HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.1 H&C Arts in City CITY CLERK
File #910-80
AGEN DA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: October 15, 2002
SUBJECT:
Presentation by Parks & Community Services Staff on Heritage and
Cultural Arts in the City
Report by Diane Lowart, Parks & Community Services Director
ATTACHMENTS: None
RECOMMENDATION: ~ -/~eceive and
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None
accept Parks & Community Services Staff presentation
DESCRIPTION: The City of Dublin Parks & Community Services Department is
organized into three divisions: Community Services; Heritage and Cultural Arts; and Parks and Facilities
Development. Staff has prepared a presentation on heritage and cultural arts in the City.
The Heritage and Cultural Arts Division preserves Dublin's heritage and promotes the arts. The main
focus of the City's heritage is the Dublin Heritage Center comprised of the Old St. Raymond's Church,
the original Murray Schoolhouse and the Dublin Pioneer Cemetery. The museum in the Schoolhouse
attracts over 1,000 visitors each year and features artifacts depicting local history. The Heritage Center
staff and volunteers also conduct special tours of the Heritage Center as part of the local elementary
school curriculum. Old St. Raymond's Church is available for rent and has been the sight of many
intimate weddings and family gatherings over the years.
The Heritage Center is currently offering new programs for the community. A Community Choir has
started rehearsing in the church and everyone is welcome to join. There is no audition process, just a
willingness to sing. The Community Band has a list of interested members and will be joining the choir in
rehearsing at the Church by the first of the year. There will be a Holiday Open house held on Sunday,
December 8 from 2 - 5 p.m. featuring holiday ornaments, a sing-a-long with the choir, storytelling, hot
cider and treats.
Since the City acquired the Dublin Heritage Center in 1993, the Church, Schoolhouse and grounds have
undergone major renovation. One of the last renovation projects is the reconstruction of the bell tower on
the Murray Schoolhouse. The project is currently underway and scheduled for completion in December.
The project is a partnership with the Dublin Rotary Club, the Dublin Historic Preservation Association
and the Dublin-San Ramon Women's Club, all who have pledged funding for the project. Upon
completion of the bell tower the Heritage Center will embark on a new program of quarterly exhibits in
the little gallery adjacent to the museum.
Staff is currently preparing the necessary documentation to nominate the Dublin Heritage Center to the
National Register of Historic Places. The application should be ready to submit as early as November.
COPIES TO:
G:\COUNCILXAgenda Statemcnts\2002\l 0-15 presentation.doc
ITEM NO.
The State Historic Preservation Office will then review the application and provide feedback to the
Heritage Center Director on the application. Upon revision the application will then be sent to the State
Historic Resource Commission for approval. The 'Commission meets on a quarterly basis so this process
could take up to a year. Upon approval at the state level the application will then be sent to the National
Trust in Washington for final approval to the National Register.
Heritage Center Staffwith the assistance of a committee with representation from the DHPA, the Heritage
and Cultural Arts Commission, a local fourth grade schoolteacher, and two Interpretative Volunteers from
the Dublin Heritage Center, are working on the development of a Collections Management Policy for the
Heritage Center Museum. The purpose of the policy is to define the collecting goals for the Heritage
Center Museum within standard museum policy and procedural guidelines. A draft of the policy has been
approved by the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission and will come before the City Council at a future
meeting.
The visual arts in Dublin can be found in and around public buildings and public parks as well as on
private property. Regarding City funded projects, a number of projects are underway. These are as
follows:
Historic Crossroads Mural (formerly Freeway Underpass Art ProjecO
Bus Shelter Art Project
Street Banner Art Project
Art in new Library (three commissions)
Art in new Senior Center
On private property, a number of artworks have been installed or fabrication is underway. These are as
follows:
Clocktower at Downtown Safeway (fabrication underway)
Metal Sculptures at Archstone Dougherty Road (installation underway)
Tile Pyramid at the Waterford Shops (fabrication underway)
Corten Steel Sculpture at Expo Design Center (installation complete)
The City also has a successful partnership with the Dublin Arts Foundation for the "Art in the Park"
program. Artworks have been installed at the following parks:
Alamo Creek Park
Stagecoach Park
Kolb Park
Shannon Park
Mape Memorial Park
Ted Fairfield Park
Additionally, artwork for Emerald Glen Park has been approved and art will be included in the Dublin
Ranch Area G Neighborhood Park with design scheduled to begin in Fall 2002.
It is recommended that the City Council receive the presentation from Parks and Community Service
Department Staff.