding a parenthetical statement to explain it in more detail after the first sentence where it is referenced. MOTION: Trueblood moved to accept the minutes as amended. Fosse seconded. The motion passed on a vote of 6-0. Neiahborhood Art Proiects Wetherby Friends and Neighbors - recommendation to Council Klingaman introduced John Coyne, who was attending to present his proposal to the committee. She reported the neighborhood association put out a call for the project and received three proposals. The association members met twice to discuss the proposals, then met with Coyne. They decided to proceed with his project. The proposal has also already been discussed with Trueblood and Terry Robinson regarding the implementation logistics. Coyne said the first page of the proposal details the practical aspects of the proposal. The weathervane shown on page two is a silhouette of Wetherby the photographer documenting the parkland. It is a functional weathervane. Klingaman added that the neighborhood association asked for proposals that included a weathervane that referenced the historical aspects of the neighborhood, while the railing reflected the diversity of the neighborhood. Franklin asked how tall the weathervane would be, whether there had been discussion about making it taller. Coyne said yes; Klingaman, Trueblood, Robinson, and he visited the park with foamboard cutouts of the silhouette in both 24-inch and 36-inch sizes. Coyne went to the top of the shelter and held up both sizes, and the group decided the 36-inch figure was more visible while not overshadowing the cupola. Franklin asked if the lengths of the directional arrows would also change. Coyne said he does not plan to change them, but may decide differently when modeling the piece. Franklin said she is mainly concerned with whether the silhouette is large and visible enough. Coyne said the railings would be welded steel, and the current wooden supports on the shelter would be removed and also replaced with steel. The rails would be welded and bolted to the supports. Fosse pointed out that since the floor of the shelter is less than 30 inches above grade, the building code requirement for the four-inch spacing might be more lenient. Franklin said there is also concern about children putting their heads through the posts and hurting themselves. Fosse said that is mainly a concern if the drop off is higher. He recommended Coyne investigate it to make sure. Fosse added an advantage to the current design is that there might be prefabricated steel posts available. Seabold said 42 inches is a guardrail height. However, the railing could be as high or low as needed in the design, as long as the Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes February 2, 2006 Page 2 platform is less than 30 inches above the grade. Coyne asked for confirmation that Seabold said the 42-inch height for the railing is flexible. Seabold said yes. Fosse noted that if Coyne is satisfied with the look of the prefabricated steel posts at the standard sizes, going that route might be the lowest in cost. He said he is pretty sure prefabricated railings are available. Carter-Walsh asked if the rail posts would be cut out around the globes, or if they would go through them. Coyne said the rails would continue through the pieces. The cast aluminum pieces would have bolts counter sunk into them, and the backs of the rails would have brackets to hold the two together with bolts. Carter-Walsh asked for confirmation that the globes are designed to be viewed from outside the shelter. Coyne said yes. Coyne said he thinks the globes should match the height of the weathervane, so they would be close to three feet in diameter. Franklin noted that a 42-inch height on the railing might then be necessary to accommodate them. Coyne said also that the globes would have green and blue patination, reflecting land and sea. The railings would be painted to match, and the upright supports might also be painted. The surfaces of the globes would be clear-coated to protect against graffiti. He said a newer coating has become more widely available that allows paint and other materials to be removed using a citrus-based solvent, without also removing the coating. That coating is advertised as lasting 20 years. Coyne added that the drawing he provided did not explicitly show the railings on the back of the shelter. The rails there will be longer, and therefore would need support added to their bottoms. All of the rails would be bolted to L-brackets that had been welded to the upright supports. With this construction, individuals would need to employ heavy equipment to damage or dismantle the railings. . Coyne said the weathervane would be cast aluminum treated to have an antique look. The figure would be mounted on an encased bearings spool to help it spin easily, as well as hold up to weather and wear and tear. Felling asked for clarification on the attachment of the weathervane. Coyne said it would be bolted; everything in the piece would be mechanically attached. Franklin asked if this project could be done within budget, $15K. Carter-Walsh asked if aluminum is less expensive than bronze. Coyne said not necessarily, but it is easier to cast and lighter in weight. He added that the plans for the rails are not fancy, but he sees them simply as a showcase for the globes. He said he has spoken to Hawkeye Weld about the project, assuming the railings would need to be fabricated. Their estimate was reasonable, and using fabricated rails should reduce the cost. Fosse suggested contacting D&N Fence and other similar companies about railings, and to make sure to specify commercial grade, rather than backyard grade. Klingaman said a recommendation is needed at this point to approve the project. MOTION: Carter-Walsh moved to recommend John Coyne's proposal for the Wetherby Park Project to the City Council. Felling seconded, and the motion passed on