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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPAAC Packet 02-01-18Public Art Advisory Committee Thursday, February 1, 2018 3:30 PM Lobby Conference Room 410 E Washington St AGENDA Call to order Introduction of new committee member Steve Miller Public discussion of any item not on the agenda Consideration of minutes of the January 4, 2018 meeting Snelson Sculpture – Relocation Discussion Joyce Summerwill and Linda Paul will attend the meeting to discuss their interest in relocation and reconfiguration of the Kenneth Snelson sculpture “Four Module Piece – Form 2” currently located in Terrill Mill Park north of the entrance into the UI Beckwith Boat entrance off of Dubuque Street. See attached map and photographs. Chadek Green Placemaking Art Project The committee allocated $6000 in FY18 Public Art funds for the installation of an entrance/placemaking project at the community garden location at Chadek Green Park – 1920 Friendship. Discuss components of the Call to Artists including vision, time schedule, etc. is scheduled. Farmer’s Market Art Project at Chauncey Swan Juli Seydell Johnson will discuss the funding that has been set aside for art to be installed in the area of the farmer’s market of Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp. City Hall Lobby Art Project Update Committee announcements or Committee reports Staff reports Adjournment If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this program/event, please contact Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood and Development Services at 319-356-5237 or marcia-bollinger@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. MINUTES PUBLIC ART ADVISORY COMMITTEE JANURARY 4TH, 2018 – 3:30 PM LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM – CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Ron Knoche, Erin Fitzgerald, Vero Rose Smith, Wendy Brown, Chad Dyson (for Juli Seydell Johnson) NOT PRESENT: Tam Bodkin Bryk STAFF PRESENT: Marcia Bollinger, Aubrey Nekvinda PUBLIC PRESENT: ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2018 Brown nominated Erin Fitzgerald for PAAC 2018 Chairperson. Knoche seconded. Motion passed 5-0. Brown nominated Bodkin Bryk for Vice Chairperson. Fitzgerald seconded. Motion passed 5-0. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was no public discussion of items not on the agenda. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES OF THE November 2nd, 2017 MEETING Knoche moved to approve the November 2nd minutes. Dyson seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. CITY HALL LOBBY STAIRWELL ART PROJECT The committee reviewed the criteria for the City Hall Lobby Stairwell art project. Bollinger reminded the committee that the criteria was to incorporate a connection between the piece and Iowa and/or Iowa City. Bollinger stated that there is an option for the committee to work with the artist if there are some elements of the artwork that the committee would like to see changed. Bollinger also stated that the schedule allows for the artist to come back and show any adjustments to the plan, she believed later in the month of January. Dyson (standing in for PAAC member Juli Seydell Johnson) asked if there was any other criteria he should be aware of during the deliberation. Bollinger stated that the call to artist suggested that the artist keep in mind the clean and simple lines and the structural integrity of the lobby. Bollinger stated that there was also mention of carrying over the designs to other areas of City Hall. Tim Adams Artist Tim Adam’s presented his design to the committee. Adam’s brought a mock-up of his design. For Adam’s proposal, he decided to expand and focus on the Iowa Writers Workshop. Adam’s said Iowa City is unique in its writing and mindfulness. Adam’s noted the lack of color in the City Hall lobby and stated that his vision for this project was to create an assemblage of elements that refer to the typewriter. The typewriter is the central core of this proposed project. Adam’s stated that his work is meant to communicate the three components of everyone’s life that no one thinks about. The materials that Adam’s proposed he would use he has used for PRELIMINARY several other projects. Adam’s will use the edge of a material called ‘Lexan’ to add color to his design. He will use black steel and copper for the other elements of his piece. Adam’s stated that this work will be set off the wall one to two inches. Adam’s stated that the materials he is proposing will be easy to clean and fasten to the wall. Fitzgerald asked how a passer-by would make the connection to Iowa Writers Workshop and Iowa by looking at Adam’s piece. Adam’s stated that the Iowa Writer’s Workshop is unique to Iowa City and is not well known outside of Iowa City, but is famous in Iowa City. Similarly, Adam’s said he hoped that those who knew about the meaning behind his design would tell passerby’s in City Hall. Fitzgerald asked Adam’s if he was using bright colors to emphasize the meaning of his piece. Adam’s stated that he used bright colors because of the lack of color in the lobby and stated that because the artwork would be visible only from a certain area of the lobby, he did not think it would not be too much to add bright color to his piece. Adam’s stated his plan for installing this piece was to come in over the weekend, starting on a Friday and have it installed by Monday. Fitzgerald asked Adam’s if he would be willing to soften the color scheme of his