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
< =
.... ~
.......
<....
CJ<
..
-
.c
=
~
~ >< >< >< ~ >< >< ><
N 0
V') ~ >< >< ><
0 >< >< ><
- 0
-
tI) 00 \0 \0 00 t"--
a ~ 0 0 0 0 0
- - - - -
'S: - - - - -
Q) ~ 0 0 0 ~ 0
- - - -
E--~ - - - - -
0 0 0 0 0
..::l
C"-l
-
~ "C
~ gf t 0
"C 0
... - = - -
.. .c
~ - C"-l .. 0
.... - a 1:: .c ~ ~
... ~ =
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ C"-l ...
= ~ ~ C"-l
U C"-l 00 0 E-t
.a ~ C"-l .a ~ t
- ~
Q) ... ~ ~
s .. ~ a .. ...
a a ~ CJ
Z ..::l ~ ~ ~ ~
r-il U ~ r-il E-t
I-<
Q)
-:S
ro
Q)
~
"'0 .s
~ Q)
;:j bO.E
(,) l=: \oJ
~ '.;:j "'0
~Q)Q)
'E:'E:~~~
Q) Q) Q) ~ (,)
~ tI) tI) 0 l=:
~<<z~
II II II II II
~ ~~~
~><ooZu