a vote of 6-0. Klingaman said she is in discussion with Hani Elkadi about painting the ceiling of the shelter, and she would update the committee as that progressed. He believes donations can be raised to cover the costs related to the project. It probably will not be painted in its entirety. The lower area is divided into two sections that would be painted in one style, and the higher section would be painted in a sky and cloud motif. Carter-Walsh asked if he would be doing the painting. Klingaman said no, he plans to have students do it. John Coyne left at this point, 3:55 p.m. Melrose Neighborhood Association Walker said she was there just to give the committee an update on the progress of the Melrose project. The project was approved a year before by the Neighborhood Association, and while much work had been done with the plans, not as much progress had been made as she had originally hoped. Walker distributed a detailed report to the committee members, outlining the progress made to this point. In February 2005 the neighborhood association decided to proceed with historical markers similar to the ones created for the Longfellow neighborhood. The markers would be created by the same artist, Will Thompson, and were originally quoted at $935 each, installed. Walker said in August 2005, the association voted to adopt a design from a window at the Melrose Abbey in Scotland as a symbol for the neighborhood. This.symbol would be put on all the markers under the top arch, resulting in a small price Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes February 2, 2006 Page 3 increase for fabricating the design. The increased price is currently unknown. It would be an addition to the overall price of the project, and might increase the price of the markers themselves. Walker said the plan was originally to place the markers near Melrose Avenue in the brick between the sidewalk and the street. However, city engineer Ron Knoche expressed concern with that placement being too close to the street. Since then, additional signage has been put up to direct traffic flow along the street, so placing the markers in the brick area would be cluttered. Instead, the plan is now to place the markers on the other side of the sidewalk closer to the properties. She received a map from Ron Knoche showing the rights-of-way and utilities in the neighborhood. The map will be used to determine the locations of the markers, which have not been decided yet. Walker said a tentative list of topics for the text on the markers has been created, and questions about the markers' durability were raised at a neighborhood association meeting in August 2005. Ron Knoche was consulted, and he said the markers would not need a breakaway at their bases since they will be placed farther away from the street, which would increase their durability. After some discussion with involved parties, it was decided the markers should be durable enough to withstand vandalism, and the decision was made to continue forward with the project. The next steps are to write up and edit the text for the signs, determine the number of markers needed, decide on their locations, and get permission to place them there. Walker noted these steps will all take a long time. Franklin asked if the committee would like to endorse the project as currently proposed. That way when the numbers are set, city staff could proceed with the contract and take it to council, provided it stayed within budget. The plans would go forward without having to meet again for future approval. Carter-Walsh said the committee did not have to approve the sign content for the Longfellow project. Felling said the subjects for the Longfellow signs were determined by their locations. Carter-Walsh asked how many markers Longfellow had. Klingaman said there are seven signs for Longfellow, six of which are double sided. Walker said the plan is for the markers to be double-sided with different information on each side. Seabold said that as long as the project is within budget, he is fine with allowing it to move forward. MOTION: Fosse moved to accept the Melrose project as proposed. Felling seconded, and the motion passed on a vote of 6-0. Walker thanked the committee and left at that point, 4: 15 p.m. Update on Sculptors Showcases Klingaman reported that the call for proposals for the down town showcase went out, but no responses were received by the deadline date. She plans to make some calls to make sure artists received the call, encourage participation, and she might expand promotion. Franklin added that the same people received it as in the past two years, which might be a factor. Klingaman said pushing the call and submission dates back would make things tight for a June installation in time for Arts Festival. She asked that if any committee members have information on new or upcoming sculptors, to please pass that information to her. She hopes to have some submissions for the March meeting. Klingaman said the call for the peninsula park showcase project has not proceeded as quickly as planned. She hopes to stagger installation dates for the two showcases, so the peninsula might be installed in July or August. That might also encourage student participation, since they would have the summer months to work on it. She added that the pad has been poured, and hopes to have more news at the next meeting. Committee time/Other business Franklin distributed copies of a report listing all Public Art projects and their costs, and a proposal submitted by a member of council to reallocate half of the Public Art budget to Summer of the Arts (SOTA). The proposal also called for two percent of the Public Art budget to be reserved for maintenance, restoration, and other similar costs, as well as for a tour map of the pieces be developed. She noted the committee had already expressed interest in the map idea. Franklin said the only information she had was that the proposal was distributed to the council, and that the council would be discussing budget at a meeting that evening. Also, a public hearing to discuss the budget is scheduled for February 28. She said the public hearing might be a forum for members of the committee to comment on the proposal, if it gains support in the council. Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes February 2, 2006 Page 4 Carter-Walsh asked for clarification on point number one of the proposal. Franklin said SOTA requested an increase in the city's funding to $50K for the next three years, with a reduction after that. The city currently contributes $18K to all summer arts activities that now exist under the SOT A umbrella. Seabold asked for clarification of what the SOT A activities are. Franklin said several entities recently joined together, including Arts Festival, Jazz Festival, Friday Night Concerts, and the outdoor movies. The effort to join the activities was done to economize on administration, marketing, and fundraising. Seabold asked for confirmation that the proposal intended to fund the extra money SOTA had requested. He suggested there might be an event or component that the committee can help with. Franklin noted the proposal was not made by SOTA, or at all generated by that organization. She added that the council has not committed any money to them yet. Seabold asked for confirmation that the Public Art committee routinely spends their whole available budget. Franklin said yes, that is reflected in the report she distributed. She said the council has not yet committed the money for all of the public art projects that are in process, but the committee has submitted them for approval. Seabold said it seems like the committee has good momentum, and the money is being spent for projects all over the city, rather than concentrating in certain areas. The program is benefiting the whole community. Franklin cautioned against an "us versus them" approach. She added that more would be known after the council meeting, whether or not the proposal gained any support. Carter-Walsh asked if Franklin could email the committee members to let them know the results of the budget discussion that evening. Seabold said he thought it would be worthwhile to have the committee present the progress and projects that have been accomplished recently, and their effects. Franklin said a collage of pictures of art pieces the city had acquired was included during a presentation of capital projects. At that time, the mayor suggested putting a similar collage of images of public art pieces on the home page of the city website. Trueblood said the numbers only reflect what the committee has been able to accomplish within their current budget. They do not show what the committee would like to do if more money was available. The proposal targets what is probably the smallest budget, which has already been cut in half. For example, consider the Iowa Avenue Literary Walk, which with the current budget would involve several years' worth of money. Franklin noted when the Literary Walk was proposed, the committee budget was $100K. Also, that project was proposed because it coincided with a major public works project. It was a matter of opportunity. Something of that scale would not happen now, or the project would have been much smaller. Franklin said she would send an email update on the outcome of the proposal at the council meeting. She suggested Seabold make a statement at the public hearing as well. Carter-Walsh volunteered to take pictures of art pieces, if needed, for the web page image collage. Klingaman said she does not have pictures of the Steel Garde. Seabold suggested taking pictures of the tiles in the new transportation center. Klingaman reported "Birds in Flight" has been changed slightly. Seabold said an engineer calculated that a schedule 80 pipe would not stand up in a wind storm, so it was changed to schedule 83. Carter-Walsh asked if 83 is larger, or if it would look similar. Seabold said yes, slightly larger, but not enough to affect the look of the piece. Klingaman said she asked the artist if the change was agreeable, and the artist said that would be fine. Franklin asked if the poles were going to be placed in concrete. Klingaman said yes. Franklin asked if there was concern with the water or the plantings along the way. Fosse said there is a plastic tile along the course that would need to be avoided. There is an as-built map of its location. Klingaman said the installation is scheduled for July 1. Klingaman said Mitchell, the sculptor of "Just for Kicks", visited the soccer park and chose a site for the sculpture that is agreeable to park staff. It would be placed at the southeast corner of the green by the parking lot, not in the median but in the greenway. Seabold said the thought was children could see it up close without having to run across the parking lot. Klingaman reported Poetry in Public submissions are due February 3. The program is gaining popularity, and there are a large number of submissions already. There has been an effort to encourage participation in the junior high and high schools, and more submissions are also coming from the general public. Trueblood said money is budgeted in the next two years for park shelter replacements. He suggested that the committee consider incorporating art into the new shelters. Klingaman said she would pass that information to some neighborhoods that have expressed interest in participating in art projects. Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes February 2, 2006 Page 5 Adiournment There being no further business to come before the committee, Fosse moved to adjourn. Carter-Walsh seconded and the meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m. ~ ~ :t: .. a a"C o ... u 8 c~ o~\C C"-lCJO .. = 0 > ~ M "C"C < = .... ~ ....... <.... 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