proposed piece. Adam’s stated that yes, he would be flexible about modifying the piece. Isabel Barbuzza Artist Isabel Barbuzza presented her proposal to the committee. The title of her proposed work is “Textual Stories.” Barbuzza stated that her proposal deals with a lot of text and maps. Barbuzza researched this project by looking at the Iowa City City Hall website, watching the Iowa City ‘Know Your Neighborhoods’ videos, and reading the letter written by the University of Iowa so that Iowa City could become a City of Literature. Barbuzza stated that although it was not her original intention, her research culminated into her creating a map. Barbuzza said she wanted to utilize the lines found in maps to compliment the lines found in the City Hall lobby. The materials Barbuzza proposed she will use are acrylic and plexiglass. Barbuzza cut out pieces of maps and intends to use the colorful plexiglass, cut into circles, to emphasize and bring out the colors in the maps. Barbuzza stated that she is interested in the idea of the biblical concept of the tower of Babylon. Barbuzza stated that she used language from the Iowa City’s website regarding immigration and translated it into multiple languages which she propsed she would layer onto the piece on top of the maps. Barbuzza is also interested in the Iowa Women’s Archive. Barbuzza stated that she would be interested in using images from their digital collections online. Barbuzza also wanted to incorporate drawings from young people in the community, she used a drawing done by her grandson as an example. Rose Smith asked how long the materials Barbuzza is proposing she will use will last in sunlight. Barbuzza stated that the material she would use is made by Three M, and their materials are used by architects and are known to be long-lasting. Brown asked what material the map itself would be made of. Barbuzza said she would use a clear epoxy to cover the paper on the maps and which would help the paper material last longer. Barbuzza stated she would draw the lines in her piece using either tape or paint. Fitzgerald asked if Barbuzza would be willing to edit out portions of her proposal if the committee asked her to. Barbuzza stated that yes, she would be willing to edit portions of the piece out and understood that that was part of working in public art. Vaco Dargania Artist Vaco Dargania presented his proposal to the committee. Dargania began by telling the committee about his background and upbringing in the Republic of Georgia. Dargania said he was exposed to a lot of culture and people from all walks of life while living there. Dargania’s family came to Iowa City in 2001, and he has lived here since. Dargania said he was struck by the number of other immigrants he met while living in Iowa City. Dargania said he is set to graduate from the University of Iowa’s graduate program in May. Dargania has exhibited his work both locally and internationally. For this project, Dargania said he was inspired by the concept of weaving. Dargania said that he believes that weaving represents the combining of different cultures. To Dargania, each strand of his original design represents the different people that make up the Iowa City community. The is proposing to use colored acrylic, and he stated that he would layer colors to create new shades. Dargania presented his new idea, which differed from the original concept he sent to the committee. Dargania’s original design layered long, thin pieces of colored acrylic into a weaved pattern, his new design used the same concept, but with overlapping spheres. The spheres, Dargania said, represent the same concepts of diversity and culture as the weaving in the original design did. Dargania said he changed his design after visiting City Hall and noting the circular light fixtures in the lobby. The spheres in Dargania’s design are meant to compliment the circular light fixtures in the City Hall lobby. Dargania said there would be three different sizes of spheres used in his piece. Dargania stated that he gravitated towards more warm colors for this proposal in order to engage those who would walk by his piece. Fitzgerald asked how Dargania intended to fix this piece to the wall. Dargania stated that he would have each portion attached to the wall individually, slightly offset from the wall. Fitzgerald asked Dargania if he would be will ing to use his original piece over his new design. Dargania stated that he would be willing to use either design, but that the new design he created specifically for the interior of the City Hall lobby. After the artist’s proposals, the committee deliberated in order to select a finalist between the three project artist’s proposals. Dyson stated that, regarding the connection to Iowa City, he preferred Barbuzza’s proposal. Knoche stated that her design reminded him of the maps that had previously been hung in City Hall. Fitzgerald stated that she felt she understood the concept Barbuzza was presenting, until she incorporated too many concepts into her proposal. Fitzgerald stated that she did not enjoy the Babel concept that Barbuzza wanted to include in her piece. Knoche stated that he worried about Barbuzza painting directly on the wall. Smith stated that she agreed that Barbuzza’s Babel element would be inappropriate to include in a municipal building. Smith stated that Barbuzza’s work should be done on panels rather than painted directly on the wall. Fitzgerald stated that she enjoyed Dargania’s original concept better than his second, later