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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPAAC Agenda Packet 11-3-22aPublic Art Advisory Committee Thursday, November 3, 2022 3:30 PM Emma Harvat Hall City Hall, 410 E. Washington AGENDA 1.Call to order 2.Introductions of members and public attending the meeting. 3.Public discussion of any item not on the agenda 4.Consideration of the October 13, 2022 meeting minutes 5.Approve selection of Artist Mentor for South District Neighborhood Art project 6.Review Management Plan Section 6 a.Focus on Policy & Procedures for Siting and Displaying Art b.Prepare to discuss FY24 potential project/s 7.Staff Updates a.Black Hawk Mini Park project b.Simple Flight repair c.Kiwanis Park update 8.Adjournment If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this program/event, please contact Wendy Ford, Economic Development and Public Art Coordinator at 319-356-5248 or wendy- ford@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Preliminary, p.1 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 10/13/22 Minutes Public Art Advisory Committee October 13, 2022 Emma Harvat Hall Public Art Advisory Committee Members Present: Juli Seydell-Johnson, Andrea Truitt, Scott Sovers, Steve Miller, Eddie Boyken, Jeremy Endsley, Dominic Dongilli Members Absent: Anita Jung Staff Present: Wendy Ford Public Present: none Call to Order Miller called the meeting to order at 3:32 p.m. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda None Consideration of the September 8, 2022 meeting minutes Seydell-Johnson moved, and Andrea Truitt seconded that the minutes of the September 8 meeting be approved. Motion passed (7-0). RFQ now includes history of the airport. Explained some details. Explained the budget $40,000 – the high end of Thomas’ $38,400. Outlined review process and what would make a high quality RFQ. Approve Airport Mural RFQ Ford introduced the item and described working with the Airport Commission (AC) to tailor the RFQ to ensure getting a mural like one they envision. The AC voted to spend $100 of their budget to consult with Thomas Agran, local muralist, on ways to make the project better by making the FRQ better. He joined the airport manager, the chair of the AC and Ford and ultimately came up with a list of things that should be included in the RFQ and a range for a budget. The original PAAC contribution to the project is $8,000, falling short of Agran’s estimate which was between $19,000 and $40,000, depending on the level of detail in the art. The Airport Commission will want to have at least one member of PAAC to join the artist selection process meetings. Ford inquired and Endsley expressed interest in attending those meetings. Seydell-Johnson expressed that she like the level of detail in the RFQ and how the historical information sets the stage for expectations the mural. Next there was discussion around getting the word out about the RFQ. Ford said she would reach out to the Dept. of Cultural Affairs and Truitt suggested speaking to the staff at the City of Cedar Rapids who’ve just recently embarked on some big mural projects. Ford wanted Preliminary, p.2 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 10/13/22 to ensure the committee approved of reaching beyond Iowa City’s borders, and Miller said he thought casting a wide net was a good thing. Dongilli moved to approve the RFQ as presented and Endsley seconded. Motion passed (7-0). Discuss Matching Grants 2023 First, Ford reviewed a draft news release for the 2023 program. At budget time, the committee had decided the high end would be $3,500 for a minimum $7,000 project and $500 for a $1,000 project. Promotion would start in about two weeks with applications due December 15 for calendar year 2023. Endsley asked about whether we could extend the deadline; Ford replied yes. Truitt also added that it would be good to clarify when funding decisions will be made. There was consensus that pushing back the deadline for application to mid to late January, with a committee review at the February meeting would be better. Seydell-Johnson add that she would like a note added to the application, that says “Proposals for projects to be displayed/performed in or on City of Iowa City property (e.g., public buildings, parks, parking ramps, etc.), must be directed to the respective City Department Head to discuss the project and get permission. Miller noted that the Greatest Small City of the Arts, as noted in the news release should be the Greatest Small City for the Arts. The group approved using the tag line. Next, the group discussed the rubric for scoring the applications, which would remain as it had been last year, with one exception. Ford recalled that there were four categories of art in past budgets for which programs were never created. These were categories of public art desired by the community that surfaced in the 2019 survey but had never been addressed. Rather than devote dollars to these categories in silos, individually, the committee justified enlarging the pool of grant funds this year and call these categories out as highly valued in the news release and call for projects. To address scoring on those values, Ford added each to the end of the rubric for scoring. The categories are a) functional art, b) unexpected art, c) participatory art, and d) ephemeral art. Miller expressed concern about whether scoring these categories would unwittingly weight these qualities at the expense of others. Those concerns seemed dispelled by the discussion. Finally, the group discussed a policy drafted last year by Dongilli, addressing the eligibility of applicants who have previously received matching grant funds. It was suggested that a Yes/No question be added to the application form, and if the applicant checked Yes (that they had been funded by this program in the past), they be directed to a link outlining the policy. Seydell-Johnson moved to approve the 2023 grant program with changes discussed including extending the application deadline, adding details about review and award dates, adding four categories to the rubric, and adding the policy about prior funding. Endsley seconded. Motion passed (7-0) Preliminary, p.3 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 10/13/22 Staff Updates Ford showed slides of the Longfellow Tunnel painting project. The committee seemed to appreciate the work of the South East Junior High Art students’ colorful rendition of their proposals. She reported next on the Black Hawk Mini Park project and that she has not heard from Dawson Davenport since the project budget was increased to include Part 2 of the project. She is hoping that we can get the pedestal and plaque by done by spring, but the work of Part 2 of the project needs to be completed first because the QR code embedded in the art will tie back to a website with Part 2 information. Ford reported that there are now 3 applicants for artist mentors for the South District Bus Stop bench and that she will connect with the South District neighborhood leaders to determine if they want to select one of the applicants or proceed in a different manner. Finally, Ford noted progress on the repainting of the Simple Flight sculpture at the east end of the Iowa River Power Company bridge. The piece had been sand blasted and Ford, along with David Dennis, had gone to Cedar Rapids to choose paint colors. It will likely be reinstalled in the next couple of weeks. Adjournment Sovers moved, and Truitt seconded the meeting be adjourned. Motion passed (7-0). Preliminary, p.4 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 10/13/22 Public Art Advisory Committee Attendance Record 2022 Name Term Expires 10/7/21 11/4/21 1/6/22 2/3/22 3/3/22 5/5/22 6/2/22 7/7/22 8/4/22 9/8/22 10/13/22 Ron Knoche X X X X X X* X X X X X* Juli Seydell- Johnson X X X X X X X X X* X X Steve Miller 12/31/23 X X X X X X O/E O/E X X X Eddie Boyken 12/31/24 X X X X X X X O/E X X X Andrea Truitt 12/31/22 O/E X X X X X X X X X X Dominic Dongilli 12/31/23 X O/E O/E X X X X X X O/E X Anita Jung 6/30/23 --- --- --- --- --- X O/E X X O/E O/E Jennifer Gringer 12/31/23 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- X O/E Jeremy Endsley 12/31/22 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- X X Jan Finlay- son 12/31/23 O/E O/E X O/E O/E --- --- --- --- --- --- Nancy Puring- ton 12/31/22 X X O/E O/E O/E --- --- --- --- --- --- Sandy Steil 12/31/23 X O/E O O/E O/E --- --- --- --- --- --- Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a member Date: October 21, 2022 To: Public Art Advisory Committee From: Wendy Ford, Public Art Coordinator Re: South District Neighborhood Bus Stop Bench Project Artist Mentor recommendation Introduction The South District Neighborhood Bus Stop Bench project was conceived as one in which an Artist Mentor would assist an Emerging Artist in the design and production of a bus stop bench. The first step in the project was to solicit applications for an Artist Mentor. Background After having extended the deadline for applications, three were submitted and reviewed by Elinor Levin, of the South District Neighborhood Association Arts Committee and me. Jose Trejo Maya, the first applicant, lists only a California address, appears to have no public art experience and no mentorship experience. Andre Wright also applied. Andre has a BFA in Liberal Arts and an AA in Graphic Arts, is a leader in the local arts and cultural scene in the community and has served as a mentor in different roles. It was not clear that he had sculptural, construction or functional arts experience. When asked, Andre replied that he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and that they did all of it in school. He said he does not have any direct professional experience when it comes construction or functional arts but noted there are a number of professionals within his organization that could mentor on those fronts. He said he would approach this is as a collective project and would love the opportunity to support it. Ray Michel, with a BFA in Sculpture, also applied. He has both design and sculptural experience (including welding) that the project will need, and he highlighted a connection he had with the ICFabLab. He lives in the South District neighborhood and is familiar with the targeted bus stop. Ray elaborated on his mentorship experience in an email noting that he led a team of 5 full-time staff and 5 students for 2 of 5 years at the University of Iowa before he left the state in 2013. He shared that he was also a Big for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Johnson County with 1 Little for about a year and a half during that time. He also volunteered in Michael Close's and Jill Harper's art rooms at City High for the 2012-13 school year, and for the first half of the 2013-14 school year, he was embedded at Jefferson Jr High in Vancouver, WA.. After a year at Zephyr Printing & Design in Coralville he was leading/sharing art direction with a changing roster of full and part time coworkers for two more years. Lastly, he mentioned that in his current role at UIHC, he is the one asked to welcome and onboard new staff and trainees to the team. Recommendation Staff and the South District Neighborhood Art Committee liaison, Elinor Levin recommend Ray Michel for the Artist Mentor for the South District Bus Stop Bench project. 14 Iowa City Public Art Management Plan Working Document 6.0 Policy and Procedures for Siting and Displaying Public Art 6.1 Guiding Principles and General Site Selection Criteria Public art will be placed in suitable locations broadly dispersed throughout the City of Iowa City. Installation of Public Art will give meaning and enjoyment to these public spaces by: • Creating a sense of place • Generating neighborhood and community identity • Creating a spot for people to gather • Enhancing the environment • Transforming the landscape for greater enjoyment • Providing public access to this creative expression 6.2 Siting Policies • To encourage public enjoyment of the City’s public art collection, the PAAC will place artwork in, on, or about any municipal building or other municipally owned, leased, or rented property. These locations for public art will be accessible to the general public as well as to persons with special needs. • The PAAC will develop an artwork site plan that identifies and prioritizes