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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5.1 ParksArtPrgm e e CITY OF DUBLIN AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: May 22 1995 SUBJECT Art in the Parks Program (Report by Diane Lowart, Parks & Community Services Director) EXHIBITS ATTACHED . (Correspondence from Lynne Baer, Consulting Director Dublin Fine Arts Foundation . Models will be on display at the meeting RECO~NDATION ~ \ 2. rv' Receive presentation from Dublin Fine Arts Foundation Approve recommended artworks for Alamo Creek Park and Kolb Park FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None at this time DESCRIPTION Correspondence has been received from Lynne Baer, Consulting Director for the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation, requesting City Council approval of the fIrst two permanent artworks for "Art in the Parks". Background At the September 27, 1993 meeting of the Dublin City Council, the Council gave conceptual approval to the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation's proposed "Art in the Parks" program. The goal of the "Art in the Parks" program is to enhance City parks through the placement of artworks appropriate to each park's history, location, size and use. The Dublin Fine Arts Foundation has been working on the "Art in the Parks" project for the past year and has undertaken the following steps: · The Foundation put out a call for artists and received responses from 100 Northern California artists; · Alamo Creek, Kolb and Stagecoach Parks were selected to be the fIrst three parks for installation of a permanent piece of art; · Neighborhood Selection Committees were formed made up of residents living adjacent to the parks; · The Committees received a brief overview of public art, reviewed slides from potential artists and invited selected artists to create models of proposed artworks; · The models were put on display at the Dublin Civic Center and notebooks soliciting comments on the models were placed at the Civic Center; · A public reception was held on January 27 to view the models and meet the artists. The Neighborhood Selection Committee for Stagecoach Park was not in favor of the artworks proposed for that park and has since interviewed several more artists who will be developing models for later review. The Neighborhood Selection Committees for Kolb Park and Alamo Creek Park have made their selection and are recommending that the following artworks be approved. " ~~------------~= Dublin~F;;"'dati:;-- FILE e e Proposed Artworks Alamo Creek Park The selection committee for Alamo Creek Park has selected the work by the Dublin, Ireland born artist, Alan Counihan. The Black Pool is translated into Irish as "an Dubh linn" which was one of the early names for Dublin. The work will be created out of black granite from the Sierra foothills and will consist of two elements - a stone slab out of which the "pool", measuring 8 x 7 feet with a polished surface, will be carved to resemble ripples of a pool of water. The pool will be surrounded by four stone "seats" inscribed with spiraling Celtic and Indian weave patterns. The work will be sited at the base of the slope below the parking lot. The work will serve as a visual link, a bridge of the imagination, between the landscape of the park and that of the soft rolling hills, as well as sense of an ancient landscape and of lives lived continuously in this place for thousands of years. Kolb Park The committee selected the work, "dust to dust", by Baile Oakes, a Mendocino County environmental artist. The 9 x 8 x 9 feet spiral will be constructed out of "old growth" redwood and will be placed on the crest of the hill facing Brighton Avenue. Baile states: "dust to dust" will serve as a memorial for the community - a reminder our common physical origins in the elements of the Earth, as well as a memory of one's passage through life. It speaks of the qualities of life that we share with one another. The form of the sculpture is that of a spiral: a basic building block of Nature that is found from DNA to Sun Flowers to the Nautilus Shell. As the elements that make up our bodies come from the Earth and return to the Earth upon our passing, so too does the sculpture arise from the Earth and return to its beginnings." Conclusion Funding for the art is coming from grants and fundraisers. Seed money for the project came from the Alameda County Arts Commission and the Tri-Valley Community Fund. Once the selections are approved by the Parks and Community Services Commission and the City Council, the neighborhood committees and the Foundation will mount a major fundraising campaign to fInance the artworks. The Parks and Community Services Commission unanimously approved both works at their May 10, 1995 meeting. It is therefore recommended that the City Council take the following action: 1. Receive presentation from Dublin Fine Arts Foundation; 2, Approve recommended artworks for Alamo Creek Park and Kolb Park. [) {} B N v .u A. H T S F 0 U l\ e D ,\. T l\ (.