concept. Fitzgerald stated that she is a fan of Adam’s artwork that she has seen before, but she found the proposal he presented to the committee to be somewhat lacking. Dyson stated that Adam’s work was very abstract, and that a passer-by would most likely not comprehend its meaning. Brown stated that she enjoyed Adam’s design. Smith stated that she did not think Adam’s concept was correct for this project. Fitzgerald stated that she believed if the committee gave Adam’s comments he would come back with a polished finished project however she worried how his work would come across to the public. Bollinger stated that it is possible that the projects might need a lot of massaging, so the committee would need to select an artist who would be comfortable being flexible. Brown stated that, due to Adam’s work with many other committees, he would be a good person to do that. Fitzgerald stated that Adam’s work is very streamlined and well done. Smith stated that Barbuzza is also very capable of creating a polished finished project, although she worried about the longevity of Barbuzza’s materials. Fitzgerald stated that she thought they should go back to both Adam’s and Barbuzza with comments and suggestions to improve their proposals. Smith worried whether Adam’s would be able to come up with a concept that better related to Iowa and stated that Barbuzza already had a solid concept and her design simply needed some massaging. Bollinger stated that she would prefer whoever is selected sit down and meet with at least part of the committee to get notes on how they could improve their proposal. Brown stated that she thinks both Barbuzza and Adams would be able to come up with a polished final piece. Dyson stated that he enjoyed Barbuzza’s inclusion of the maps of Iowa City neighborhoods but that the artist would need to work to ensure that the project stays an art piece rather than another map in City Hall. Knoche stated that it was a plus that Barbuzza’s piece was expandable, and could perhaps be spread around City Hall. Fitzgerald stated that she would be willing to select Barbuzza as the finalist if she was willing to work with the committee’s edits to her proposal. Fitzgerald stated that she enjoyed all of Barbuzza’s individual concepts but together they got muddied. Knoche motioned to select Barbuzza as the final artist allowing for revision to her proposal. The committee discussed the motion. Fitzgerald stated that she was not willing to give Barbuzza the commission, but was willing to agree to view a second proposal for this project. Knoche amended to move forward with Barbuzza’s proposal but not give her the commission until the committee approves an additional proposal for the project. Bollinger stated that the committee would need to consider the schedule. Dyson asked what the timeline was for the project. Bollinger stated the goal was to have the project completed by the end of fiscal year. Knoche asked if it would be acceptable for the committee to request Barbuzza come back to the February PAAC meeting with a revised proposal. Bollinger stated that that would be possible. Smith asked if the committee would meet with her before the February meeting. Bollinger stated that yes, it would be beneficial for the committee to meet with Barbuzza. Fitzgerald asked if there were additional funds to award to Barbuzza for revising her proposal. Bollinger stated that yes, there was originally $250 set aside for each of the four finalists, but because the decided committee only selected three, there was $250 leftover. Knoche amended his original motion to accept Barbuzza’s proposal but not give her the commission until the committee approves her revised proposal with the added stipulation that they will be awarding her not more than $250 to do the revised proposal. Rose Smith seconded. There were no opposing voted. The motion passed unanimously. The committee formed a subcommittee to meet with Barbuzza and discuss her second proposal for the committee. Fitzgerald and Brown volunteered to be on the subcommittee. COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS OR REPORTS: Fitzgerald stated she received the email that Bollinger sent about the grand opening of the STEAM mural. Bollinger stated that she needs someone to introduce the artists and faculty team involved. Brown mentioned how far the project came from the original proposal. STAFF REPORTS: Bollinger stated that January 9th is the last day for applications to be submitted to become a member of the Public Art Advisory Committee. Bollinger stated that she needs to discuss more specifics, for the Chadek Green Call to Artists, in the next meeting. Bollinger stated that the Snelson sculpture is set to be relocated and that would also need to be discussed in the next meeting. Knoche requested that that discussion be pushed to the March meeting, as he will be unable to attend the February meeting. Bollinger stated that the committee could possibly postpone the conversation to the March meeting but she would need to double check. ADJOURNMENT: Fitzgerald moved to adjourn. Brown seconded. Meeting adjourned 5:35 pm. Public Art Advisory Committee Attendance Record 2017 - 2018 Name Term Expires 1/5 2/5 3/2 4/6 7/6 8/16 9/7 11/2 1/4 Bodkin Bryk, Tam 01/01/19 X x O/E O/E x x x x O/E Brown, Wendy 01/01/20 -- x x x x x x O/E x Erin Fitzgerald 01/01/20 -- -- x x x x x x x Knoche, Ron X x x x x x x x x Seydell- Johnson, Juli x x x x x x O/E x x Vero Rose Smith 01/01/21 x Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a member