locations on City property for placement of public art. • The artwork site plan shall address permanent locations, as well as provide for the planned movement of appropriate artwork to various locations in the City. • The artwork site plan shall be updated every three years. • No work of art in the City collection may be moved without the written approval of the PAAC. 6.3 Siting Procedures Evaluation of the location should include the impact of a public art installation on the current environment or properties and usage of the space. The site or location priorities shall be based on specific criteria that include, but are not limited to: ● Maximum visibility and public benefit. The location must also be accessible to persons with special needs ● Public safety ● Integration with formal City plans ● Integration and coordination with proposed or potential private sector projects ● Permanence or ease of relocation, if appropriate ● Consideration of the possibility of future public or private development plans or potential changes to the built environment or the natural environment. ● Compatibility with the type, scale, and scope of potential public projects ● Security 15 Iowa City Public Art Management Plan Working Document ● Protection from improper or unnecessary physical contact ● Protection from heat, air conditioning, direct sunlight, water or other potentially harmful elements, unless the work is designed for such exposure ● Ease of maintenance of artwork ● Avoidance of interfering with vehicular or pedestrian sight lines or traffic patterns ● Avoidance of interference with City operational functions (i.e., lawn mowing, irrigation, snow removal, etc.) ● Locations for public art should create a secure, supportive setting for the artwork and not be filled with other visual distractions, activities or movement that would compete with the artwork ● The activities or usage of the site do not diminish or interfere with the enjoyment of the artwork as intended 6.4 Site Selection Recommendations 1. Identify and prioritize sites in parks and recreation areas, City facilities and other public spaces for which artwork can be acquired by commission, direct purchase or temporary loan to enhance these environments for our community and visitors. Strategy: Survey, analyze, and rank the options for placement of public artwork. Possible locations for public art could include but are not limited to: ● Parks and open space areas ● Trails ● Public buildings to which the public has access both interior and exterior sites ● Traffic circles and medians ● Bridges and overpasses ● Sidewalks near benches that are functional and decorative ● Street corners or other public spaces Recommendation: Review site inventory annually and reprioritize these options as conditions change or as resources become available. 2. Identify and prioritize gateways and commercial centers for public art that can highlight areas or serve as landmarks to emphasize Iowa City as a unique and vibrant community Strategy: Survey, analyze, and rank options for placement of public artwork in primary gateways. Recommendation: ● The gateways associated with I-80 and Hwys 1 and 6 offer significant opportunities to herald Iowa City as a vital community. Wayfinding and safety should be the priorities in these dynamic traffic areas. Artwork should be located in places that are easily viewed and accessible by the public. Both the pace of traffic and spaces available in these areas do not encourage placement of public artworks. 16 Iowa City Public Art Management Plan Working Document ● The gateways on Melrose, Rochester, Scott Blvd and others would be desirable locations for more prominent signage welcoming people to Iowa City. 3. Incorporate public art in areas of new development in Iowa City to make these places livable and appealing. Strategy: Cultivate relationships and form partnerships to secure support and potential funding for public art projects in existing community commercial centers and those planned for future development. Recommendation: Future community commercial centers present excellent opportunities for incorporating public art to heighten the image and value of the project and increase its income-producing potential. Public art can help create an identity for the City and help define the character of a mixed-use development. ● Prioritize these projects according to the potential for public art, the timeline, and the availability of funding sources. ● Develop a collaborative process with City departments and development interests to identify and track progress on these efforts to advocate for public art to enhance these developments, as appropriate. ● Initiate collaborative dialogue with commercial interests about the potential and the benefits as well as the responsibilities associated with public art at these sites. Explore the possibility of financial participation in the cost of the public art and secure that support, if feasible. For example, supporting the arts through private development can be a way for the developer to give back to the community. Involve the collaborators in the process for selecting the artwork. ● Negotiate agreements for the ongoing expenses of insurance and maintenance of publicly funded artwork on private property, in advance. 4. Seek and implement additional opportunities for art to enhance and define the City’s image through temporary displays in public facilities and/or temporary exhibitions. Strategy: Inventory possible locations for temporary exhibitions. Solicit proposals and conduct a selection process consistent with the guidelines and criteria for public art. Strategy: Explore temporary exhibition options for prominent locations, particularly in new developments, to highlight the arts and attract attention to these areas. Work with local businesses to sponsor annual installations on their properties. Promote through such avenues as social media and “People’s Choice” awards. Recommendation: The PAAC may organize temporary exhibitions of public art or display temporary exhibitions for a specified period of time. Guidelines for these exhibitions will be consistent with the criteria for public art set forth in this Plan.