\ , ) " 1. I :'i e , I , .u .. ^QA ~jY \,...... ~tr.E'IV~D MAY, G ofr;~ iVJ..) May 10, 1995 Mayor Guy Houston City council Members City of Dublin 100 Civic Plaza Dublin, CA 94568 Dear Mayor Houston and City council Members; The Dublin Fine Arts Foundation is pleased to present for your approval the first two permanent artworks for "Art in the Parks". Last night, the Park and Community Services Commission unanimously approved both works. On September 27, 1993, the City council gave conceptual approval of this proposed program with the goal to enhance city parks through the placement of artworks appropriate to each park's history, location, size, and use. Since that time, the Foundation has taken the following steps to ensure the best art appropriate for each park: *The Foundation conducted a call for artists and received responses from over 100 Northern California artists; *Alamo Creek, Kolb, and stagecoach Parks were selected to be the three parks for installation of a permanent artwork; *Neighborhood Selection Committees were formed made up of residents living adjacent to the parks; *The Committees received a brief overview of pUblic art, reviewed slides of potential artists and then invited artists to create models of proposed artworks; *The models were put on display at the Dublin Civic Center and notebooks sOliciting comments on the models were available for public reaction; *A pUblic reception was held on January 27, 1995 to view the models and meet the artists. The Neighborhood Selection Committee for Stagecoach Park was not in favor of the artworks proposed and since have interviewed two more artists who are developing models. The Neighborhood Selection Committees for Alamo Creek and Kolb Parks have made their selections and recommending that the following artworks be approved. 1'.<1. !IO\ ~''1~. In ilL! \. C \ '1'..1>11 "f", , ; UB L ! F n ... . .J A lj 0 {; :\ D ,.). T n :\ ., , '- e H '" 1 ,. ." : I : ~ e j\ ~.., /'~~ , - 'dJ' ., :';oj';'~ 'I~,*,,/.J\qj ~.~ '-",,-,,/ Alamo Creek Park The Neighborhood Selection Committee has selected the work by the Dublin, Ireland born artist Alan Counihan. In his site-specific work, The Black Pool, Alan wants to bridge two traditions, that of where he was born with that of where he now lives, using each to enrich the other. The Black Pool is translated into Irish as "an Dubh linn" which was one of the early names of Dublin. The work will be created out of black granite from the sierra foothills and will consist of two elements - a stone slab out of which the "pool", measuring 8 X 7 feet with a polished surface, will be carved to resemble ripples of a pool of water. The pool will be surrounded by four stone "seats" inscribed with spiraling Celtic and Indian weave patterns. The work will be sited at the base of the slope below the parking lot. The work will serve as a visual link, a bridge of the imagination, between the landscape of the park and that of the soft rolling hills, as well as a sense of an ancient landscape and of lives lived continuously in this place for thousands of years. Kolb Park The Neighborhood Selection Committee selected the work "dust to dust" by Baile Oakes, a Mendocino County environmental artist. The 9 x 8 x 9 feet spiral will be constructed out of "old growth" redwood and will be placed on the crest of the hill facing Brighton Avenue. Baile states: "dust to dust" will serve as a memorial for the community - a reminder of our common physical origins in the elements of the Earth, as well as a memory of one's passage through life. It speaks of the qualities of life that we share with one another. The form of the sculpture is that of a spiral: a basic building block of nature that is found from DNA to sun flowers to the Nautilus shell. As the elements that make up our bodies come from the Earth and return to the Earth upon our passing, so too does the sculpture arise from the Earth and return to its beginnings. Funding for the art is coming from grants and fundraisers. Seed money for the project has been received from the Alameda County Arts Commission and the Tri-Valley Community Fund as well as Bank of America. Once the selections are approved by the City council, the Foundation and the Neighborhood Committees will mount a major campaign to fund the works. i'.O. B'" ~"\~. III ilL!..... C \" l:;"il L) Ii ,.--, ,1:) r L N - - q .i.J T !~ r U \ I) A '1'1 r '\ .) . . t j \ .) . -~ .c .i ,-, n s T-' ;-' > I \: - j e ^ /~l~, .\.. Hr.'" ""'" '). ...., >~l.;r / "'"/ ......f' ''l.., ./( ,-"" The Foundation is thrilled to present the committees' selections to you and feels they will be a positive addition to their sites. The Foundation appreciates the continued support of the city Council in our efforts to integrate art into public spaces of the community. Best regards, r8~ Lynne Baer Consulting Director cc: Linda Jeffery, President, DFAF l'.l) ltl)\ ~i,I:!. \)1 1)1,1~. (: \ I) ~;i(,H